Passports! Get 'cher Passports even if you don't travel internationally

[T_R_Oglodyte]

With the threads on passport problems, I thought it appropriate to suggest to folks that paying the money and getting a passport is a good idea, even if you don't have any plans to travel internationally.

Of course, you never know when plans might change and the passport will be needed.

But beyond that, I prefer to use a passport as my primary form of ID when traveling even if I'm staying in the US. It doesn't have my drivers license number, and it's harder to duplicate.

More importantly, it means I don't have to fish my wallet out of my pocket or another bag to get my drivers license. That process of retrieving your wallet is a security weakness. It's easy to leave a wallet on a counter, for example, especially if you get distracted by other matters. Credit cards can fall out while you're opening your wallet and pulling out your identification. Thieves can be watching as you show them exactly where you keep that wallet in your possessions.

I have a case I always travel with and that is carried with me at all times when I am checking into or using a plane, train, or ship. The case has a secure pocket for my passport. When I need ID, I produce the passport. If should happen to lose my case, I still have my wallet as ID. Or, if I lose my wallet, I have the passport as ID.

The only travel vendors who ever see my drivers license are car rental agencies.

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Having a passport also helps greatly in establishing your ID to get replacement documents if you lose a wallet. My son lost his wallet several years ago, and it was quite easy to get a duplicate drivers license, student ID, and a few other items reissued because his passport provided proof that he was who he said he was.

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So bite the bullet, folks, and get those passports. Don't wait until you need one and get crunched.

[dougp26364]

The U.S.A. is probably the one country where it's residents have felt they don't need passports. After 9/11 those days are gone. The government has been warning us this day is coming, they put it off and done everything they could to accomadate people putting this off. I had been posting on cruise critic that one should avoid the holiday rush and just get it over with.

Unfortunately, that's not the American way. Procrastination is the way things get done anymore. We took a cruise last December and judging by the lines for passports and the lines for BC's, the message still hadn't sunk in.

Maybe now that the government has quit postponing the enevatable and a few unfortunate people miss their flights, things will start to change and people will get those passports before they actually need them or have a trip planned.

[BSQ]

a good reminder.


I also use my passport as my ID when I start a new job, (which tends to happen a lot with aquisitions, mergers and what not) instead of digging out my social security card and handing over my DL.

[tashamen]

Originally Posted by T_R_Oglodyte

I prefer to use a passport as my primary form of ID when traveling even if I'm staying in the US.

The only travel vendors who ever see my drivers license are car rental agencies.

Ditto for me, except that my driver's license doesn't have my picture on it, so it's not even acceptable as a primary form of ID for travel. (Vermont is, to my knowledge, the last state to allow non-picture driver's licenses, though I could be wrong.) When I rent a car I usually show my passport with the license so that they know it's really my license.

[Kay H]

NJ must be the 2nd to the last state to require picture driver's license. Just this AM I went to renew mine. Used to mail it in with check but now required to go in person. Requested form of id: passport or original birth certificate along with a few more. If a married female uses her BC as id, she must bring her marriage license to show change of name. What a pain in the butt.

I brought my passport, bank statement with my name and current driver's license. Thank goodness it is now good for 4 yrs.

[Egret1986]

After reading the other post about leaving for a trip and not having their passports, I'm going to start working on this for my family. I hadn't given it much thought, but obviously it's something you should have whether planning to go out of the country or not. THANKS!!!!!!!

[PigsDad]

I'm with you on using a passport for all travel. I can be a bit of $$ for a whole family, but when amortized out for 10 or 5 years it is not so bad. We all have one, including my 6 y.o. daughter (it's up for the 5-year renewal later this year).

My wife and I have done a fair amount of international travel before kids, and I would agree that citizens in almost every other country use their passports much more regularly than we do here. For example, we lived in Singapore for a few months, and there you used your passport to reserve movie tickets!

Kurt

[Transit]

I'll bet the general public will not be racing to get passports and early 2008 last minute cruises deals are going to be great.

[Patri]

I'm going to do that this summer for my kids. DH and I have ours, but we may as well beat the rush for the others. One son wants to go abroad next spring so I want to get his passport taken care of early.

[EvelynK72]

A friend had to pay extra for fast processing of the passports for his 2 kids. It cost him $300 beyond the normal passport fees. Yikes! I would think that not having to pay such a high fee would be an incentive to apply early for passports!

[dougp26364]

Originally Posted by Transit

I'll bet the general public will not be racing to get passports and early 2008 last minute cruises deals are going to be great.

Now that's one good thought I can take out of all of this. Maybe I'll leave a week open for just such an occasion.

[JudyS]

Originally Posted by Transit

I'll bet the general public will not be racing to get passports and early 2008 last minute cruises deals are going to be great.

DH & I flew to the Caribbean in March & took a cruise from St Maarten. We were able to get frequent flyer tickets at the last minute, and the cruise cost was amazingly low. I'm guessing that these great deals were available because passports were needed to fly to the Caribbean, and most Americans didn't have one.

[Transit]

Originally Posted by JudyS

DH & I flew to the Caribbean in March & took a cruise from St Maarten. We were able to get frequent flyer tickets at the last minute, and the cruise cost was amazingly low. I'm guessing that these great deals were available because passports were needed to fly to the Caribbean, and most Americans didn't have one.

Didn't even think of that one. flying out then jumping on a cruise,great idea ! . Being in driving distance to Miami and Fort Lauderdale ports ,those were the only last minute deals I was searching I guess I'll expand my searches.