In June 2007, about 200 people gathered before the Washington Passport Agency opened, divided into three lines: confirmed appointments, applicants carrying letters from members of Congress, and those without appointment times. Nearly 625 Americans visited that day, all scheduled to travel within three days. New passport rules for flights to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean had helped stretch normal four-to-six-week processing to twelve weeks or more. The Washington Post followed the day minute by minute: a family waiting since 4:30 a.m., a student who drove seven hours to correct a misspelled name, and a father watching the clock for a train while waiting for his children’s documents. Inside, displayed estimates of 39 or 71 minutes excluded the outdoor line and earlier stations. The system did not create one neutral queue; appointments and congressional letters routed equally urgent travellers through different channels.