#259572 - 02/07/2005 00:34
I never knew passports could be so expensive.
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/12/2000
Posts: 2665
Loc: Manteca, California
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For the first time I'm leaving the U.S. on a business trip to..... Nb, Canada.  It's short notice so I needed an expidited passport. So lets see... $40 for a certified copy of my birth cert. Includes overnight FedEx shipping charge. $9 for passport photos $27 for a verifying agent at the Post Office to check that the forms, photos and other documents meet State Department requirements. $127 to the Dept. of State for processing $1.50 for the sealed envelope. Needed because the forms will be hand carried. $68 for the CBIT (a company authorized to hand carry applications to the Dept of State) $272.50 total. Oh yeah. The ceritfied copy of my birth certificate, that was scarily easy to get.
_________________________
Glenn
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#259573 - 02/07/2005 02:22
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: gbeer]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/01/2002
Posts: 3937
Loc: Providence, RI
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A birth certificate is supposed to be easy to get. It proves that the named person was born here, not that you are he.
I drove 60 miles, walked in, ordered mine, got lunch, came back, and picked it up.
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#259574 - 02/07/2005 02:37
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: Daria]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 06/10/1999
Posts: 2591
Loc: Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
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Quote:
I drove 60 miles, walked in, ordered mine, got lunch, came back, and picked it up.
Yup.
Sorry, gbeer, but I think you have fallen prey to the "Free Delivery!" of the 47-dollar, 3-topping pizza.
_________________________
Jim
'Tis the exceptional fellow who lies awake at night thinking of his successes.
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#259575 - 02/07/2005 04:27
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: Daria]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/12/2000
Posts: 2665
Loc: Manteca, California
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Quote:
A birth certificate is supposed to be easy to get. It proves that the named person was born here, not that you are he.
Yes. Sounds so right when its said. Yet I think the majority, including me till just a moment ago, thinks it somewhat more than that.
_________________________
Glenn
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#259576 - 02/07/2005 11:57
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: gbeer]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 25/08/2000
Posts: 2413
Loc: NH USA
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...and still being cavity searched at the border, priceless.
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#259577 - 02/07/2005 12:24
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: gbeer]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14491
Loc: Canada
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The sad part is that you need all that to get a passport, not so you can visit NB (not Nb), but so you can gain reentry to the USA afterwards.
Cheers
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#259578 - 02/07/2005 15:47
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: mlord]
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veteran
Registered: 21/01/2002
Posts: 1380
Loc: Erie, CO
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Quote:
The sad part is that you need all that to get a passport, not so you can visit NB (not Nb), but so you can gain reentry to the USA afterwards.
Yup. Another sad part is that he could fly to Maine, drive across the border and drive back into the US and fly home without a passport.
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#259579 - 02/07/2005 16:06
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: cushman]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 25/08/2000
Posts: 2413
Loc: NH USA
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While driving is an option and it is legal to cross the US/Canada border w/o a passport if you're a US or Canadian citizen; the reality of the matter is that the US border patrol will give you a hard time and/or delay you if you're not carrying a passport.
-Zeke
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#259580 - 02/07/2005 16:31
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: cushman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/01/2002
Posts: 3937
Loc: Providence, RI
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Quote:
Quote:
The sad part is that you need all that to get a passport, not so you can visit NB (not Nb), but so you can gain reentry to the USA afterwards.
Yup. Another sad part is that he could fly to Maine, drive across the border and drive back into the US and fly home without a passport.
They're apparently getting more annoying about that, it may not be true anymore :\
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#259581 - 02/07/2005 16:38
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: Ezekiel]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14491
Loc: Canada
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Yup, they really really like to see my passport when driving across now. But that's even true for USA citizens, too.
Cheers
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#259582 - 02/07/2005 17:43
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: mlord]
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addict
Registered: 29/06/2002
Posts: 531
Loc: Triangle, VA
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Coming back from Mexico the other day they didnt give me a hard time at all, Just asked for my ID then asked what country I was a citizen of and said thanks ..
_________________________
-D
Modifying and Tweaking is a journey,
not a destination................................
MKIIa : 60gig - 040103286 - Blue - v2 + PCATS tuner
MKIIa : 20gig - 040103260 - Blue - v3a8 + Mark Lord Special Edition Cherry Dock
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#259583 - 02/07/2005 21:34
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: mlord]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/06/1999
Posts: 2993
Loc: Wareham, Dorset, UK
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There's a story by Robert A Heinlein, called "Revolt in 2100". Worth reading: then you should remember when it was written. 
Edited by schofiel (02/07/2005 21:34)
_________________________
One of the few remaining Mk1 owners...  #00015
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#259584 - 02/07/2005 22:43
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: Ezekiel]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/12/2000
Posts: 2665
Loc: Manteca, California
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A co-worker of mine recently (3 weeks ago) visited the same place. No passport but had birth cert. and photo id. They wern't going to let him cross, except for the fact he was traveling with 2 others, with passports, and the same travel records, hotel reservations...
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Glenn
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#259585 - 02/07/2005 22:48
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: cushman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/12/2000
Posts: 2665
Loc: Manteca, California
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Quote:
Quote:
The sad part is that you need all that to get a passport, not so you can visit NB (not Nb), but so you can gain reentry to the USA afterwards.
Yup. Another sad part is that he could fly to Maine, drive across the border and drive back into the US and fly home without a passport.
Ouch! Travel is Oakland>Alanta Alanta>Boston Boston>NB. I'll be roling at 4:30am and dropping at something like 10pm
Going home is similar except involves Salt Lake.
Boing's vision of point to point travel over taking the hub system is looking more attractive.
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Glenn
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#259587 - 03/07/2005 01:36
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: mlord]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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Quote:
The sad part is that you need all that to get a passport, not so you can visit NB (not Nb), but so you can gain reentry to the USA afterwards.
That's not true at all recently. A few weeks ago I went over the border into Quebec. I was driving and two of my friends were passengers. I had my passport and my two friends had their NJ driver's licenses on them. The Canadian border guard held us there for about 5 minutes giving my friends crap for leaving their country without a passport. Then she said "I'll let you go this time." Yeah, I'm sure she'll remember us. Coming back into the US on that trip with the same credentials, we were admitted instant access after the guard asked where we came from. 1 question, a quick glance at our ID, and we were off.
We went to Ontario today. This time, the Canadian guard was dressed in quasi-riot gear. Bulletproof vest, all black clothes and some crazy batman-like belt with a bunch of opression devices on it. He gave us some crap when we didn't know the exact name of the town we were going to, but let us go after about 2 minutes of quesions. Coming back, we had a bunch of car parts in the car and the US guard wanted it checked. No crazy questions about who we are or anything, but they did want to check out the parts. Other than that, re-entering the US was not an issue and the guards actually smiled and talked to us like people, not assumed criminals.
For me, entering the US has never been more difficult than entering Canada.
_________________________
-Rob Riccardelli
80GB 16MB MK2 090000736
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#259588 - 03/07/2005 02:32
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: robricc]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 15/01/2002
Posts: 1866
Loc: Austin
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Yeah, but your not jaded by your hatred for the US. If you were, you would make a point of noticing every time they looked at you funny.
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#259589 - 03/07/2005 03:22
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: RobotCaleb]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 13/09/1999
Posts: 2401
Loc: Croatia
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Quote:
Yeah, but your not jaded by your hatred for the US. If you were, you would make a point of noticing every time they looked at you funny.
Please, don't be so liberal in applying the label "hatred". Do you really think that anyone here actually hates US (even those who despise or hate its current government's acts)?
BTW, I don't know how the things look at US land borders, but generally one encounters (at least) two kinds of border officials: immigration/police and customs. In my country I never got anything but a smile and "welcome back" from the former (or just a wave of a hand if they are not in the mood to be bothered by looking at my passport or other ID), but the later can be a major pain in the back....
_________________________
Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Q#5196
MkII #080000376, 18GB green
MkIIa #040103247, 60GB blue
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#259590 - 03/07/2005 07:10
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: bonzi]
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old hand
Registered: 20/07/1999
Posts: 1102
Loc: UK
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Quote:
In my country I never got anything but a smile and "welcome back" from the former (or just a wave of a hand if they are not in the mood to be bothered by looking at my passport or other ID)
Being of dual british/canadian citizenship, I travel in and out of north america on my canadian passport, and europe on my UK one. It makes life a lot simpler on the immigration front. Some years ago, Rob V. and myself were going to Toronto. I was on a plane filled predominantly with british passengers, and for some reason when we got to immigration our planeload was the only group in the immigration hall at the time. We were about halfway through the queue, and it took maybe 20 minutes to get to the desk where the guy was checking passports and asking silly questions.
His routine was wave you forward, grab your passport, open it, look at the photo, glare at the tourist, stamp it, and say "Next!". Until he got to me. He took one look at the canadian passport I held up, smiled broadly, called out loudly "Canadian citizen returning from abroad! Welcome home, sir!", swung upon the gate, and waved me through  Didn't even open my passport. As soon as I was through, "Next!", grab, open, stamp, etc.
One of the funniest things that's ever happened to me during travelling. He must have been hellishly bored.
pca
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Experience is what you get just after it would have helped...
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#259591 - 03/07/2005 12:14
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: robricc]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 25/08/2000
Posts: 2413
Loc: NH USA
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Rob, after reading your and Mark's posts, I'm starting to think that the hassle factor must be dependent on which border crossing is used. I go up to Canada about once a year and usually cross out in northern Idaho or Washington state into British Columbia. The Canadian border patrol have been everything from a glance and a 'welcome' to a full car search (although that time it was five guys with ski gear in an overpacked Montero) with a phone call asking lots of questions to someplace unknown (Ever commit a crime? Ever been convicted of a crime? If so, what? etc...). Those with DUI's had to pay a fee (~$250) in order to enter (two of our party), since they didn't have some waiver on file (which allows entry to felons) with Canada.
On the flip side I was given a 25 minute lecture by a US border guard about not travelling with my passport, that a driver's license wasn't really proof of anything etc. etc... then they let me through; almost made me miss my plane out of Spokane.
So I think your experience will always vary. It does seem however, that the rules are changing December 31, 2005, according to the US Department of State. After that US and CA citizens will need their passports. No more pledge raids to Montreal for my old frat it seems. 
My guess is that the increase in non-passport hassle is a lead-in to this rule change to get people used to it (no basis in fact for my opinion).
-Zeke
[edited for typos]
Edited by Ezekiel (03/07/2005 14:25)
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#259592 - 03/07/2005 12:43
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: RobotCaleb]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/01/2002
Posts: 3937
Loc: Providence, RI
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Yeah, but your not jaded by your hatred for the US.
"you're". And I am certainly jaded, by my hatred of U.S. policy, which has nothing at all to say about my hatred of my country.
Quote:
If you were, you would make a point of noticing every time they looked at you funny.
Hey, in fairness, the last time I came back from Sweden I arrived through Newark International. I have had a shorter line for passport control one other place (I was second in line; entering Sweden one of the like 5 or 6 times I have, I *was* the line), and clearing customs took only as long as it did to hand the guy the form and tell him I'd checked "food" because I was carrying a licorice back with me. I actually felt welcome that time, which is, well, rare for my re-entry experiences, even going back to June, 2000 and the previous administration and another political climate.
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#259593 - 03/07/2005 17:16
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: Ezekiel]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/12/2000
Posts: 2665
Loc: Manteca, California
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Quote:
On the flip side I was given a 25 minute lecture by a US border guard about not travelling with my passport, that a driver's license wasn't really proof of anything etc. etc... then they let me through; almost made me miss my plane out of Spokane.
That's rich! One of the documents I had to produce in order to get my passport was... a drivers license.
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Glenn
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#259594 - 03/07/2005 19:00
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: SonicSnoop]
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addict
Registered: 10/11/2000
Posts: 497
Loc: Utah, USA
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Quote:
Coming back from Mexico the other day they didnt give me a hard time at all, Just asked for my ID then asked what country I was a citizen of and said thanks ..
