Running the Passport Control

I've been playing golf with the Beijing Golfers Club since February 2007. This is a group of golfers that play at various Beijing area courses every Sunday. It is good recreation and a good chance to meet people in the ex-patriot community in Beijing. One of the better courses is Huatang which is a 45 minute drive to the east of Beijing. So of course I signed up to play this Sunday.

As I was leaving for the course, I said to myself, "I wonder if I should take my passport because of all the extra Olympic security measures?" Well, I don't like to take my passport because I am afraid of losing it and I have never needed it before anywhere in and around Beijing, so I didn't take it. Well, it turns out that Huatang Golf Course is actually just across the border in Hebei Province which I realized as we zipped past an armed checkpoint just before arriving at the course.

As soon as I arrived at the course, I overheard some golfers saying that you will have to show your passport to get back into the city. So I immediately spoke to the BGC's sole employee, Rainbow, and explained my predicament. She told me she would look into it and to go ahead and play.

So off I went to play (90 with 4 shots in a deep bunker on the first hole) and when I finished up, Rainbow said, "Sorry but you must have your passport!" So I went to the locker room and called up two of my teacher friends, thinking that maybe they would be able to bring my passport to me. As I was on the phone trying to explain my predicament, one of my playing companions, Michael, offered to get me back into the city with his driver. Michael said, "I am sure you won't need your passport, just come with me and my driver." I agreed to this proposal and told my friend I thought I would be OK would call back if I needed the passport.

Michael and I fortified ourselves with a couple of beers as we watched the rest of the groups play the 18th and later sought shelter in the bar as a rainstorm moved through. Michael actually picked up a prize for 3rd low gross, then we grabbed our clubs and met his driver. We set off on the road back to Beijing and passed the first checkpoint without incident. We congratulated ourselves and got onto the Jinghua Expressway back to Beijing. We had barely started when the rain began pelting down and traffic stopped! There was another Passport Control Checkpoint on the expressway! They were checking more thoroughly because traffic was stopped on the expressway. Finally, traffic began moving again, but when we got to the checkpoint we were stopped. Visions of spending the night in a Chinese jail flashed before me! As the rain pelted down, the guard asked for papers. Our driver showed his ID card and permit and spoke to the guard. Finally, he waved us through! Whew!

The rest of the trip was uneventful; Michael dropped me at my apartment and I resolved to carry my passport everywhere for the duration of the Olympics.