I worked in Libya many years ago for a contract company.In those days contractors were not allowed to travel from Tripoli to the desert location on the aeroplane -our lot was a gruelling 12 hour bumpiy ride in a minibus across the sahara to the gas plant in the desert. One year when the site was closed for repairs I asked if I could leave a week erlier than scheduled in order to be home for Christmas.My on site agent wasnt helpful -said I could go if I could find my own way to Tripoli -thanks a lot pal !!! I mentioned my dilema to the Libyan Superintendant -he didnt see a problem ,made one phone call and told me I was on the flight manifest and that I could indeed fly to Tripoli on the next available flight .WOW So I finished nightshift ,grabbed a stack of toast from the canteen and then scrounged a lift with a maintenance truck to the airstrip.I arrived there in a sandstorm ,four hours too early -I sheltered behind the hangar and just waited for other folk to arrive. Suddenly a guard who I hadnt seen or even thought about jumped out from behind the building and thrust a rifle into my throat -WAHHHHH . He didnt speak any English and I didnt speak any Arabic so it was a very scary moment . I remember it was also very very cold at that time of the morning,and windy .The guard looked perished in his raggedy overcoat and headgear ,thin and drawn -apart from the fact that he had the gun he looked a lot worse off the I did. I said the magic word "mangeria" -food and offered him the stack of toast (which was for the long wait at the airport) Hw promptl put down the rifle and ate all my toast .then disspeared as fast as he had arrived. After a couple of hours other people started arriving in various vehicles and a small crowd developed.I wandered over ,didnt know anyone which wasnt surprising as contracters like myself didnt use the service at all. The planr arrived ,bumped down the rutted runway,disgorged its passengers and quickly refueled. It was at this point that i noticed that all of these people seemed to have plastic dockets of some kind -BOARDING CARDS -!!!! WAH I,ve not got one of those WAH .Anyway suddenly a long line is formed and the guy who previously wanted to shoot me is now checking Boarding passes .I,m about halfway in the line up and I saw him refuse three people ,simple sent them away because they didnt have the required docket . Then its my turn to face him -he grunts at me "Boarding Card" I just shrug and try to explain that I am on the manifest . He looks at me ,pauses then waves me past saying as I went "Merry Christmas" I like that story anyways :o)