Identity Challenge
Finally, after 20 years of almost constant travel, I had my stuff stolen. Loosing my camera and lenses was annoying, but nothing like as annoying as my passport,drivers license, cards and the like. Just trying to remember what cards there were was difficult enough. Thankfully my phone was in a pocket being exposed to sand, not safely tucked away with the rest of the stuff. Armed with phone you can stop the cards before they can be used.
But the phone wasn’t the only mobile technology that enabled a turn round of everything in remarkably little time. Having hotel WiFi and a computer helped enormously. I was able to look up the correct procedure for obtaining travel documents.
Back in the UK with travel looming, I was able to request a new drivers license from the DVLA on line. I had to fill in about 20 pages of questions to validate my identity, but at least they printed off a new driving license and sent it off.
Passport was much more difficult. Applications have to be made conventionally, and new photos provided “for security”. Now surely it would be more secure to reprint a passport with the existing picture? The phone line was singularly unhelpful on the issue of getting an urgent replacement, but suggested getting an appointment at the passport office and asking if they could do it. The official best is a ten-day turnround, which is not great if you have to travel every week!
However the passport office in Glasgow was brilliant, and new passport with biometrics and lovely engravings of birds was issued on time. Staff super helpful.
All the bank cards have been replaced, I just have to get things like RAC and PADI cards replaced. Sigh.
And fill in the travel insurance claim.
November 6th, 2007 at 9:08 am
Sorry to hear about this - frustrating but character-building. Oh, wait … you’ve got plenty of character anyway, … stop, thief!
I don’t recall if I told you or not but when Charles was just over one his UK passport application required a set of photos endorsed by somebody who had known him for at least two years but not a family member. In the end they settled for a grainy black-and-white photo that broke all their guidelines. Commonsense prevailed on the day.
Meanwhile, with the NZ passport, things were better. If the applicant is under a certain age then the endorsing wasn’t required. But wait, there had to be something. There is! The photo guidelines state that the person has to have their mouth closed, be looking directly into the camera (some countries require a angle, showing an ear) and … wait for it … not smiling! What?? Somber and depressed-looking applicants only. Well, it took us over 70 digital photos before we managed to get one of Bella that only just scraped through.
I wonder what the thief will be doing with your stuff. You mean it wasn’t you who dropped in the other day to borrow the car?????!
November 6th, 2007 at 10:55 am
Classic government Catch-22 - someone must have known a baby for two years.
The new UK photo rules also require the funereal look. I think the sideways with ear view is much more secure, but I guess the straight, closed mouth is to enable facial recognition software to work. I wonder when they will forbid smiling in airports to match!