A Reason To Keep Passports In Your Safe

[fortinweb]

I recall reading at least 2 posts within the last few years of the ACTUAL occurrence. In one case, it was someone who came very close to missing the ship but made it back in time. Their passports had already been given to the port agent. In a second case, the people actually missed the ship and retrieved their passports from the agent. I don't have time to sift through the gazillion posts that come up on search at the moment but will try to locate them tonight.

 

In the meantime, we have had confirmation from long-time posters who have asked various officers that this practice does occur at least on some ships including (at a minimum) Celebrity, Princess, and HAL. One would assume if it is part of the SOP for these ships, it probably also holds true for all ships in the corporation, hence we can likely add all the RCL and Carnival Corp lines.

 

In fact, it may a requirement of the country itself that drives this. For example, here's a post from BruceMuzz (staff member on a Carnival Corporation line) stating this:

 

"If you do have a passport and leave it on the ship, you need not worry.

Most countries today require the ship to offload the passports of any passengers who do not make it back to the ship for any reason. As soon as we know or suspect that you are not returning, Security visits your cabin to search for your passports. The passports are passed over to the agent, who is then legally responsible for you until local authorities issue a temporary visa for your stay there. If we do not find passports in your cabin, you are on your own. As soon as the ship departs, you are illegally in that particular country and must sort out things with the local officials."

 

 

(From his post in Dec 2013: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=41103977&postcount=12)

 

No system is fail-safe, of course. But to suggest this practice is a "myth" is, I think, going too far.

 

It appears that the real "myth" is that cruise lines DON'T retrieve passports and turn them over to the port agent, as one poster here wants us to believe.

 

Here's another post from BruceMuzz:

 

"I have managed 27 different cruise ships for 11 different cruise lines on 1,451 cruises (not days) over the past 37 years.

During that period we have left thousands of passengers behind in ports when they failed to return on time.

Most of them had locked their passports in their safes and our Security Officer retrieved the passports and entrusted them to our port agent for safekeeping.

 

Not once in those 37 years and 1,451 cruises did we have a situation where the guests were actually onboard and the passports were left behind in the port."

 

From his post on March 4th, 2014:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=41920115&postcount=32

 

Of course, as we all know, some people never let facts get in the way of their opinions. :D

Edited March 10, 2014 by fortinweb

[dkjretired]

I recall reading at least 2 posts within the last few years of the ACTUAL occurrence. In one case, it was someone who came very close to missing the ship but made it back in time. Their passports had already been given to the port agent. In a second case, the people actually missed the ship and retrieved their passports from the agent. I don't have time to sift through the gazillion posts that come up on search at the moment but will try to locate them tonight.

 

In the meantime, we have had confirmation from long-time posters who have asked various officers that this practice does occur at least on some ships including (at a minimum) Celebrity, Princess, and HAL. One would assume if it is part of the SOP for these ships, it probably also holds true for all ships in the corporation, hence we can likely add all the RCL and Carnival Corp lines.

 

In fact, it may a requirement of the country itself that drives this. For example, here's a post from BruceMuzz (staff member on a Carnival Corporation line) stating this:

 

"If you do have a passport and leave it on the ship, you need not worry.

Most countries today require the ship to offload the passports of any passengers who do not make it back to the ship for any reason. As soon as we know or suspect that you are not returning, Security visits your cabin to search for your passports. The passports are passed over to the agent, who is then legally responsible for you until local authorities issue a temporary visa for your stay there. If we do not find passports in your cabin, you are on your own. As soon as the ship departs, you are illegally in that particular country and must sort out things with the local officials."

 

 

(From his post in Dec 2013: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=41103977&postcount=12)

 

No system is fail-safe, of course. But to suggest this practice is a "myth" is, I think, going too far.

 

Okay, maybe a myth is not correct but you are saying exactly what I said, don't count on it.

 

I would also point out that with all these promises and indications that it is done every time, the people on my cruise did not get them, a Celebrity Cruise.

Edited March 10, 2014 by dkjretired

[smeyer418]

what I heard is that they make an effort to find them..sometimes successful and sometimes not...as I have said before I have seen the concierge on one ship take passports away as people were trying to go on shore with them telling them you won't need these and I'll hold them for you.

[SantaFeFan]

Okay, maybe a myth is not correct but you are saying exactly what I said, don't count on it.

 

I would also point out that with all these promises and indications that it is done every time, the people on my cruise did not get them, a Celebrity Cruise.

