The Register's On Call column recounts a tech sales trip that went wrong at almost every step. The reader, identified only as Carson, was asked to fly to China on short notice for a meeting about short messaging products. He had no visa, but his employer said it would be handled. Before the flight, a wasp stung him three times through his jeans, and he spent 12 hours in economy with a swollen thigh.
At Shanghai airport, Carson was denied entry. Police took his passport, marched him to a currency exchange, and fined him the equivalent of $247. He spent the night in a hotel under guard, then was deported the next morning. His visa came through just as he was being expelled, so he flew back and took a taxi 300 km to the meeting city, arriving at midnight.
The meeting itself lasted from 9am to about 10pm. Carson gave a 15-minute presentation, but most of the discussion was in Mandarin, a language he does not speak. He rated the trip "not my best." The story is a reminder that even routine business travel can turn into a logistical and legal nightmare when paperwork is left to chance.