The VISA hits the fan

When the well-travelled Graham Cochrane (C8) made mention of an unwelcome S.H.I.T. stamp, Granny must confess to feeling rather unworldly, but then Steve Castieau of Bexley came along to explain: “In the 1970s, long-haired overland travellers entering Malaysia from Thailand often had their visas marked S.H.I.T (Suspected Hippy In Transit) accompanied by a stern warning to travel directly to Singapore. Entry into Singapore usually required the inevitable haircut.”

“In 1977, when I was considered to be a long-haired uni layabout by some, I travelled to New Zealand for a camping trip,” says Tim Ingall of Scottsdale Arizona, USA. “It took an hour to clear customs as a suspicious, older customs agent went through my gear looking for drugs including probing each aluminium tent pole. On returning to Australia I anticipated similar customs duty interrogation. Instead, I got a ‘G’day’, followed by a short question: ‘Are you bringing any drugs into the country?’ I answered no and was immediately sent on my way. Good thing I wasn’t doing anything nefarious – or at least that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it 49 years later!”

Stephen Tait of Bellevue Hill noticed that Janice Creenaune (C8) was visiting Dirranbandi, Queensland and is hoping “can she report on the welfare of the Norton Brothers and in particular Les Norton? All are robust and handy employees at the Dirranbandi Pub.”

More on the dreaded restaurant dress code (C8), from Elsa Cant of Merewether. “We presented at a posh hotel in London with my husband wearing a very nice (and expensive) leather jacket. This was deemed not respectable and was taken from him and replaced with a too-small, faded, red suit jacket. Thus, he was now suitably dressed for entry to the restaurant for afternoon tea.” As a waiter?

“Pleasing it is to report the first magpie sighting in full swooping mood on a cyclist here in Mudgee,” says Simon Staines. “Is this the earliest reporting of our beloved and most accomplished songbird in action I ask?”

“Wouldn’t it have been a laugh if Food Truck One (C8) had been loaded onto the wrong aircraft, and ended up in, say, Tehran?” posits Mickey Pragnell of Kiama. “One wonders, too, if President Trump was provisioned for the trip, or just helped himself to the first class oysters and champagne?” That would depend on whether there’s a McDonald’s at Imam Khomeini International.