Yet another passport change in the works?

[jfrenaye]

Can our government screw this up any worse? By the time they are done, people will forget if they are supposed to wipe front to back or back to front!

October 18, 2006
U.S. Proposes Special Passport for Certain Areas
By BLOOMBERG NEWS

The State Department proposed creating a wallet-size passport that Americans could use to travel to Bermuda, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. The card, which would include radio frequency coding to link it to a database of biographical data and a photograph, would be used when a new rule goes into effect next year requiring a passport for travel to those countries. The cost of the card, including processing fees, would be $45 for adults and $35 for children.
[/b]

[weblet]

Oh, please. As been said before


JUST GO GET THE FRICKIN' PASSPORT.

[deangreenhoe]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

This is turning into a nightmare. They may as well install a "Wheel of Fortune" at customs and immigration; spin the wheel and see what sort of documentation is required for this particular crossing.

It simply keeps reinforcing what everyone in the industry is saying. Get a passport! <_<

Edit: Yeah, what Weblet said. Heh, heh.

[Ned]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jfrenaye @ Oct 18 2006, 09:14 AM) 40109</div>
Can our government screw this up any worse? By the time they are done, people will forget if they are supposed to wipe front to back or back to front!
[/b]
This is that "Passport Card" otherwise known as the "Pass Card" which I mentioned in a post a few days ago. The RF transmitter will probably be just like the one in a Passport from which anyone with half a brain can use to steal your indentity.

The way this government is going they'll probably tell the public to wipe from side to side. B)

[deangreenhoe]

The way this government is going they'll probably tell the public to wipe from side to side. [/b]

Hahahahaha. I'm sure it's in the fine print somewhere. ;)

I predict this will spawn a new wave of illegal immigration. Only the typical border hoppers will be vacationing families from Topeka who can't figure out what the hell kind of paperwork they need for their spring break trip to Cancun. :P

[amybhole]

Whatever happened to the KISS principal? Oh, right, it never applied to governmental institutions.

I wish someone would do some kind of cost/benefit analysis on this: offering people a cheaper and perhaps more popular alternative to a passport (because that's the only reason I can think of for doing this -- maybe I'm wrong) vs. the increased administrative costs of creating, implementing, and securing yet another travel document.

Why not just have ONE document, the passport, and just lower its cost? Seems like the money saved on the back end by eliminating all the crap behind the other documents and the increased demand for passports would make up for any lost revenue. But maybe I'm just oversimplifying the issue.

[Ned]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(amybhole @ Oct 18 2006, 10:03 AM) 40138</div>
Whatever happened to the KISS principal? Oh, right, it never applied to governmental institutions.

I wish someone would do some kind of cost/benefit analysis on this: offering people a cheaper and perhaps more popular alternative to a passport (because that's the only reason I can think of for doing this -- maybe I'm wrong) vs. the increased administrative costs of creating, implementing, and securing yet another travel document.

Why not just have ONE document, the passport, and just lower its cost? Seems like the money saved on the back end by eliminating all the crap behind the other documents and the increased demand for passports would make up for any lost revenue. But maybe I'm just oversimplifying the issue.
[/b]
Amy, there's only one problem with your suggestion. It makes too much sense.

Therefore the odds of the State Department adopting it are slim and none.

[tdew]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(amybhole @ Oct 18 2006, 10:03 AM) 40138</div>
Why not just have ONE document, the passport, and just lower its cost? Seems like the money saved on the back end by eliminating all the crap behind the other documents and the increased demand for passports would make up for any lost revenue. But maybe I'm just oversimplifying the issue.
[/b]

Especially when you think of the family who bought the "card" for travel this year.
When they decide that they do indeed enjoy seeing other places - can they upgrade the card or will they need to purchase a whole new passport?

It sounds dumb to me too.

[Ned]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(amybhole @ Oct 18 2006, 10:03 AM) 40138</div>
...Why not just have ONE document, the passport, and just lower its cost? Seems like the money saved on the back end by eliminating all the crap behind the other documents and the increased demand for passports would make up for any lost revenue...
[/b]
Amy, did you hear this? According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "Jarrod Agen, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, said officials are hoping to create a card that would cost about $50 -- roughly half the cost of a U.S. passport. Identification requirements to obtain the travel card would resemble requirements to obtain a U.S. passport, including showing proof of U.S. citizenship."

That really puts your suggestion in tight focus. They said that identification requirements to obtain the travel card would resemble the requirements to get a passport. I don't know how they're going to make it different, considering all you need is a birth certificate (to show citizenship) and driver's or non-driver's license. They still have to process the information, and you can't tell me making a card will be appreciably less expensive than making a passport book, so why can't they just drop the price of passport.

[weblet]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(amybhole @ Oct 18 2006, 10:03 AM) 40138</div>
Whatever happened to the KISS principal? Oh, right, it never applied to governmental institutions.

I wish someone would do some kind of cost/benefit analysis on this: offering people a cheaper and perhaps more popular alternative to a passport (because that's the only reason I can think of for doing this -- maybe I'm wrong) vs. the increased administrative costs of creating, implementing, and securing yet another travel document.

Why not just have ONE document, the passport, and just lower its cost? Seems like the money saved on the back end by eliminating all the crap behind the other documents and the increased demand for passports would make up for any lost revenue. But maybe I'm just oversimplifying the issue.
[/b]

Yes, and we're paying these people who knows how much (whatever it is, it's too much).

I repeat: JUST GO GET THE GD PASSPORT. I don't want to have to come whack you upside the head.

[weblet]

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,...1546938,00.html (http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1546938,00.html)

[Ned]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(weblet @ Oct 18 2006, 12:17 PM) 40168</div>
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,...1546938,00.html (http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1546938,00.html)
[/b]
Thanks Weblet. It's a very interesting article. It reinforces my judgement of the RDIF and the FAST, SENTRI, and proposed PASS CARD systems. They're bad for America and America's security!
RDIF without proper data encryption will lead to identity theft in passports.
RFID chips, in the proposed PASS CARD, if hit with the right frequency, reveal the location of travelers and could be abused to track movements
RFID chip transmissions can be easily intercepted from the proposed PASS CARD. and with some simple hacking, such as has been done in the past to federal government computers match with their data allowing identity theft.
SENTRI and PASS lanes at border crossing points are regularly abused by Homeland Security as they often wave travelers through without ensuring that they are, who they electronically appear to be, or even take a cursory look into their car or truck.

All these new systems do is make us more vulnerable to identity theft of US Citizens, make our borders less secure, make it easier for illegals to enter the country in poorly inspected trucks and cars waved through the line because of their electronic ID, make it easy for the government to spy on us, and permit even more contraband items to find their way into the country.

[stephen_s]

It's all of these problems and restrictions and confusing stuff that make me not want to go outside of the United States :).

[jfrenaye]

Don't let this get you down Stephen---travel it is a great world to see. The idocracy of our government should not be a deterrent!

[Kairho]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(stephen_s @ Oct 18 2006, 01:24 PM) 40178</div>
It's all of these problems and restrictions and confusing stuff that make me not want to go outside of the United States :).
[/b]
There are no problems, restrictions nor confusion if one has a passport...other than a few countries where travel is not permitted. Easy.

[Ned]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Kairho @ Oct 18 2006, 02:36 PM) 40193</div>
There are no problems, restrictions nor confusion if one has a passport...other than a few countries where travel is not permitted. Easy.
[/b]
It is simple, isn't it? Why are so many making it hard, including our government? (rhetorical question folks)

[amybhole]

Pretty soon, deciding which "pass" to get will be as difficult as deciding which type of entrance ticket to buy at Disney!