Passports

yeah its agr8 idea.. i agree wiht it...

I think it SUCKS! Especially when many of us "border citizens" who have lived on the borders our entire life are now forced to purchase expensive passports for entire families. My family has ALWAYS been friends with the Canadians across the border... going for hockey games, tournaments, simple dinner, weekend travels, etc. NOW, I am forced to take the blunt of $100 a pop for me and 3 kids, plus the paperwork, plus now the paperwork because they're still "minors" and I'm divorced. Evidently it's important for sperm donors to know where they can avoid their children when OUT of the states! I'm angered by it. You need passports when traveling world wide (countries well beyond our 'borders'. NOT when you're taking an hour trip across the border to be with friends and enjoy commaradarie with a nation we've always enjoyed being welcomed INTO and OUT of!

Personlly i think that it is a pain in the butt! I used to be able to cross with my treaty card and photo id and now i have to get a passport for myself and my two daughters just to be able to go to my moms wedding in Texas!

I only recently saw a discussion about the new idea of requiring passports to cross the border between Canada and the US. The last time I crossed that particular border, I had a passport, anyway, so to me personally it is neither here nor there and it was new information that they were even considering the requirement. I had always admired the informality enjoyed, the special status between Canadian and US citizens. I think it is a little sad that world events are requiring the need for greater security and caution. I guess it is a sign of the times. I went to the Canadian passport website and found this information: Passport Canada is experiencing a sharp volume increase in passport applications in all of its offices, by mail and through its receiving agents. Due to this increase in volume, it may take up to 10 weeks before you receive your new passport." That is a long time! In the US I think it is only eight weeks, and when we had our US passports reissued for the kids at the Dublin American Embassy I think they arrived in ten DAYS! I guess the must be experiencing a massive glut in applications! I then checked the specifics for travelling to the US as a Canadian citizen and found this: "Since January 23, 2007, a new American law requires everyone entering the United States BY AIR to have a valid passport. Canadians can continue to use such documents as their birth certificates and drivers' licence to cross the Canada-U.S. border BY LAND AND SEA for at least another year." Thanks for bringing this to my attention. It is an interesting development.