Another quick story from Paula Philbrook. I’d forgotten this one…

In 1984, in New Delhi at the International Exposition for Rural Development (IERD), we sent teams out to places across India for visits to exceptional examples of sustainable development.  Rodney’s team was traveling by train, of course. They had a great three day sight visit to Allalabad – a sacred Hindu city in North India, where three sacred rivers meet. Their troubles arose when returning.  They missed their train. (All twenty people in first class seats.)  Rodney’s solution was simple.  He waltzed into the Station Master’s office, presented him with his Santa Fe Railroad business card.  The next train bound for New Delhi, twenty first class passengers were booted off and our delegates returned on time for the plenary and reporting. – I don’t think this was an ugly American situation, though it sounds kind of like it.