A major diplomatic incident was narrowly averted recently when
Spanish Police detained Woz Tours’ CEO Wozzer Garber, on suspicion of
working as an unlicensed tour operator at Malaga Airport in Spain.
According to sources, Wozzer had created a ‘welcome’ sign with which to greet a couple of guests from Australia, who were arriving into Spain’s Malaga Airport. They were intending to ‘couchsurf’ with Woz for five days at his apartment in nearby Fuengirola.
Trouble flared in the arrivals hall when a local taxi driver told Woz to leave the arrivals hall. Well at least that’s how Woz understood it – although he admits his conversational Spanish is not that good. Woz, with his usual tact and charm told him to ‘piss off’ - and he did – much to Woz’s satisfaction.
Regrettably for Woz – the ‘cab driver’ was in fact a senior officer for AENA (Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea) - the Spanish Airports Authority.
This only became apparent to Woz when a few minutes later, the AENA chap returned into the arrivals hall accompanied by two serious-looking airport policemen. The police spent no time in hauling Woz away to the local police station where he was questioned at length in Spanish, regarding having no licence or identification tags to operate a tour company – namely one ‘Woz Tours’
At this point things were not looking good for Woz. He stated to the police that he was meeting friends, but under further questioning he could not give their home address in Australia, their surnames and in fact had to further admit that he’d never met them before! Being in possession of a sign with which to meet these ‘friends’ didn’t go in his favour either. Woz later stated that he’d certainly had better days.
So while the police were getting a cell ready for him, Woz exercised his right to a telephone call. He managed to contact his good friend Pilar – a bilingual lady in Malaga, who knew of the Aussies intended arrival and stay with Woz. She explained this to the policia and made some excellent excuses for Wozzer’s momentary lack of cooperation. In fact she’s reported to have advised the policia that he’s a ‘Plonker’. Woz believes this is a Spanish term for ‘nice guy really’
Of course while all this was going on – the travel-weary and bemused Wendy and Phil had collected their bags and entered the arrivals hall – with not a Woz in sight. So they did what all good Aussies do – said to each other ‘no worries mate, somethin’ll turn up – and snapped open a couple of cold tinnies. Well actually they didn’t – but would have if they’d known the Spanish for ‘tinny’.
Fortunately Wozzer was released without charge following Pilar’s intervention. Woz and the Aussies finally met outside the airport. It is reported that Wendy, Phil and Warren had a bloody good laugh about the event!
Later that day in an exclusive interview, Wozzer defended his position as to the status of Woz Tours. He stated that he’d organised travel plans for friends and family over a number of years. He accepted that they all left it to him, in part to keep him quiet and also in the knowledge that he’s the only one sad enough to prat around on a computer and do it.
Furthermore, he is undeterred and is confident that Woz Tours will encounter no further problems of this nature, during his forthcoming ‘world tour’ when he is certain to meet equally hospitable immigration and police officials in Latin America and Indochina.
As they say – watch this space…!
Previous posts:
bev richter:
July 23, 2008
Hi Warren
How are you? Enjoyed reading the above, I think this is the start of a whole new adventure for you, it sounds like fun !!!!
Take care
Love Bev
Was good to meet up last week.
Enjoy Rio
Trace
I shall be starting my own adventure very soon. The Lido closes Sun 7th Sept and i shall be off to do a solo Lands End to John O'Groats cycle ride. I won't take the shortest route and I won't be in a hurry to finish - it's the journey that counts here and I'm looking forward to it. It'll be great to see more of the UK and where better than from a bike. I have no plans for the route, timetable and obviously not sleeping arrangements given the absence of a route and timetable. I guess it'll be around 3 weeks and between 1,000 miles and 1,500 miles. I do plan to ride thru' Exmoor, the Peak District, the Lake District and stop at as many beautiful places as possible. Have fun Wozzer.
Steve
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