Bernard Shakey From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 559 posts, RR: 10 Posted (11 years 3 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 1350 times:
It am always amused when I cross paths with people from outside the US at their amazement about the fact that I don't and have never had a passport. I'm 33, anybody older than me out there who has never gotten a passport? I've been to Canada and Mexico, just never overseas. I'd love to go someday, but not right now.
Mindless drifter on the road, Carries such an easy load
KROC From United States of America, joined May 2000, 19737 posts, RR: 76 Reply 1, posted (11 years 3 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 1293 times:
At 25 (26 next week) I have never had a passport either, despite having been to Korea, Japan and Thailand. Good old military orders allowed me that luxury. I suppose some day I will have a passport, but I don't plan on going overseas anytime soon. Besides, with Canada a couple of hours away, and the States offering a wide variety of locals......the need really doesn't exsist for me right now.
"Never tell anybody outside the family what you're thinking again"
B747forlife From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 392 posts, RR: 3 Reply 4, posted (11 years 3 weeks 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 1238 times:
I don't know if I'm right about this, but a lot of Americans have never, and most likely will never, leave the continent. To get into to Canada, you do not need a passport. I don't think you need one to get to Mexico either. Now I am only 15, but I have a passport, just because we took a family trip to Europe.
So basically what I'm saying is that if you're American, the only thing you need a passport for is leaving the continent, because around the US and Canada, a driver's liscense(sp?) is good enough ID for everyone.
KROC From United States of America, joined May 2000, 19737 posts, RR: 76 Reply 5, posted (11 years 3 weeks 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 1223 times:
Arsenal: A Passport is not an important form of I.D. American's prominently use their Drivers Licenses for I.D. If not, Birth certificates, non driver I.D. cards, Social Security Cards and such all do the same thing. Why pay for a passport, if you are not going to use it?
PacificJourney. I was stationed at Camp Page in Chun Chon South Korea. I participated in military exersices in Japan (Okinawa) and Thailand. I took leave to the states and back as well, but had direct flights. When I left for good, I had a 7 hour layover in Japan. I didn't travel...because military commitment while serving in Korea is great, and free time is at a minimum. I only had 2 weeks when I came back on leave for mid-tour.
"Never tell anybody outside the family what you're thinking again"
Arsenal@LHR From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2001, 7791 posts, RR: 23 Reply 6, posted (11 years 3 weeks 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 1212 times:
kroc,
I was comparing the UK to US. In the UK, a passport is the best form of indentity, same for a driver's license. So i thought it might be the same in america.
Zeus01 From United States of America, joined May 2001, 744 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (11 years 3 weeks 4 days 2 hours ago) and read 1185 times:
For ID in the US, your Drivers License is the most important. When writing checks, some places require a drivers license. Before I could drive, I would use my passport as ID, and some places wouldn't accept them. Ive seen places you don't even accept them as ID. My brother got turned down at a liquor store in CA until he pointed out that his passport was federal ID and she had to take it. He had lost his drivers license.
Airplanetire From United States of America, joined May 2001, 1809 posts, RR: 3 Reply 9, posted (11 years 3 weeks 4 days 2 hours ago) and read 1176 times:
I know lots of people that don't have passports. I don't know if you can fly into Mexico and not need a passport though. I have driven in and didn't need anything. I do have a passport though and have used it in Europe. I think I got it when I was 12. Now, this is off topic, but is it possible to have a good passport picture? I have never seen one in anyone's passport.
Mcringring From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 10, posted (11 years 3 weeks 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 1171 times:
If you fly into Mexico, you need at least an official birth certificate and photo id. I flew into MEX a few weeks ago and was fine with a driver's license and birth certificate.
I let my passport expire about 10 years ago, but I reapplied and got a new one last week.
Airsicknessbag From Germany, joined Aug 2000, 4723 posts, RR: 38 Reply 11, posted (11 years 3 weeks 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 1155 times:
Funny enough, when I visited the US some years ago, the following thing happened: I cashed in some travellers´ cheques, and in order to do so I had to produce TWO IDs. One of them was my passport - OK, alll fine with that. The other one was my driving licence, however there was one problem: the clerk had to note the date the ID expired, but German driving licences do not expire, they´re issued for life. So this poor guy had to leave blank that field - he was sure he´d get into trouble for this ...
JonPaulGeoRngo From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 13, posted (11 years 3 weeks 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 1117 times:
A semi-funny story regarding U.S. passports...
...a buddy of mine (an American) was trying to write a check at a store in Kansas City...he had misplaced his drivers' license but had his passport with him clearly indicating he was a local resident.
When he presented the passport instead of the license as verification for the check the clerk was dumbfounded and refused it as a valid i.d. He complained to the manager who sided with his employee. My friend left without making a purchase.
Needless to say, many Americans are unaware of passports and their validity.
SAS23 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 15, posted (11 years 3 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 1095 times:
Interestingly, I understand that US passports (and citizenship) is a privilege and not a right unlike many other countries (such as the UK). In other words, if Uncle Sam gets upset with you, it can take away your passport and deprive you of citizenship, effectively making you a stateless person.
PROSA From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 5439 posts, RR: 5 Reply 19, posted (11 years 3 weeks 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 1065 times:
I think they can confiscate it if you are facing criminal charges and they consider you a flight risk. At least that's the way it works in the movies.
From my experience some years back working in the criminal-courts system, I can say that it is true, at least in the United States. Surrendering one's passport is generally made a condition of bail. As one might imagine, the issue seldom arises, as very few criminal defendants (with the exception of recent immigrants) have passports.
"Let me think about it" = the coward's way of saying "no"
Hurricane From United States of America, joined Feb 2002, 1440 posts, RR: 1 Reply 20, posted (11 years 3 weeks 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 1063 times:
I look stoned in my passport pic...
Supposedly, (In US) drivers licences/permits and passports are the only legal forms of Picture IDs in the US, thus making them legal for all intensive purpouses, which I'm sure includes cashing checks, etc...It must be any state issued picture ID, because I have friends (without drivers licences/permits) that have a North Carolina issued picture ID card. I don't see any reason why these wouldn't work.
Zeus01 From United States of America, joined May 2001, 744 posts, RR: 2 Reply 21, posted (11 years 3 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 1054 times:
SAS:
The US can take away a passport, but not citizenship normally. The only way the can do that is if you swear allegiance to another foriegn state. Even then there not taking it away. Your forfitting it.
Lt-AWACS From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 22, posted (11 years 3 weeks 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 1051 times:
SAS23 that is incorrect, though a US passport can be taken away by courts as stated above. You have to swear away your citizenship (theoretically) to lose your's-and people do, do this. There is a process for it at any US Embassy. eg. A few Tax cheats in the Carib. have.
The last person I can think of who was stripped of US Citizenship by congress was General Robert E. Lee after the US Civil War (congress many years later re-granted it) Anyone know of a later case??????
In Texas the TABC (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Comm.) only accepts a Texas Drivers Lic. (or TX ID) as valid for liquor. They can deny an out-of-state DL, Military ID, Passport, Green Card, etc. Some do some don't
LH423 From Canada, joined Jul 1999, 6501 posts, RR: 55 Reply 23, posted (11 years 3 weeks 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 1042 times:
One main reason that the driver's licence is more popular to use for ID than a passport is that unlike in Europe, the licences here are like credit cards that incorporate many high-tech advantages for police, and also some to try and prevent underage drinking. They fit in almost any wallet, and are completely durable to the elements. Meanwhile, passports are pretty bulky, and while resistant to things like moistness, you accidentally get that thing soaked, it's wasted. I used to use my passport for ID until I got my licence last year.
LH423
« On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux » Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
RogueTrader From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 24, posted (11 years 3 weeks 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 1041 times:
only 12 per cent of Americans own a passport
The Evening Standard (London)
October 16, 2001
Americans simply don't leave the country very much, and the vast majority of them probably never will in their whole lives.
I think a lot of other people in the world don't realize this. Most Americans don't see any need to ever leave the country and in fact, most Americans don't put much thought into other countries at all.
This has another big effect: foreign policy is left in the hands of a few government elite with little thought by Americans most of the time - unless there is war or other major event. This of course leads to foreign policies out of sync with American opinion and subject to influence by special interest groups.
I think especially Europeans and those in the Middle East should consider this when evaluating US opinions.
kind regards,
RogueTrader
25 Swissgabe: Only 12 percent of US citizen own a passport? kidding? This also means that not more than 12 perent of them have visited other countries than Canada a
26 Staffan: LH423, the European drivers license is the same size as a credit card, and it's covered in hard plastic so it can withstand anyting a credit card can.
27 Hartsfieldboy: Slightly off topic. I have both a US and Brazilian passport because I'm a dual citizen. When I went to London last year (pre 9/11), my mom told me to
28 Lindy field: Sounds like a few of my fellow Americans should do a bit more traveling, get out a bit, and see the world. For those of you believe that the US has it
29 Bernard Shakey: I'd like to think that my lack of a passport doesn't mean that I'm not aware of the existence of other continents. I've just never needed one (a passp
30 Toady: I respect and understand the reasoning of "The vast majority of those people are just ordinary working class people, most of whom might not have the r
31 Bernard Shakey: Toady, that's an interesting point and it brings to mind how the US is portrayed overseas. It also leads me to the widely held US belief that "holiday
32 LH423: Staffan: Is that true? An Austrian friend of mine showed me hers and it was a piece of paper about 15cm wide and maybe 10cm high and it folds in half.
33 Nik: LH423, that was probably an old driver's license. The new ones are just like credit cards.
34 Staffan: The swedish ones have been like this since -96 I think, before that they were the same type, just a little bigger, and they were like that for as long
35 RogueTrader: Bernard Shakey says: A good vacation for my circle of friends is a week off of work to catch up on projects around the house I think this shows anothe
36 Toady: RogueTrader: "Most people WANT to spend time away from their home" And if you could see my home, you'd realise how true your observation is!!
37 LH423: This is a Massachusetts Driver's Licence LH423
38 Hepkat: Being an American living in Europe, I think I can understand both sides of the question. 1) Yep, it's true, only about 10-12% of Americans have passpo
39 Bernard Shakey: How refreshing, some intelligent give and take without a flame war erupting, thanks guys. Rogue Trader is absolutely right, I had never looked at it t
40 Blink182: I have a US passport. I agree with Hepkat on a lot of things. When you go to the grocery store to buy food, for ID, you show them your drivers liscenc
41 LH423: The one reason why I don't like carrying my passport, and why I think many people don't, which results in the driver's licence being preferred, is tha
42 Airsicknessbag: Well, we don´t really use passports for everyday use as ID in Europe either. It would be too heavy and cumbersome to carry around all the time. We ha
43 Docpepz: My mum didn't stop at a stop sign at Detroit airport. A huge police truck came from behind and "PULL YOUR CAR OVER TO THE ROAD SHOULDER!!!" came blast
44 PROSA: Well, we don´t really use passports for everyday use as ID in Europe either. It would be too heavy and cumbersome to carry around all the time. We ha
45 Hepkat: Airsicknessbag: I don't know anyone in Europe with the credit sized drivers licenses, all of my friends still have the pink cards, including me who go
46 EWRvirgin: Here in Jersey you don't necessarily need a photo on your driver's license. I think once you reach 21 years of age you can renew your license through
47 Airsicknessbag: OK, I didn´t know about those driving licence subsitutes - thanks PROSA and Hepkat for letting me know. Learn something new every day. PROSA: those
48 Airsicknessbag: btw, if anyone wonders what that "national ID card" stuff is about, check out this http://www.airliners.net/discussions/non_aviation/read.main/217283/
49 Klaus: Doing long-term business with foreigners can be tricky; You need to keep track of all the legal implications with the foreign country´s legal system.
50 Hepkat: And the other point is, I don´t really see how a civilised country (i.e. the US, Austria, Germany...) would possibly even try to discriminate against
51 Hartsfieldboy: Anyway, he just went "There's no photo here!".... and asked for her passport. Well he asked for her passport. So Hepkat, I beg to differ with your pos
52 Toady: Are we getting slightly 'off topic' here? I interpreted the original posting's question to pertain to foreign travel, not identification. Bernard?
53 Bernard Shakey: Don't care where it goes really, kind of interesting posts on this one, don't you think? I almost went to London last year for work, but then Sept. 11
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