The other day I made a post about having to go get my youngest daughters passport. As you all know as of January 23, 2007 all air travel into the USA you must have a passport. This has caused huge line ups at the passport office and I have dreaded the thought of going. Anyhow, on Friday hubby and I made the trip. Thursday evening I phoned the 1-800 number for passport Canada to ask some questions to make sure I had everything I needed before we made the trip down Island.
Friday morning arrives early. Hubby and I get up at 0430 and are on the road by 0520. It is an almost 3 hour trek down island to the only passport office on the Island. The fog in some spot is as thick as pea soup. We arrive at our destination at 0745. We make it to the passport office only to find the line up is already 3 blocks long. People had been lining up since 0430 that morning. The office doesn't open until 0900. It is cold and overcast. We waited 7 hours outside in line. Then another hour once we got inside. While standing outside we met and saw all kinds of people. The older couple in front of us became our new friends for the day. At one point the the wife of the couple in front of us and I went into a shop across the street, only to have my hubby come running into the store saying that there was someone from the passport office outside previewing documents and handing out tickets. Well it was only a matter of couple of minutes and I was back in line. But the passport person had gone to the next person in line behind us and ending up giving that person the last 3 tickets she had. She said she would be out again in about an hour with 20 more tickets and if we tracked her down we should get one and hence would make it inside that day. I could not believe it. At that point, hubby and I had already been in line for 4 1/2 hours. It figures, that has been my luck this week.
We finally make it inside and get our turn at the wicket, and I tell the the clerk I am here to apply for my daughters passport. I pull out all of my documents. That's when it starts to go downhill. He didn't like the wording on my separation agreement. Told me there had to be some else. I told him that was all there was. He went to his supervisor who came out to tell me that it wasn't satisfactory and I must have something else. I didn't have something else. I tried to explain my situation but they weren't convinced they said I must have some other document. So my hubby gets out his cell phone and we call my lawyer, only to find out when he handled my divorce he was with another company and they had my file. I couldn't get a hold of the other company. I thought to myself there has to be something we can do. He then goes on to tell me that the photos weren't acceptable as they were to shiny and showed a bit of a shadow on one side of her face. So he fills out this form and tells us to take it to the company that did the photos and have them correct it. I tell him my daughter does not live with me that she is on the mainland. Oh, was his response, this opens another can of worms. I start to cry at this point and tremble. I am cold and tired and just exhausted. I must have look pretty pathetic because at that point the clerk took pity on me. But my problems to ended there. When he found out my daughter didn't live with me he then wanted documentation of her primary residence. Well, again I don't have anything like that. It was just a verbal agreement with my ex and I and my daughter. So now, I have to get my ex to write a letter and have it notarized...blah blah blah..... I just can't believe this is happening. Thank god my hubby was there....he was so good. The clerk was good as well. He was very helpful. But as I said it was the end of a very long day, and I still had my drive home to contend with.
Well, as I said the clerk opened a file for me. Told me I could actually fax and mail the additional documents to him and that I did not have to make another trip down Island. That is my silver lining to this story.
Well, as I said the clerk opened a file for me. Told me I could actually fax and mail the additional documents to him and that I did not have to make another trip down Island. That is my silver lining to this story.
So I paid for the passport and off we went. They locked the office doors behind us. They were closed for the day!
So heads up all you happy travellers. Make sure you have everything, check and double check and even triple check before you make the arduous trip to the passport office.
Happy Sunday all!!
21 comments:
I dislike this passport business myself. It used to be an easy trip across the border to Canada. We live right across the water from Ontario and it's nice to go visit there. But no more lol. They act like everyones a criminal and it takes forever to get across. I'm glad you got the passports though. Happy traveling :)
Shame on your ex-husband for doing this to you. It should be his responsibility to get the child's passport because he has all the documentation. I certainly hope you get all this straightened out soon so your trip is not hindered.
Hope you are having a better Sunday.
L. xxooxx
Oh dear, what an awful day for you! I don't blame you for crying. I would have bawled like a baby after being told you had everything you needed and then finding out you didn't! Curses to the person on the phone whom you spoke with originally!! I'm sure it will all work out, but man, I do feel for you and what they put you through! Many huge hugs, my friend!!!
Hey Mike....it's both sides of the border...the American custom officers can be down right nasty...absolutely no sense of humor. It's costly venture as well...so not only do you pay for the passport, but in my case it was the travel time, the cost of gas, the parking once I got for all day, and food. Yup and I have to do this again in another 5 years....yuck!
RN, are you bald from pulling out hair? I'm a patient guy, but I question whether or not I could have gone through all that without blowing my top.
I know people are scrambling on this side of the border too, but they are not running into the lines that you describe. I hope you get everything straightened out.
We've been using our passports even when driving across for the the last several years and it certainly does speed things up for us. For us customs agents on both sides of the border have never been anything other than courteous.
I was so fortunate when I got my passport. The day I went the line up was not long, I had done all the paperwork online so I got a fast pass and was out of the office in less than an hour.
This post makes me doubly glad we already have valid passports..
Sorry you had such a rough day..
((hugs))
You totally crack me up!! You really have a way with telling stories, Mary Anne! (Love all the pics, too!)
You've reminded me that I need to get my passport updated. I hope I can wait till things settle down a bit -- I don't think I'm up for a day-long wait at the Post Office!
Holy Rip! Makes me glad to think I will never need a passport cause I'll never have enough money to leave the good old U.S.A! What on earth do those people do that makes getting a passport next to impossible to acquire anyway? Why? Probably just good old government bureaucracy at its finest where they "make work" for themselves to justify having a job. Here's hoping after the ordeal Friday that things come together for you and go smoothly from here on out!
Hooray for the helpful clerk!
PS ... found you through Bee
I would have just said forget it when I saw the line. I cannot believe you waited that long and had such a hard time getting a passport. If really bothers me that people that do things the legal way have to deal with all these obsticles, but illegals, no problem. They get around undetected all the time.
Sorry for your unfortunate luck that day!
Check and double check and triple check... and you'll still have to jump through some other hoop when you get there.
It is a universal law.
My regrets.
Oh dear, not fun at all! What a very long day and it's no wonder you ended up crying, I would have done the same thing. I hope your ex realizes all the problems he's caused by not getting your daughter's passport himself!! Hopefully everything will be in order soon! Hugs xoxo
Sounds like the clerks were doing their best to help you after such a long wait. That was definitely good of them. It must have been a long, long, stressful day for you though.
Filling out the forms online is the only way to go now - it will not let you print them until everything is correct - so that makes it easier, if your application is a simple one.
What a carry on! I hope everything works out for you soon!
Helen
Not fun, I still have to get mine in the U.S. I keep putting it off and I have less patience than apparently you do.
Hey, just got your e-mail. Go right ahead. I can't imagine what your husband had to endure. When I was on the burn unit a 4 year old girl was brought in and I was told about what kids have to go through when they are burned since skin grafts don't grow. Please let him know that I am amazed by his strength.
Happy Valentine's Day to you and your wonderful hubby. Hope your day is filled with love, affection, and some nice hugging.
Ick.
I have all our passport forms filled out....I just dread doing the next steps.
I think I will mail everything in.
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