 

Your argument is getting weaker every time you post. Your claims change and you back track. Your replies are a moving target. :eek:

 

In post #36 you said about the captain of a "major line":

 

"He said the common sense thing, if they know this is going to happen they will do that but if they have no idea these people are missing the boat, they don't do it."

 

For your information (which I have no doubt will be ignored), the captain knows full well who will miss the ship (you said boat - were you talking about a fishing excursion?). As departure time approaches, they know every passenger who has not yet checked in with their pass card at the top of the gang plank. As the time gets closer, they start calling the names of those passengers still missing. When departure time is reached, and the passenger still hasn't scanned their card, they know they aren't on the ship. That is when they retrieve the passports and pass them over to the port agent. Since all the ship's staff is always in radio contact at all times, if that passenger suddenly shows up, the call is made to bring the passport back on board. Simple as that.

 

So don't even try to tell us that they "have no idea these people are missing the boat"!

 

There are reasons why a passport may not have been turned over to the port agent. The passport may have been in a suitcase or drawer instead of in the safe. Security will NOT search through private belongings to find a passport. If it isn't in the safe, it is assumed it is with the passenger.

 

That no passport was turned over is not proof that they didn't look as you are implying over and over again.

 

Quite frankly, I don't believe you. It looks more and more like you are making this stuff up to support your incorrect opinion.

Edited March 10, 2014 by SantaFeFan

[dwjoe]

I think it is fair to say that the cruise line's practice of searching for your passport in your safe, is a mitigating factor to the risk of missing the ship with your passports still on board.

[dkjretired]

Your argument is getting weaker every time you post. Your claims change and you back track. Your replies are a moving target. :eek:

 

In post #36 you said about the captain of a "major line":

 

"He said the common sense thing, if they know this is going to happen they will do that but if they have no idea these people are missing the boat, they don't do it."

 

For your information (which I have no doubt will be ignored), the captain knows full well who will miss the ship (you said boat - were you talking about a fishing excursion?). As departure time approaches, they know every passenger who has not yet checked in with their pass card at the top of the gang plank. As the time gets closer, they start calling the names of those passengers still missing. When departure time is reached, and the passenger still hasn't scanned their card, they know they aren't on the ship. That is when they retrieve the passports and pass them over to the port agent. Since all the ship's staff is always in radio contact at all times, if that passenger suddenly shows up, the call is made to bring the passport back on board. Simple as that.

 

So don't even try to tell us that they "have no idea these people are missing the boat"!

 

There are reasons why a passport may not have been turned over to the port agent. The passport may have been in a suitcase or drawer instead of in the safe. Security will NOT search through private belongings to find a passport. If it isn't in the safe, it is assumed it is with the passenger.

 

That no passport was turned over is not proof that they didn't look as you are implying over and over again.

 

Quite frankly, I don't believe you. It looks more and more like you are making this stuff up to support your incorrect opinion.

 

My position has been totally consistent, I have said all along that the practice of getting the passports is something that may or may not occur depending on the cruise line. I have admitted that using the word myth was wrong. I am well aware that they know exactly who is missing from the ship and also aware that they call people by their names. I watch those who are running to the ship, it is something that many people do. You misinterpreted what I said about the people missing the ship. If someone is in an auto accident or something serious like that, they may not know these people are going to miss the boat, that is what I meant. . The people running to the pier are a different story.

 

As far as the two men on my cruise, never said anything that they didn't look, you said that. I just know they didn't get their passports.

 

Quite frankly, I don't care if you don't believe me, you are the one who is disregarding what I said from the beginning and have misinterpreted what I said. When you learn to read get back to me.

Edited March 10, 2014 by dkjretired

[dkjretired]

Your chameleon skills are in full view. :D

 

In a previous post you said, and I quote, "I believe that this is one of the myths of cruising." In other words, you don't believe this is done at all. Now you say "it may not be an industry wide standard." That is a very different claim. So, which on is it. A "myth"? Or "not a standard"?

 

There is enough evidence to indicate that while a few lines may not be as customer service oriented as others, most, if not all, of the main stream lines show that courtesy.

 

What is "silly" is your refusal to acknowledge that if a majority of lines indeed do something, it is not a "myth". And your childish challenge to ask "each and every captain" if this is the procedure is even sillier. :rolleyes:

 

And your childish comment for me to purposely miss the boat to see if it happens occurred before my childish comment. I said it because yours was so silly just as mine was..See I admit it, will you... I acknowledged using the word myth was wrong twice.

