def __init__(self, booking: 'Booking', code: str) -> None:
         super().__init__(booking)
-        self.date = '#'
-        self.target = ''
         if code[0].isspace():
             self.errors += ['intro line indented']
         toks = code.lstrip().split(maxsplit=1)
-        if len(toks) != 2:
+        self.date = toks[0]
+        self.target = toks[1] if len(toks) > 1 else ''
+        if len(toks) == 1:
             self.errors += ['illegal number of tokens']
-        elif len(toks) < 1:
-            return
-        else:
-            self.target = toks[1]
         try:
-            dt_date.fromisoformat(toks[0])
+            dt_date.fromisoformat(self.date)
         except ValueError:
-            self.errors += [f'not properly formatted legal date: {toks[0]}']
-        else:
-            self.date = toks[0]
+            self.errors += [f'not properly formatted legal date: {self.date}']
 
     @property
     def as_dict(self) -> dict: