This article is prompted by a book review I had from IndieReader a very influential book site in the USA. I have no complaint about their review of which some details are posted on my website, except they have commented ; "The very final words of the text are an opinion on Brexit, nothing to do with cycling at all". Yes this is true for Americans, why would they be interested? However it is an important event for cyclists, travelers and tourists in Europe. Consequently when I wrote the book I had included a few snippets in my European travels of what transpired before we joined the EU.
For example I wrote of an hilarious incident crossing the border footbridge from Germany into Luxemburg when I took a team to the Tour of Luxemburg, which involved the proprietor of Universal Cycle Center Dave Marsh. "I would stress this was before the wine festival.------------ As the common market was not fully functional, there was still a sentry in his box at the end of the bridge; we assumed he was there to check on goods. All the time we had been there, we never saw the sentry even move a muscle. This is until Dave strolling behind attempted to cross along with all the locals. To our surprize he was challenged by the sentry to produce his passport; all our papers were back in the hotel. There was quite a confrontation. Dave was jumping up and down, the sentry unslinging his rifle. All he had to do was go back and cross on the footbridge 50 yards away, where there was no sentry or go back and obtain his passport. The confrontation was better than going to the pantomime, Did we vote for Brexit? I don't think so ! ---------- At the time Dave never imagined that his problems with frontiers were to return 47 years later
I know from the stories I hear from friends that there are many trials and tribulations with Brexit. Here is our story when buying a property in Mallorca which reading now is funny, but not to me at the time. This is an example of the British being targeted, as a warning to the Catalans, as we know many of them are looking for independence from Spain. To buy a property, goods or services in Spain you need a tax number, known as the NIF number. My application for the NIF was refused because my passport was not stamped and my French Residency Identity Card was not applicable in this instance. My wife Phyllis's French Identity card was accepted and she was given her NIF number immediately.
The next time I drove from Portugal to Mallorca taking the Car Ferry was my next opportunity to have my passport stamped, unfortunately we could ;not find any customs officials on this journey. If you arrive by air you have no choice but to have your passport stamped, whether you want it stamped or not. On our third arrival at the port in Palma, again by car ferry the boat was delayed by a storm. As it was much later in the morning one would assume that it would be easy to find some customs officials. This was not the case. Eventually I succeeded being referred to the top floor of the building where the Port Command post was located. After passing through several controls I was face to face with the chief officer in charge of absolutely everything related to the port, or so he said, he acted like Trump. He asked me what he could do for me, of course I asked for my passport to be stamped explaining why. He asked how did you arrive? by the Ferry was my answer, which loomed large in his window. He showed the passport around to all his attendant underlings and cracked out laughing, saying "he has arrived on that boat and wants his passport stamped", saying I don't need it to obtain the NIF number. I replied I know that, my solicitor knows that but they will not do it until it is stamped. Will you do it please, to which I received an emphatic NO; CASE CLOSED FOR THE MOMENT.
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Next step was the solicitor arranged an interview with the police at Palma airport, this could only be done on a Saturday morning. As my solicitor was not available I had to pay someone else to accompany me from the Palma office There was only one policeman in this small office at the airport who took the passport and the documents into the back office to be copied. I had taken all the documents that had beer requested, plus some others just in case, which was a good job , as they were needed. I could understand enough Spanish to follow the conversation that all this was an unnecessary waste of time.
Next day I had a phone call from the solicitor to take my stamped passport into there office, are you joking I replied THE PASSPORT WAS NOT STAMPED. Complete silence for quite some time, when she finally spoke she said leave it with me. After another month passed I at last receive the magic number, some further documents must have been completed at the Airport the end of a vey long saga.
Gordon Neale is the author of the book Cycling 70 Years Once World Champion and there is more on his Authors Website at cycling70yearsonceworldchampion.com
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