Edited March 10, 2014 by dkjretired

[swsfrail]

And your childish comment for me to purposely miss the boat to see if it happens occurred before my childish comment. I said it because yours was so silly just as mine was..See I admit it, will you... I acknowledged using the word myth was wrong twice.

 

You apparently don't have much of a sense of humor. That comment about deliberately missing the ship in post #43 clearly has a :D smiley face at the end. I took it as a good humored teasing. Apparently you didn't.

 

dkjretired, give it up. You are clearly outnumbered on this. Even people who are involved with the cruise industry have pointed out your errors. Most of your comments when first presented are based solely on your opinion, not facts. That you changed some of them when challenged indicates a poorly thought out line of reasoning.

 

Just be courageous enough to admit you were wrong and let it go. You are doing yourself absolutely no good by standing your ground, and are certainly not improving your credibility.

 

Sorry to be so harsh. But, simply put, you were wrong. And please don't continue to post your incorrect opinions on future threads as you have done on several in the past. Learn from what is being presented here. Knowingly spreading incorrect information is a disservice to your fellow Cruise Critic members.

Edited March 10, 2014 by swsfrail

[dkjretired]

You apparently don't have much of a sense of humor. That comment about deliberately missing the ship in post #43 clearly has a :D smiley face at the end. I took it as a good humored teasing. Apparently you didn't.

 

dkjretired, give it up. You are clearly outnumbered on this. Even people who are involved with the cruise industry have pointed out your errors. Most of your comments when first presented are based solely on your opinion, not facts. That you changed some of them when challenged indicates a poorly thought out line of reasoning.

 

Just be courageous enough to admit you were wrong and let it go. You are doing yourself absolutely no good by standing your ground, and are certainly not improving your credibility.

 

Sorry to be so harsh. But, simply put, you were wrong. And please don't continue to post your incorrect opinions on future threads as you have done on several in the past. Learn from what is being presented here. Knowingly spreading incorrect information is a disservice to your fellow Cruise Critic members.

 

Sorry, but I was consistent in my statements all along and was on other threads involving this. I just simply gave an opinion and corrected myself on the myth comment. Posters then stated I said things which I did not and implied things which I never said. I guess on this board, an opposing opinion is not allowed. Fact is there are a lot of things that people on this board claim to know the policies of the cruise lines, go read the current thread on tips.

Edited March 11, 2014 by dkjretired

[swsfrail]

Sorry, but I was consistent in my statements all along and was on other threads involving this. I just simply gave an opinion and corrected myself on the myth comment. Posters then stated I said things which I did not and implied things which I never said. I guess on this board, an opposing opinion is not allowed. Fact is there are a lot of things that people on this board claim to know the policies of the cruise lines, go read the current thread on tips.

 

o·pin·ion

noun

1. a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.

synonyms: belief, judgment, thought(s), (way of) thinking, mind, (point of) view, viewpoint, outlook, attitude, stance, position, perspective, persuasion, standpoint

 

o·pin·ion (ə-pĭn′yən)

n.

1. A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof: "The world is not run by thought, nor by imagination, but by opinion" (Elizabeth Drew).

 

When opinions have clearly been proven incorrect by facts, those opinions are useless to anyone other than the person stubbornly refusing to give up on those opinions. In the case of passports being turned over to the port agent, fact trumps opinion.

 

I much prefer to read factual information here, not someone's opinion. I would bet that the majority of sane people would feel the same way. Give me facts any day over opinions.

Edited March 11, 2014 by swsfrail

[carribeansol]

I'm surprised at this. I thought that if someone missed the ship the security team fm the ship would check the safe for the passports, since that is where we are advised to put them, and leave them with the port agent.

 

How do they know you are going to miss the ship? Not everyone notifies the ship the are going to kiss up. I have never seen this happen. Is the a FACT? I have pushed the time where we got back just as they were raising the gangway. No one had retrieved my passport. The gangway was pulled up as we walk across. I

[FedoraDi]

I've got the popcorn here, anyone else care to have some while we watch this play out? 8)

 

On a side note, & just so everyone knows I dont have a dog in this fight.. I find it funny that some people who are NOT board monitors/managers/owners think they have the right to tell others to not post.

 

So..in that case I would be right in telling swsfrail to not post here anymore either as I find her comments rude & condescending & not in the spirit of this board. Also more than likely reportable.

 

This is from the boards FAQ, starting with the 3rd paragraph...

