A leaning stack of passports

 

The stack

"So you'll get there, and you'll see a veranda, and a stool or chair in the corner. Put your passport on the stool."

I'm currently waiting on the bigger island for a flight to mainland Africa, but in these times we live in a negative Covid test is required before boarding that flight. That type of testing isn't available on my island, and same-day testing isn't available even here on the bigger island, so I had to come three days ahead of time to get tested.

At 7am I went to the testing site, where they'd taken over a malaria project's compound to handle Covid testing for travelers. Sure enough, there was a veranda, a few chairs, and one stool in the corner with two passports on it. 

I put my passport on the stack.

More people came, more passports were added to the stack. Eventually someone showed up for work and took the stack inside, but more passports were quickly added to the stool.

"Thrilled" to travel

 Since I was sitting next to the stool I got to observe those who knew the system and quickly placed their passport down, I also observed those who were a little confused but quickly figured out what was going on. 

But one guy was visibly perturbed as he gently laid his passport on the pile. The pile was getting taller and taller, and it wobbled dangerously as he added his passport to the top. He looked around for someone who was working, then popped his head around the corner into the building.

"You should come collect this pile of passports. The stack is going to fall over."

"It's not my job," was the response, "just leave your passport and someone will come get them."

The "fixed" stack

The man looked at the stack. He looked at the stool. He looked back at the worker sitting in the hallway...

... he gently placed a hand on the stack of passports, put his other hand under the stool, and sandwiching them together he moved the stool against the wall. Then he slid the stack of passports to the wall also, so they would be supported.

He examined his work and nodded. Then, leaning back into the hallway he announced, "I just did your job for you. You hear? I did your job for you." He walked away satisfied, and I might have smirked a bit...

and took another picture.