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[Gaborn]

Eric Mann and Brooke Blew were really looking forward to their honeymoon.

Aside from the obvious reason that requires no elucidation in a family newspaper, the newlyweds couldn’t wait to jet off to Cancun because they both work hard at their jobs and for the past two years have spent all their spare time restoring a 200-year-old Colonial they bought in Lancaster. A practical pair, they got married in the home’s attached barn to save money.

“Every penny we have, we put into the house,” Brooke said. “When we bought it, it had been abandoned for seven years and had no plumbing or electricity. We’ve done all the work ourselves. We were so ready for this vacation.”

They initially planned to spend a few days in Vermont. But with the optimism of young lovers, they figured they’d only get married once and might as well splurge on a real honeymoon — an all-inclusive, couples-only resort on the Mayan coast.

Two weeks before the trip, Eric went looking for his passport and saw that Moses had found it first. The couple’s 2-year-old basset hound, Moses had chomped on the passport cover and made teeth marks on a couple of the pages, presumably irked because he wasn’t invited.

Eric went immediately to the post office to ask if he should apply for an emergency passport. He was told that his photo was untouched and the bar codes seemed fine, which satisfied Eric, but left Brooke a bit stressed, mainly because she’s a woman and tends to be a worrier. She fretted a bit, but Eric told her to relax.

So the couple showed up at Logan last month and showed their passports at the Jet Blue ticket counter, and the attendant asked Eric what happened to his, and he told her the dog ate it. She laughed and scanned it, and the couple checked their bags. The passport was also approved at the security checkpoint and once again before they got on the plane.

The four-hour flight was lovely. Brooke had two of her favorite Blue Moon beers and Eric enjoyed a Bloody Mary. They talked about what they’d do in Cancun, and Brooke was so excited when they landed that she literally ran to the customs agent.

She sailed right through, but the agent stopped Eric and frowned deeply at his passport. Eric told her what happened, except that this agent didn’t find it so amusing. She summoned her boss and they were led to an immigration office, where the agent told them in short order, “This is unacceptable. You have to leave the country immediately.” This was repeated several times, lest the language barrier proved a problem.


Brooke burst into tears and Eric tried to reason with the agents. They were on their honeymoon, he explained. Moses is just a dog and meant no harm. They’re law-abiding people and had no intention of adding to Mexico’s formidable crime woes. As Eric pleaded, an agent from airport security escorted a sobbing Brooke to baggage claim to collect their luggage. Within minutes they were headed back to the States, on the exact same plane that had flown them to their honeymoon nightmare.

“The Jet Blue people were wonderful,” Brooke said. “They gave us drinks and food, and they upgraded us to what passes for first class at Jet Blue. They were really nice.”

The airline refunded their money and even wrote a letter to TNT Vacations, which booked the couple’s $3,800 trip. So did Brooke’s travel agent and Brooke herself.

“Today, with no money left to plan another honeymoon, we are at a considerable loss, both financially and emotionally,” she wrote. “I do realize that by ‘no showing’ we negated our contract, but I also know that rules can be bent. … We jumped through hoops of fire to plan this much-needed vacation. Eric and I ask that you give our story some consideration, to determine if anything can be done.”

It’s unknown if TNT gave the story any consideration, but it quickly concluded that nothing could be done, even though the couple bought cancellation insurance.

“While I sympathize with your situation, I must explain that we are obliged to pay the vendors within strict guidelines,” wrote a TNT agent, adding, “May you and your husband be blessed with the joy, funds and time to enjoy multiple honeymoons!”

When they got home, they immediately put Moses to sleep. No, no, just kidding. Brooke doesn’t blame her aborted honeymoon on the hound, who she called “possibly the cutest canine ever.” Nor does she blame her husband, and she never once had the urge to say I told you so.

“He couldn’t possibly have felt any worse,” she explained. “It really wasn’t his fault.”

Awww. Maybe true love really does conquer all.

Story Here

How awesome is Jet Blue? So awesome.