We recognize that while we have tons of great stuff in this forum, people sometimes post messages on the boards that could be misleading, deceptive, or downright wrong. They may do this unintentionally or, sad to say, intentionally. Additionally, there are many different groups who participate, such as travel agents, public relations employees, members of the media, affinity groups, fan groups, other cruise websites etc. whose agenda may not be apparent since we are operating in an anonymous environment.

 

Treat the cruisers here the same way you'd treat anyone you'd met for the first time. This is important because anyone is welcome to participate in our community. You shouldn't make a cruise decision just because some stranger (or even an online friend) talks it up. Basically, you shouldn't treat cyberspace any differently than you would real life.

 

The fundamental concept is that you should NOT totally rely upon the information or opinions you read. Rather, you should use what you read here as starting points for doing independent research on cruise lines, ships, hotels, shore excursions and bargain-hunting techniques. Then judge for yourself the merits of the material that has been shared in our forum.

 

We do not guarantee the completeness of any information provided on our cruise boards. We cannot read through the thousands of messages we receive each day, but do make an effort to check out all the hyperlinked web sites. We cannot research each one for accuracy. That isn't why we're here. Staff members and our volunteers are here to provide you with an environment that is free from advertising and soliciting, free from harassment, vulgarity and disparaging statements, as well as providing you with a safe haven brought together by those sharing a mutual interest: cruising!

 

So, I would suggest that this board is pretty much comprised of opinions, not just factual information. 8)

So, my suggestion to all is to stop bickering, accept that all this is opinion & lets move on <--added

Edited March 11, 2014 by FedoraDi

[carribeansol]

Oh my.......I posted and did not read further. Wish there was a delete because I certainly don't want in this.

[PTMary]

I've got the popcorn here, anyone else care to have some while we watch this play out? 8)

 

On a side note, & just so everyone knows I dont have a dog in this fight.. I find it funny that some people who are NOT board monitors/managers/owners think they have the right to tell others to not post.

 

So..in that case I would be right in telling swsfrail to not post here anymore either as I find her comments rude & condescending & not in the spirit of this board. Also more than likely reportable.

 

This is from the boards FAQ, starting with the 3rd paragraph...

We recognize that while we have tons of great stuff in this forum, people sometimes post messages on the boards that could be misleading, deceptive, or downright wrong. They may do this unintentionally or, sad to say, intentionally. Additionally, there are many different groups who participate, such as travel agents, public relations employees, members of the media, affinity groups, fan groups, other cruise websites etc. whose agenda may not be apparent since we are operating in an anonymous environment.

 

Treat the cruisers here the same way you'd treat anyone you'd met for the first time. This is important because anyone is welcome to participate in our community. You shouldn't make a cruise decision just because some stranger (or even an online friend) talks it up. Basically, you shouldn't treat cyberspace any differently than you would real life.

 

The fundamental concept is that you should NOT totally rely upon the information or opinions you read. Rather, you should use what you read here as starting points for doing independent research on cruise lines, ships, hotels, shore excursions and bargain-hunting techniques. Then judge for yourself the merits of the material that has been shared in our forum.

 

We do not guarantee the completeness of any information provided on our cruise boards. We cannot read through the thousands of messages we receive each day, but do make an effort to check out all the hyperlinked web sites. We cannot research each one for accuracy. That isn't why we're here. Staff members and our volunteers are here to provide you with an environment that is free from advertising and soliciting, free from harassment, vulgarity and disparaging statements, as well as providing you with a safe haven brought together by those sharing a mutual interest: cruising!

 

So, I would suggest that this board is pretty much comprised of opinions, not just factual information. 8)

So, my suggestion to all is to stop bickering, accept that all this is opinion & lets move on <--added

 

I disagree. As a relatively new member here, I can say that I did not join to read people's misleading opinions, but to learn facts about aspects of cruising. If this is supposed to be a medium for people to post wrong and misleading information, what good is it? How are we supposed to learn the facts if no one knows what is correct because we aren't allowed to challenge false information?

 

And why are you so defensive of the posting of inaccurate information? Don't you believe in accuracy? I find it ironic that you think it's OK to criticize swsfrail for allegedly criticizing another poster. How is what you are doing any different than what you are accusing her of doing? :rolleyes:

Edited March 11, 2014 by PTMary

[mousey]

If guests are late returning to the ship in port, their passports are retrieved from the safe (assuming they have been stored there) and the Port Agent holds them to give to the guests when they return to where the ship once was. We should never go ashore without the contact information for the Port Agent in every port. On HAL, that information is on the daily port info sheet that is handed out. Name, telephone and addres....... Port Agent is your friend in town should you have any 'situation' for which you need help.

