just how hard can it be to get a sodding passport

[ferny]

I've noticed a large price increase in passports over the last 12 months and have plans to go abroad soon so wanted to grab mine quickly. £66, bloody thing.

As it's my first and because of my DOB getting mine involves filling in an extra couple of bits and sending extra documents. And I filled in my info on-line in the hope of making sure I had done it all correctly.

It's not gone well.


Asked a friend who's a teacher to counter sign my form but she declined as she didn't want to hand over her information. Maybe she doesn't have a passport and didn't want to say?

Asked an accountant friend who said yes. Then told me later that his passport had run out so he couldn't do it. Lost one passport photo.
Went around to pick it up from his house, lost another photo.

Absolutely refuse to ever go to my local doctors (and any doctors now), ever, after the bitch shot me down one day and I walked out wanting to punch her and they'll charge me to sign it. So instead asked the dentist, said she'd sign it for free. Woo.

Collected it, gave dentist chocolates to say thanks. Packed it all up and posted it. Worried if they'd reject the poor quality photos I had to include due to losing the other two. I think Alex's carpet likes to eat things.

Wait two weeks. Get a letter informing me I hadn't included my birth certificate. Phone up the passport office to be told my birth certificate isn't good enough and I need a different type which I have never owned.

Phone up the local registry office, get put through to a very dodgy recorded message and find out I will have to pay an extra £7 (plus lots more in petrol and parking) and it will take two working days. Decide not to go today as the 20min journey will take about an hour because of ****ty roadworks.

Have to wait until Monday because they're closed on Saturdays. Then will have to go back Wednesday/Thursday to pick it up. Then post it and wait a few more weeks.


Bloody grrrr.




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[terri]

So....laughing at you here wouldn't be the response you were after, is that right?

[Big Mike]

They are changing the requirements here in Canada and the US...as of Jan 1st, I think...if it's not changed already.

We now need a passport to fly...even within the country. And if they haven't already...we will soon need a passport to cross the border between the US and Canada. Many people are suddenly realizing that they now need a passport and the lines and waits to get them are ridiculous. I few weeks ago, they showed a passport office on the news...the line was hundreds of people long and the wait was 4-8 hours. Good thing I got mine last year.

[The_Traveler]

Actually US citizens have requested that Canadians get passports because we are tired of gangs of Canadians coming to the US to pay high prices for prescription meds and make the streets of NYC dangerous.

Oh wait, maybe I had that wrong.

[GoM]

Yeah, it's getting ridic. Makes me glad I got my UK one last year, though my Canadian runs out this summer so I'll re-up once I'm out for the year...if I need to travel in an emergency, well, then you poor suckers across the Atlantic are now my second home

[ferny]

Slight change of plans. It looks like I will now be going to Atlanta instead as it appears I have a score to settle.

I'm looking at you, Miss Sprinkle.





The passports here now have a chip with all your data on them. That's why their price has shot up by £15. Silly money. I'm sure they were £40somthing a couple of years back. I believe America is one of the main reasons for that as they requested it or they'd not let us in.

Because my driving license has the EU symbol on it I can travel anywhere in Europe without a passport. Which is great as there's an event every two years where you drive through ten countries during a few days. Next one is in 2007 but I won't be able to enter until 2009. Next year I will enter the RBRR where I drive around Britain, doing 2000 miles in two days. I just need someone brave enough to go with me and willing to drive my car.



It is getting silly, all this security. I struggled to open a bank account a couple of years ago. I needed three forms of ID and they were very strict about what I could use. I only had my driving license and birth certificate on me but luckily they were able to use the electoral role as well.

[terri]

You're coming HERE?!?

Whenever it is....I'm sure I'll be out of town that day.



All right, you little monster, if you ever decide to make it, give me all the details as you know them, and I'll see what mischief I can get us into.

[ferny]

Careful, comments like that can come back and bite you in the arse some day. I hope you've got a spare room.

[Karalee]

I feel your pain, were trying to get the hubby a new passport being as his old one got stolen, and the whole micro chipping thing, so we can get back to NZ. I get lost in the American govt systems I feel like such an idiot trying to find where we can get his birth certificate - and because he was born in Germany it of course has to make it harder to find out how to get a copy I just get fustrated, cos I have to repeat myself 10 billion times cos I have an accent, so I give up

But hang in there Ferny, the wait will be worth it when your off and on your travels. OE time is it?

[ferny]

What's OE time?