 

[BigJonsson]

Dogs are so emo

 

[Zoe]

Lesson learned: never take your chances with your passport

And WTF with their cancellation insurance not making a difference?

 

[Enco]

which satisfied Eric, but left Brooke a bit stressed, mainly because she’s a woman

:lol

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

at least a cat would have had the decency to just pee on it.

 

[mcrae]

lol what a story. surprised it got published with some of that wording

 

[BigJonsson]

Lesson learned: never take your chances with your passport

And WTF with their cancellation insurance not making a difference?

Cancellation insurance only applies if your government issues a travel advisory to the destination you paid to go to, or if a natural disaster occurs.......not because your passport was eaten

 

[Vyer]

The Mann-Blew union if off to a sucky start.

 

[Complex Shadow]

Lesson learned: never take your chances with your passport

And WTF with their cancellation insurance not making a difference?

looks like she had bitten off more than she could chew.

 

[Nikashi]

The Mann-Blew union if off to a sucky start.

I was thinking more of the fact their wedding party would have been the Blew-Mann Group.

 

[donkey show]

I was thinking more of the fact their wedding party would have been the Blew-Mann Group.

 

[(._.)]

lol what a story. surprised it got published with some of that wording

The writer add a lot of much needed charm. I wish all news stories were like this.

 

[News Bot]

but left Brooke a bit stressed, mainly because she’s a woman and tends to be a worrier.

When they got home, they immediately put Moses to sleep. No, no, just kidding.

:lol :lol :lol

 

[jstevenson]

Stupid. You can go to a passport office somewhere and get a passport sameday. Not close enough? There are agencies that handle this via overnight FedEx and such.

And how did your dog get to your passport anyway? It's called a SAFE people.

Le sigh.

 

[Phaethon0017]

Stupid people own stupid dogs?

 

[Battersea Power Station]

Stupid. You can go to a passport office somewhere and get a passport sameday. Not close enough? There are agencies that handle this via overnight FedEx and such.

Yeah... this happened 2 weeks before the trip. And neither of them decided to check with an authority on whether it would be ok? Pay the couple of hundred dollar rush passport fee and give yourself some peace of mind. Jeepers.

 

[Zeppu]

Wut?

I could get a replacement passport issued in 24 hours and sent to any embassy around the world and I come from a tiny little country?

Go back, get another passport, book another flight to mexico, tell the nice guys at jet blue to bump your return flight one day and you get exactly the same holiday.

 

[Vyer]

Wut?

I could get a replacement passport issued in 24 hours and sent to any embassy around the world and I come from a tiny little country?

Go back, get another passport, book another flight to mexico, tell the nice guys at jet blue to bump your return flight one day and you get exactly the same holiday.

If I'm reading it right the travel agency kept the money for the vacation. All they got back was the airfare.

 

[Mashing]

I love how they emphasize "because she's a woman"

 

[Zeppu]

If I'm reading it right the travel agency kept the money for the vacation. All they got back was the airfare.

Exactly, and I'm sure the hotel would be understanding and give them another day given the circumstances. I feel no sympathy.

 

[Sharp]

Whoever wrote this article was bored out of his mind (I'm assuming the author is a "he," for the obvious reason that requires no elucidation on a family forum).

 

[chubigans]

I love how they emphasize "because she's a woman"

Someone forward this article to Dragona. :lol

 

[Zoe]

Whoever wrote this article was bored out of his mind (I'm assuming the author is a "he," for the obvious reason that requires no elucidation on a family forum).

Dianne Williamson
dwilliamson@telegram.com

 

[Mr Nightman]

Fucking bassett hounds eat everything, had one eat a twenty dollar bill once :lol

 

[N4Us]

Whoever wrote this article was bored out of his mind (I'm assuming the author is a "he," for the obvious reason that requires no elucidation on a family forum).

I would too, I mean a story about a dog eating something? That's important to the world how?

 

[TheExodu5]

The writer has a great sense of humor. Refreshing for a change.