 

 

Thanks for this tip about the Port Agent. I never thought to do this. Never had a problem in all my cruises...but you never know.

 

We leave our passports on the ship in our cabin safe but I always have copies of them, and of our driver's licenses, in my purse when off the ship. We also carry only one credit card and keep our others in the safe. We carry very little cash on us.

Edited March 11, 2014 by mousey

[John Bull]

Hmm, I seem to have arrived late into a contentious thread. ;)

 

We were actually on an Air Malaysia flight out of KL on the same day as the doomed aircraft & received lots of concerned contacts.

At last, a good reason for Facebook. ;)

 

As to whether to carry or leave, we always leave passports in the cabin safe. Much more chance of it being lost, damaged or stolen ashore than our missing the sailing.

 

Although I too have heard of missing passengers' passports being retrieved from the cabin & handed to the shore agent (including being sent back with the pilot's boat) I don't have 100% confidence and don't intend to put it to the test. But in the cabin safe is the obvious place to look, and with the time restraints on a cabin search I'd not leave it in a drawer, jacket pocket, suitcase, etc.

But I'd far rather risk the passport sailing away without me than the infinately more likely prospect of the passport going missing ashore. And Mom Says seems to be the only take-it-ashore proponent who acknowledges the much much greater risk of loss if you plan to go swimming.

 

It's even more important not to lose your passport if the cruise ends in a country other than your own - OK for an American returning to Miami port minus their passport, but how would I fare getting off the ship in Miami, getting through the airport, getting onto the plane & getting through UK immigration sans passport? :eek:

 

Add to that the risk of identity theft, illegal immigration using my passport, my identity being used to run up huge debts & other problems.

 

No - I'll leave it in the safe, same as cruise lines advise, & same as most folk on this thread.

 

But although the reasons to use the safe are much more compelling than the reason for carrying a passport ashore, I've no doubt that djk's example isn't the only time someone's regretted not taking their passport ashore.

It's all a matter of what you're comfortable with, & a personal choice for anyone who has a reasonable understanding of the risks either way.

 

Some facts, and a lot of opinion, from

 

JB :)

[lady_cruiser]

If you are going to miss the ship Princess will send an officer to your cabin to check the safe. If it is there it will be removed and left with the ship's port agent for you. I am sure other lines do this as well.

 

The same with Royal Caribbean. We saw first hand how this was handle and it was confirmed by the couple left behind. They were part of our Meet and Mingle and confirmed that security went to their cabin and retrieved their passports.

[dwjoe]

It's even more important not to lose your passport if the cruise ends in a country other than your own - OK for an American returning to Miami port minus their passport, but how would I fare getting off the ship in Miami, getting through the airport, getting onto the plane & getting through UK immigration sans passport?

This is an excellent point. If you are certain to need the passport at the end of a cruise, say, to get on a plane to go home, it is a very strong argument in favor of keeping the passport in the cabin safe.

Edited March 11, 2014 by dwjoe

[boogs]

Add to that the risk of identity theft, illegal immigration using my passport, my identity being used to run up huge debts & other problems.

 

I was stunned to read that Interpol has a database of over 40,000,000 stolen or lost passports! That is an almost unbelievable number, and clearly demonstrates that becoming separated from your passport is a much more common occurrence than we may have thought. Best to take all safeguards rather than carrying it around unnecessarily. Mine stays locked up in a safe unless I absolutely need to have it with me - even at home.

[MrsPete]

I'm a grown-up and when I am in a foreign country, I carry the original documentation from my country that says I'm a citizen, and that I am who I say I am (that is, my passport). I can keep that safe, along with my cash and credit card.

 

The document I'm most worried about having stolen is my Canadian Health Card.

Then your argument is that people who are victims of pickpockets are childish? Or idiots? Or weak?

 

The reality is that it only takes a second for you to make a mistake, or for a criminal to choose you as his next victim.

[Lerin]

I've got the popcorn here, anyone else care to have some while we watch this play out? 8)

 

 

Seriously. What's the topic here?

I fail to see the connection between a missing airplane and cruising anyway. :confused:

So if those travelers had left their passports in a safe 2 years ago, that plane would be accounted for? Hunh? Way to blame the victims.

[fortinweb]

Seriously. What's the topic here?