Ah, yes, Mexico. It's God's blind spot, and seems to be oft overlooked by the U.S. as well. My family drives to Mexico many times a year, and has never run into any problem. We get waved through the Mexican side every single time. Returning to the US, none of us have ever been even asked for ID. Just things like country of citizenship and whether we're bringing anything back. But, Mexico's on the new state department rules too, so I'd expect it to get a little tougher sometime in the next year.
The one time I flew into Mexico, though, it was a little more of a production with passports and customs forms going both ways.
A couple of years after I got my first passport, I was so bummed out that I hadn't had any stamps in it that we actually stopped at the Mexican immigration office on our way into Mexico once and insisted that the officer check it and stamp it with an entrance visa. The guy didn't actually even have a stamp, so he drew a picture in my passport, dated it, and signed it.
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-Aaron
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#259595 - 04/07/2005 21:48
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: adavidw]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/12/2000
Posts: 2665
Loc: Manteca, California
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Quote:
The guy didn't actually even have a stamp, so he drew a picture in my passport, dated it, and signed it.
Ha! That's rich. Of course, He's telling the story of the crazy american who....
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Glenn
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#259596 - 05/07/2005 14:04
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: gbeer]
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veteran
Registered: 25/04/2000
Posts: 1525
Loc: Arizona
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My passport was insanely expensive to get. I found out on a Monday that I was leaving for Tokyo on Saturday. I had to have my birth certificate next day airmailed to me (from my parent's house). The nearest place that could get an expedited passport was LA, so I had to book a plane for LA on the following day to get my passport and return later that evening. Found out that because of the flight scedules and the time I had to be there for the passport, had to rebook a plane for that same evening I got my birth certificate, stay the night in a hotel, then return the following day. Add to the expenses a rental car, meals, and parking for 24 hours at the airport (not sure if labor is counted as an expense)  I wish I kept a list of the expenses, it was ridiculous. This company will really throw money at something when it needs it done right away. - Tim
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#259597 - 05/07/2005 14:28
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: Tim]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
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Of course, the easy method would be to just get a passport now so they don't need to do it in a hurry later on and pay the charges. Go now for anybody that doesn't have one already! Oh and for the people that do, check the expiry date I think it's strange that not everybody has a passport. I've had one for as long as I can remember. I guess it's a bit different when you're in Europe because going to antoher country is pretty easy and quick.
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#259598 - 05/07/2005 16:20
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: tman]
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veteran
Registered: 25/04/2000
Posts: 1525
Loc: Arizona
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Thats the great part, I never needed one on my own. I did tell them several times that I didn't have one and the reply was always 'you'll get one when you need one'. I needed it, and got it. Much easier for them to spend a ton of money to get something they need for a contract now, than to not spend contract money and prepare for the future. It all has to do with the color of money, which is where I get lost in a hurry - Tim
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#259599 - 06/07/2005 01:53
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: Tim]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/12/2000
Posts: 2665
Loc: Manteca, California
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I suspect it's one of those cost balancing things. Multiply the minimum cost of ~$150 times the number of employees. Could be big bucks, more than enough to offset the insane costs.
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Glenn
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#259600 - 07/07/2005 02:10
Re: I never knew passports could be so expensive.
[Re: jimhogan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 06/10/1999
Posts: 2591
Loc: Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
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Why, Jim, that was a short, glib, uninformative post.
Most time, the extra $$$ comes from the rush-expedited aspect of last-minute passport processing, but not always. I think one of my employers paid $200+ to a passport agency in San Fran for a visa (Brazil) where we had a 1-month lead time. Brazil had a tit-for-tat passport spat going with the US (still do, I think) and they didn't make it easy. Somebody had to go to the consulate in person. So it was either pay the agency or fly to SFO and pay airfare, hotel, etc.
I am become the drive-by poster on occasion, I think.
_________________________
Jim
'Tis the exceptional fellow who lies awake at night thinking of his successes.
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