american passport

[craigt3365]

6 minutes ago, rijb said:

 

I think it's more traumatic for women, children and inexperienced travelers.  Many who are already tense from fear of flying. 

 

I was patted down once, when the machine was broke.  This 'guy' thoroughly enjoyed it.  If you catch my drift.  And he didn't use the back of his hands, as in this story.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tammy-leigh-kahn/a-tsa-agent-touched-my-br_b_12136816.html?utm_hp_ref=tsa

I'm sure it happens.  But an incredibly rare thing.  Considering the volume of traffic they have to deal with:

 

https://www.tsa.gov/news/releases/2016/01/21/tsa-releases-2015-statistics

Quote

 

This led to several accomplishments, including:

• TSA screened more than 708 million passengers in 2015 (more than 1.9 million per day), which is 40.7 million more passengers than in 2014.
• TSA screened more than 2 million passengers in a single day 178 times this year.
• TSA screened more than 432 million checked bags, more than 1.6 billion carry-on bags and 12.9 million airport employees.
• Federal Air Marshals flew more than a billion miles this past year to keep travelers safe.
• Nationwide, 98 percent of passengers waited in line less than 20 minutes and more than 99 percent of TSA Pre✓^® passengers waited less than five minutes.

 

•  

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportation_Security_Administration

Quote

Transportation Security Officers: The TSA employs around 47,000 Transportation Security Officers (TSOs), often referred to as screeners or agents.

 

If I was going to smuggle something on a plane, I'm sure you know one of the first places I'd try.  They are danged if they do and danged if they don't.  Sadly, there are a bunch of nutters out there. 

[rijb]

The publicity about these incidents discourage people from even thinking about traveling.

[gk10002000]

On 12/9/2016 at 6:33 PM, jerojero said:

Adjacent country is either Canada or Mexico. Both require passports.

Not quite accurate.  As of 2009, the US State department basically said Americans need a passport to re-enter the USA.  The USA did not and does not mandate what Americans need to enter another country.  That is up to the country, for example Mexico.  I read that as of Sep 2015 Mexico was now checking that walk overs at San Ysidro crossing the California border into Mexico had to have passports.  I defer to recent travelers if Mexico is actually doing that.  They didn't make any checks a few years ago when I walked over.   Canada when driving into was the same thing.  I had recently been there as the passenger in my friend's car and all the guy asked for was my driver license ID.  I defer to recent travelers as to what Canada is requiring of USA citizens.

[mesquite]

Adjacent country is either Canada or Mexico. Both require passports.

Neither Canada or Mexico require passports for US citizens traveling by land or sea. A passport card will suffice.


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[Katia]

Passport card to Canada, yes.  But that is only an alternative for a passport, and you can only use it there.  Cheaper if you only go to Canada and/or Mexico... but if you want to go other places or think you might, you might as well go for the full passport.

 

Either way, you're not getting by with just a driver's license anymore.

[Rhys]

I picked mine up at 18.....never used it.. 

[craigt3365]

29 minutes ago, Rhys said:

I picked mine up at 18.....never used it.. 

Wow.  What a bummer.  You've missed out on a lot.

[Rhys]

Just now, craigt3365 said:

Wow.  What a bummer.  You've missed out on a lot.

 

 

Actually, pardner....sorry the first time, I did not use it... when I renewed it then off to France, Here, China, Canada, Mexico....  my grand tour is Italy... any suggestions for that country.. 

Cheers Mate..

[craigt3365]

10 hours ago, Rhys said:

 

 

Actually, pardner....sorry the first time, I did not use it... when I renewed it then off to France, Here, China, Canada, Mexico....  my grand tour is Italy... any suggestions for that country.. 

Cheers Mate..

Dozens of recommendations.  One of my favorite countries to visit.  Not cheap, but better now with the Euro down.  Be careful with exchange booths! LOL.  Use ATMs whenever possible.  I got scammed a bit in Venice.

[mesquite]

delete

Edited December 13, 2016 by mesquite

[mesquite]

15 hours ago, Katia said:

Passport card to Canada, yes.  But that is only an alternative for a passport, and you can only use it there.  Cheaper if you only go to Canada and/or Mexico... but if you want to go other places or think you might, you might as well go for the full passport.

 

Either way, you're not getting by with just a driver's license anymore.

Unless it is an enhanced DL.

[Katia]

On 12/13/2016 at 11:17 AM, mesquite said:

Unless it is an enhanced DL.

I was kind of thinking of that being the "passport card," but I guess they do have a separate card as well as the book.

[mtls2005]

I think a lot more Americans have passports or passport cards these days is because:

 

impending SNAFU in 2018 re: TSA requirement on photo ID standards and some states not offering any sort of photo ID (driver's license or other) which is compliant

 

not everyone can get a driver's license (young, old, blind etc.)

 

we're a nation of immigrants, obviously, and many millions legally, by choice, emigrate to the U.S. each year; they are more likely to return to their homeland so need a passport

 

more and more forms of domestic travel, and daily life transactions (two forms of photo ID), require a 'official' photo ID

 

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (2009)   https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/western-hemisphere-travel-initiative

 

business travel

 

less free/vacation time; so people don't see a need for international travel

 

There are a lot of places to visit in the U.S., with many activities, as is evidenced by the number of foreign tourists who arrive each year. So it is a bit easier to vacation "close to home".

 

[taxout]

" . . . not everyone can get a driver's license (young, old, blind etc.)."

 

No, but they can get an enhanced non-driver's  ID.

 

https://dmv.ny.gov/id-card/get-enhanced-non-driver-id-endid

[IMA_FARANG]

hMany Americans have never left the U.S.A, which is why they are so oftrn so woefully ignorant of the reality of life outside of the U.S.

People like you and I, who have had a dozen passports in their life and have lived or are now living outside the U.S. are a vanidhing breed.

Many years ago, when I worked in Saudi Arabia, I used to spend my holidays in Thailand.

You would be surprised at how many University educated people in the U.S who did not even know where Thailand was.

I had questions like , "Thailand....are they all Chinese there?"

Nowadays they warn me about  watching out for the "Muslim terorists" here in Thailand.

 

 

Edited December 15, 2016 by IMA_FARANG
typo

[lopburi3]

And by mistake they are actually almost correct:

Quote

Thailand is home to the largest overseas Chinese community in the world with a population of approximately nine million people, accounting for 14 percent of the Thai population as of 2012.

Quote

Muslims are the second largest religious group in Thailand at 4.6%

 

[taxout]

And since they're concentrated in the cities, ethnic Chinese comprise a far far higher percentage of the urban population.