I fail to see the connection between a missing airplane and cruising anyway. :confused:

So if those travelers had left their passports in a safe 2 years ago, that plane would be accounted for? Hunh? Way to blame the victims.

 

The topic is quite simple, really. At least for those of us who don't have a confrontational attitude. :rolleyes:

 

If you lose your passport for any reason - lost or stolen - you may be needlessly involved in a major situation, something that has the FBI, Interpol, international rescue teams, etc. investigating. Nothing more, nothing less. I can't think of any reason why anyone would want to be associated in any way with a plane that has crashed. I have enough drama in my life already. I don't need anyone knocking on my door asking me questions about something I had nothing to do with, all because I lost my passport a few years earlier.

 

And no one blamed the victims, a ridiculous claim on your part. No need to so condescending! :rolleyes:

Edited March 12, 2014 by fortinweb

[Hlitner]

We are puzzled as to why this topic inflames passions. Those that prefer to keep their Passport securely locked in a safe (on a ship or in a hotel) should certainly follow their own advice. And those that feel more confident having their Passport on their person should also follow their own advice. Then everyone is happy. This is not about a clear right or wrong but simply a matter of personal judgment.

 

But for those that feel confident carrying their Passports and other valuables, we would refer them to the latest news about Interpol having over 40 million missing/stolen Passports and other travel documents in their database. We assume that most of those millions of folks also felt confident with how they carried or stored their important documents. We should also point out that on many international cruises (we have cruised to 6 continents) cruisers do not even have their Passports as they are held by the ship's purser. Personally, we are never happy when others are holding our Passports (this used to happen in many hotels) but sometimes it is the way it is :)

 

Hank

Edited March 12, 2014 by Hlitner

[wassup4565]

Ha ha, Hlitner, I liked the way you came across as all fair and judicious in your first para. Very non-judgmental. Also liked your use of the royal "we." Who is WE, dude? Would that be you?

 

Then you carry on to scare people about millions of missing/stolen passports, but you never mention how many of those passports were forgotten in the bottom of a purse on the back shelf, or shoved down into the bottom pocket of a suitcase for a year and a half until the next trip? Give us the statistics about how many of those missing/stolen passports actually fell into the wrong hands and were used for bad purposes.

 

As for those who objected to my using the term "grown-ups," how come I never read any scare postings on CC about having your cash or credit cards stolen while ashore? Not to mention your Smart Phones or your i-devices? We are not children wandering around flaunting our money, cards, and devices in foreign countries. We don't leave our credit cards lying around or put our phones on display on top of our towels while swimming. Why is safeguarding our bona-fide official pocket-size passport more difficult than that?

 

If I get into a traffic accident in a foreign country (say a bus hits me), or if I get falsely arrested, or I find myself in a hospital with a serious injury, - I will count on my authentic passport to open doors for me. Yeah, probably a photocopy will get those doors open, but not nearly as fast. And I am not going to count on my cruise ship to unlock my safe and get the original document onto shore when I need it to be there. The ship is not my Daddy. I look after myself when I am in a foreign country - that's what I mean by being a grown-up.

 

And yes, actually, replacing a Health Card in Canada is more difficult than replacing a missing passport. That's because the Health Card gives access to potentially thousands and thousands of dollars worth of health services. The passport just says you are who you are and you belong to the country on the cover.

Edited March 12, 2014 by wassup4565

[boogs]

Then you carry on to scare people about millions of missing/stolen passports, but you never mention how many of those passports were forgotten in the bottom of a purse on the back shelf, or shoved down into the bottom pocket of a suitcase for a year and a half until the next trip? Give us the statistics about how many of those missing/stolen passports actually fell into the wrong hands and were used for bad purposes.

 

Quoted from a Time.com article:

 

One of the largest problems is the lack of universal checks for stolen passports. Interpol maintains a database of stolen passports going back to 2002. According to the organization, the database contains more than 40 million entries, and each year countries conduct more than 800 million searches, coming up with about 60,000 hits. The U.S. uses the database the most — 250 million times each year — followed by the U.K. But according to Interpol’s head, most countries do not regularly check the database. “This is a situation we had hoped never to see,” Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble said in a statement. “For years Interpol has asked why should countries wait for a tragedy to put prudent security measures in place at borders and boarding gates.”

 

Source: http://time.com/18754/stolen-passports-malaysian-airlines/

 

The answer to your sarcastic question is about 60,000 times per year. And that is only by the countries that even bother to check. It can safely be assumed that the number is much larger than that.

Edited March 12, 2014 by boogs