When things go wrong

. . . then things go down, Maritime division.I have a couple of friends, one from Central Europe and one from South America, who met while working for the IMO [International Maritime Organization] in London. They were both competent adults, one qualified in international law. When we'd visit from gritty Geordieland, it was a different world. The IMO, and its ~300 workers, had diplomatic status, and didn't have to take the Calais ferry to avail of duty-free. In London, there were several bonded warehouses which served this market each producing a catalogue, like Argos, but with more cases of gin. Transnational ex-pats could order up a tax-free car to potter about the city attending embassy events, galas and conferences. Wheels were also handy for collecting crates of booze when it was their turn to host a party.The IMO features in a book by William Langewiesche: The Outlaw Sea: A World of Freedom, Chaos, and Crime [2004]. He (1955-2025) was a prolific writer for inter alia The…