Reciprocity
New Orleans, LA
I was a wee bit sick over the weekend. It happened not long after telling Shokufeh that I was saving some teas from our teaswap for when I was sick and grumpy. Ask and ye shall receive.
Today is much better. 80% human. Not good enough to get out of pajamas, but good enough to call a 1-800 government phone number and argue with a man about US policy on including biometrics in passports. I didn't mean to pick a fight. I just had a question. How do I get one of the new electronic passports?
Impossible! They don't exist! ...Well, yes... they exist, but only in proto-type form and YOU can't get one. Nor will you ever ever ever ever ever ever ever be required to have one for international travel purposes. Silly girl.
We got into a debate about whether or not foreign governments could require US citizens to have passports with biometric data. He would not acknowledge the existence of the requirement of citizens from countries with Visa Waiver agreements to have biometric passports to continue to enter the US without visas. True, the law isn't currently being enforced, but who knows how long that will be the case. He told me it was impossible for foreign countries to require the same technology of US citizens because it would mean that the US would have to issue 50-60 million new passports. I don't think it occurred to him that other governments don't particularly care if the US Passport Agency becomes overworked by initiating reciprocal biometric immigration policies.
The man's tactic of "deny deny deny" was not helpful. I would like to send him to the Indian Embassy in Paris to see just how much fun getting a visa can be.
The good part of the phone call was that it wasn't necessary to wait on hold for more than a few seconds to get to speak to a human. That's something. The silver-lining.
I was a wee bit sick over the weekend. It happened not long after telling Shokufeh that I was saving some teas from our teaswap for when I was sick and grumpy. Ask and ye shall receive.
Today is much better. 80% human. Not good enough to get out of pajamas, but good enough to call a 1-800 government phone number and argue with a man about US policy on including biometrics in passports. I didn't mean to pick a fight. I just had a question. How do I get one of the new electronic passports?
Impossible! They don't exist! ...Well, yes... they exist, but only in proto-type form and YOU can't get one. Nor will you ever ever ever ever ever ever ever be required to have one for international travel purposes. Silly girl.
We got into a debate about whether or not foreign governments could require US citizens to have passports with biometric data. He would not acknowledge the existence of the requirement of citizens from countries with Visa Waiver agreements to have biometric passports to continue to enter the US without visas. True, the law isn't currently being enforced, but who knows how long that will be the case. He told me it was impossible for foreign countries to require the same technology of US citizens because it would mean that the US would have to issue 50-60 million new passports. I don't think it occurred to him that other governments don't particularly care if the US Passport Agency becomes overworked by initiating reciprocal biometric immigration policies.
The man's tactic of "deny deny deny" was not helpful. I would like to send him to the Indian Embassy in Paris to see just how much fun getting a visa can be.
The good part of the phone call was that it wasn't necessary to wait on hold for more than a few seconds to get to speak to a human. That's something. The silver-lining.
posted by Jennifer P. at 2:03 PM
2 Comments:
So sorry you're sicky. Hadn't yet read this when I spoke with you. Hope you're feeling better soon. And that you're putting the teas to good use.
Shokufeh, I'm drinking your teaswap contribution, Organic Chamomile, right now. With a spoonful of unrefined sugar to make it like your grandmother's version.
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