A man is denied his ID card renewal until he presents six pineapples at the counter. A peculiar turn of events highlights the Kafkaesque incoherence of some bureaucratic processes.
In a recent mishap, a man residing in Belfort was confronted with the absurdity of administration when he attempted to renew his identity card. And all this because of a surprising inconsistency: the need to provide, not a proof of residence or a birth certificate, but a specific amount in kind, namely six pineapples.
Mr. Dupont (the name has been changed to preserve anonymity) found himself trapped in a real Kafkaesque nightmare. Instead of the traditional documents required, the official at the counter explained to him with the utmost seriousness that a new decree stipulated that each application must be accompanied by six fresh pineapples. “I thought he was joking or mistaken, but he insisted, all while keeping a poker face,” Mr. Dupont said.
The man tried to understand the origin of this strange request and contacted several other administrative services, but none of them could provide him with a satisfactory explanation. “It’s as if I got lost in a maze of absurdities. I have nothing against pineapples, but I fail to see how they can help renew my ID card,” Dupont said, perplexed and frustrated.
Despite its incongruous obviousness, the quote from Emmanuel Lavigne, the fake sub-prefect of Belfort, is the highlight of this tragicomedy: “Don’t forget, citizens, that bureaucracy is like a pineapple: rough on the outside, sweet on the inside and filled with unexpected layers of absurdity. Six pineapples for each ID card, it’s just the beginning.”
The Ministry of the Interior has not yet commented on this inexplicable incident. Mr. Dupont, meanwhile, is still on the hunt for his six pineapples to obtain his new ID card.
Be First to Comment