Sunday, February 5, 2012

Everything takes longer in France

I have flat feet. Not a very interesting topic. Because of my flat feet, I wear custom made orthopedic inserts in my sneakers and boots. It helps. On a recent journey to RI to visit my family, I forgot my inserts in a pair of boots that I decided at the very last minute not to pack for my return trip to France (since my suitcase was long past the sitting-on-it-to-close-it stage) I also purchase a pair of shoes while in RI but thy didn't arrive before I had to leave.

Being that I am in overseas for long periods of time, my parents kindly mailed these two items to me, here in France.

THREE WEEKS LATER

I receive a letter from the post office in Paris. They want a written statement disclosing the contents of the package and the cost of the items inside.

So we comply, explaining that the orthopedic inserts are used and 4 years old, the shoes where purchased in the US, costing about 30 euros.

We receive a phone call three days later.  "Oh no no, that is not possible. Orthopedic shoes cost much more than that. We need a receipt proving the cost of the shoes before we can release the package to you."

We are talking about SHOES and used, cracked and most likely smelly orthopedic inserts to boost my fallen arches. Not weapons, drugs, merchandise or body parts that we plan to resell, or even seditious printed material.

SHOES!

And the French postal service is holding them hostage. I recommended that they simple open the box and see for themselves.

We submit further information regarding the contents of the package and I receive an email explaining that they are releasing the package but I may be responsible for import taxes upon its delivery.

On a side note, I called the US embassy here in Nice on a question in regards to my passport and was informed by recorded message that the Embassy is closed until January 31 and that I should call back then. What if it was a matter of life and death? I guess it would have to wait until January 31.

Here in France, even the US Embassy works on French time. Nothing moves efficiently, nothing is easy, nothing gets done without ten steps or 14 pages of paperwork, at the very least. In view of the Subaru Saga my sister and her husband are tangled up in, I'm starting to think that Subaru is perhaps really a French company.