The Smelker Seven

The Government at Work - NOT!!

Warrick is going to Nicaragua in July so needs his passport. His US passport had expired so he needed to renew. He got his passport when he was 12, and it was only valid for a year, but it was a valid passport. Anyway, he filled out all the paperwork, got the photos taken, and armed with everything he needed we went to the post office yesterday.

We get to the counter and the man said, "Where's his birth certificate?"
"Don't need it." I said. "The passport is a valid form of proof of citizenship."
"Where's his birth certificate?"
"Don't need it, this is valid."
"How old was he when this was issued?"
"Twelve," I say, trying to remain calm, but my ire was rising, I HATE dealing with petty people!
"Well, he was too young."
"Too young? Too young for what?"
"Where's his birth certificate?"
"Sir, if you look at the paperwork it says nothing about using a birth certificate, he has his passport, that is enough."
"How many passports do you process a day?"
"Well, none."
"I do 20 to 30 a day and he needs his birth certificate."
"Show me in this paperwork where he needs his birth certificate," I said shoving the paper back at him.
He just gave a supercilious smirk, and refused to answer, motioning for the next person in line.

I returned to the van and looked more closely at the paperwork, I then even downloaded it from the Internet and this is what it tells the applicant to do:

APPLICANTS WHO HAVE HAD A PREVIOUS US PASSPORT
Need the following:

1. PROOF OF U.S. CITIZENSHIP
2. PROOF OF IDENTITY
3. TWO RECENT, COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS, AND
4. FEES (As explained on reverse of form.)

1. PROOF OF U.S. CITIZENSHIP
APPLICANTS BORN IN THE UNITED STATES: Submit a previous U.S. passport or certified birth certificate.

2. PROOF OF IDENTITY
You must establish your identity to the satisfaction of the acceptance agent.

You may submit items such as the following containing your signature AND physical description or photograph that is a good likeness of you:
• Previous U.S. passport,
• Certificate of Naturalization,
• Certificate of Citizenship,
• Driver's license (not temporary or learner's license),
• Government (Federal, State, municipal) employee identification card or pass.

So, he can use a US passport OR a birth certificate!! The man also tried telling me that the paperwork (handed to us by the USA post office no less) is outdated - but the revision date was 08/2005.

Nope, this man was blowing smoke because he can! He refused to answer any questions, and just made silly statements. How can Warrick be too young for his first passport? It was issued by the US Government, and he used it to travel to Europe in 2002. He refused to take the passport for identification purposes, and instead used the birth certificate that I had to return home to get because as much as I wanted to fight him on principle and refuse to get it, Warrick needs his passport.

BUT, the pen is indeed mightier, and I shall be writing to the US Postmaster General, to man's direct supervisor and also the office where the passport information was sent. This man is obviously a little demagogue and takes great joy in making people's lives as miserable as possible!

Labels: Passport

posted by The Smelker Seven @ 11:15 AM