Passport deadline sparks heated debate

Rob Lovitt Travel writer • E-mail

Have passport, will travel.

Don’t have a passport? You can still travel, but maybe not how and where you want.

Now in effect, almost all air travelers entering the United States will be required to have a passport, including American citizens returning from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Come back from those destinations with just a driver’s license or birth certificate — as millions have done for years — and you could be looking at an awkward or unpleasant encounter at the airport.

Not surprisingly, perhaps, the new rule has sparked an angry debate. From the cost and inconvenience to crackpot conspiracy theories, it seems everybody has an opinion on the subject.

Issues and insults
Some of that debate has been waged on MSNBC’s message boards (and in my mailbox), prompted, in part, by a column I recently wrote. At the time, the government had announced a new twist in the pending regulations: Instead of applying to all travelers, it would apply only to those traveling by air. People traveling by land or sea, e.g., driving to Canada or cruising to the Caribbean, would be exempt for at least another year.

At the time, I wrote that the inconsistent application of the new rule was unfair and likely to cause more confusion for travelers. I also argued that cost and inconvenience were poor excuses for not getting a passport. And I may have suggested that, well, anyone who travels out of the country should just get off the pot and get one.

Hoo boy, did I strike a nerve.

Some readers took me to task when I suggested that the cost — $97, plus photo fees, for a new adult passport, $82 for children — was reasonable because it could be prorated over a 10-year period (five years for those under 16). I still believe that, but I also appreciate the problem faced by the couple with two children whose long-planned trip to the Caribbean would now cost almost $400 more. Numbers like that can make or break a vacation.

More Rob Lovitt columns 10 dollar-stretching destinations Festivals celebrate the beauty of spring New gear for cash-strapped travelers Extreme makeover: extended-stay edition When travel executives attack Winter Games only a year away Hybrids for hire: more cars, more options How President Obama can fix travel U.S. picks 2 potential World Heritage sites Onboard innovators: In pursuit of pain-free flying More Rob Lovitt columns

Others commented on other, ancillary costs, especially once the new rules are applied to travel by land or sea. “$100 is a ton of money if you go to Canada for medical care,” wrote someone who, I might add, was willing to share some four-letter feelings, but not his or her name. Name-calling aside, that’s a valid point, as are the potentially devastating costs to many border towns as potential visitors rethink their plans. Even non-travelers will feel some pain.

MORE FROM NEWS

News Section Front

Pilot charged with being drunk before flight Drop in Thanksgiving travel forecast Woman drives into aquarium at airport Engine fire grounds Delta plane in Atlanta Mechanical issue forces jet’s return to JFK Alaska Airlines starts Oakland-Hawaii service Airplane part falls onto N.Y. home’s front lawn U.S. Homeland chief defends $10 travel fee Police sort through belongings of stolen luggage FAA: Runway incursion at LAX was minor News Section Front   Add News headlines to your news reader: