almost boarded plane w/ my mom's passport!!!!
 

Hi everyone,
Just wanted to share my story with all of you. I went to Munich back in Oct of this year, departing from Toronto. I arrived very early, and made it through multiple security checks and had a coffee beside my boarding gate. After a while, I was bored so I went through the contents of my purse, and looked at my passport. To my horror, I was staring at my MOM'S photo and not my own!!!! At that point, my heart literally stopped beating; I was in shock. I closed my passport, and opened it again slowly...and stared at my mom's face again. I guess that I was not a careful packer, and I had grabbed my mom's passport instead of my own. I panicked and talked to an airport staff member beside me. I asked her if there is any way I can still board the plane (at this point, there was only one hour left before takeoff). She told me that even if I make it out of Canada, there is no way I can come back from Germany using my mom's passport. She kindly lent me her cell phone, and I called my parents, who happened to be home at that time (Thank God!!!). They told me they would drive to the airport ASAP to give me my passport. I ran out into the departure area again, and after a nerve wrecking 30 minute wait, my parents finally arrived and gave me my passport. I went through all the security checks and sprinted to my boarding gate, and made it for my flight....just in time.

I think this shows that the airport staff is VERY careless and isn't doing a good job at all. I went through not one, but multiple security checkpoints with my passport. I think it is quite obvious that I am not my mom because

1. I am 24, she is 56!!! (at least I hope I don't look 56 lol)
2. Her name is way longer than mine, with tons of middle names. She has her maiden name too.
3. her passport photo shows her with a boycut. I have long wavy hair and I wear glasses too. We look nothing alike!!!!

Other than the airport staff member who lent me her cell phone, the other staff members were not very helpful. e.g. they told me they cannot call my boarding gate for me to tell them I am late, because 'they don't know the number.' :(

Anyway, I have learned my lesson and will be very careful from now on. However, I think it would have been helpful if someone had noticed my passport mistake BEFORE I checked in, then I could have called my parents way in advance instead of rushing last minute.

I've noticed that in many European countries -- UK, France, Italy most recently -- that security people actually look at the photo in your passport and then at your face, sometimes twice. At Newark, and Kennedy, on the other hand, I have observed that the inspector did not compare the photo to my face. That being the case, you mind if I keep my shoes on?

I've definitely noticed more scrutinizing in Europe. My sons tend to wear baseball caps and have been asked so many times to remove them at passport desks that they now do it automatically. Actually, I need to get my older son a new passport. Altho he still have 3 years left on his.....since the photo was taken puberty has hit and he does NOT look like the same kid!!!!

All I can say roundbunny how fortunate you were that your parents could drive to the airport, park their car and get to you within 30 minutes or so. That wouldn't be possible for most people even when they live somewhat near an airport. Stressful I know, but how great it all worked out for you.

I've almost done the same thing, but with my husband's passport - luckily, he was right with me (with mine!)

But why would you even have your mother's passport?

Several years ago my husband and I went to europe with friends. Right after checking in, I asked my friends husband to please hold my passport - along with some other things I was carrying, while I retrieved something from my suitcase. I found what I needed, and he handed everything back to me. After that, we went thru FOUR different points where our passports were checked - including two where both tickets and passports were actually were looked at. Not until we were filling out papers before landing and needed information from my passport, did I notice I had my friends husband's - and he had mine! We look nothing alike - and our names could not be more different - yet not a single person caught it. Makes me wonder what they were all looking at - especially the two that checked both the ticket and the passport. One looked back and forth between the two several times, then passed me on!

I live in the U.S., and at my home airport I have always been scrutinized by security. Once I had to provide my marriage certificate to show my name had changed--my sister had booked my ticket with the wrong name on it.
At least some of them are looking.