Cancer patient pays $ 1,000 in airfare after accidentally identifying herself as "terrorist" on travel form



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Mandie Stevenson, 29, says that representatives of the US Embassy in London were largely unwelcoming and useless when she admitted her mistake, telling her that it was the "worst case" check ".

Mandie Stevenson, a breast cancer patient, was hoping to remove an item from her list of buckets when she booked a flight to New York and completed her visa waiver form online. But when she accidentally answered "yes" to a question asking whether she was considering or had previously participated in terrorist activities or other related crimes, this sparked a saga in which she ended up paying for the money. equivalent of more than $ 1,000 for his flight. rebooked at a later date.

according to BBC NewsStevenson, 29, a resident of Falkirk, Scotland, was diagnosed with end-stage breast cancer in 2015 and was planning a trip to New York with her boyfriend as part of her program. As she thought she had everything in order after completing her ESTA (Electronic Travel Authorization System) form, she was shocked to learn that her application had been rejected because of her apparent error.

Recalling the experience of the BBC broadcast Mornings with Stephen JardineStevenson explained why she mistakenly answered "yes" to the question that poses the following question to travelers.

"Are you seeking to engage or have you ever been involved in terrorist activities, espionage, sabotage or genocide?"

"I think I checked the" no "box, and then, once I scrolled down to confirm, I think the operation was moved. story that I hold, "said Stevenson.

While Mandie Stevenson thought her mistake was easy to correct, even though she was "embarrassing", she apparently did not arouse much sympathy from officials at the US Embassy in London who told her that "Yes" next to the terrorism issue was the "worst box you could have checked.

After two interviews and paid £ 320 ($ 417) to apply for a full visa, Stevenson's application was accepted, but it was not the end of his ordeal. She told Jardine of the BBC that it would take about three to five days for her bid to be accepted, which meant she was likely to end up missing her flight.

Stevenson claimed that the embassy officials had insisted that changing the dates of her trip would be her only option, despite the fact that she was suffering from breast cancer and that she was suffering from cancer. she had to plan her holidays on "very specific" dates.

"I live in cycles of 12 weeks, because I am scanned every 12 weeks. I book my vacation at very specific times and this trip to New York would take place before I receive another set of scan results. I was really looking forward to it.

In all, Stevenson had to pay more than £ 800 ($ 1,042) for his flight to be postponed until October. BBC News it's noted.

Reacting to the problems faced by Mandie Stevenson in changing her flight due to a crucial mistake on her ESTA form, L & # 39; Independent Simon Calder, Travel Editor, described the issue of terrorism as "totally useless", as people actually engaged in such activities do not voluntarily check the "yes" box.

"America is completely ruthless. If this box is checked for any reason, immediately as if the alarms were triggered, the shutters went out and you found yourself in a spiral of despair. "

In an article published Friday on the Falkirk HeraldMandie Stevenson described the mistake made on ESTA of "the most embarrassing and ridiculous thing" she's ever done about her life, adding that she could now laugh at the stressful saga that's happening. she had crossed. She also promised to pay more attention by completing such forms in the future. As for the rest of his bucket list, BBC News noted that Stevenson plans to travel to Canada and Thailand and also hopes to meet former Premier League midfielder Steven Gerrard.

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