I'm sure they will not let her board the plane without a passport.

Why do you think that is, Gardyloo? Have they not been watching the news for the last several years while this has been discussed? Now they've all waited till the last minute and we should feel sorry for them?

Nobody's asking you to feel sorry for anybody.

But speaking personally, I feel sorry for the kids who can't go on their spring break trips because their parents didn't think about passports while they were earning a living or saving money for the vacation, or who themselves never had passports for anything and didn't associate a trip to Canada or Mexico with needing one.

The US has a shockingly low percentage of people who've ever had a passport, and our traditional suspicion of big central government has never created any demand at all for a system of national identity documentation. 50 States and a variety of terrirories and possessions (including a national capital with no Congressional representation because we all know how they'd vote) all issue drivers licenses or other forms of ID, but nothing consistent enough for the likes of DHS. Newspaper reading and TV/radio news can't hold a candle to Idols and Dancing Stars; increasingly they don't teach government or civics in high school... so one does one expect?

For the government to impose this regulation, then not have the capacity to respond to the inevitable flood of applications within 10 weeks strikes me, though, as another boffo move from the same folks that sent Katrina trailers to Arkansas, where they sit.

Sorry. Vent ends.

We've not heard back from MinnesotaMouse?

Hmmmm...:-?

MM, what happened?

"I feel sorry for the kids who can't go on their spring break trips because their parents didn't think about passports" - When you say 'kid' I hope you are referring to minors, because I'd certainly think that any young adult who was mature enough to leave the country on spring break, is mature enough to learn the passport regulations as well.

It's not the government's fault that people waited until the last minute to get passports for trips they booked months ago. Whatever happened to being responsible for oneself? Misfortune is always someone else's fault.

Well, MM's daughter and her friend already know the answer/outcome since they were supposed to travel yesterday.

Swaymock - I think Gardyloo made it abundantly clear that he was referring to minors. Why the hostility?

The best advice given so far is starrsville's "keep looking"

The same thing happened to me the night before a trip. I looked and looked and looked. Then asked myself "where did I last use it?" - soon I found the (in this case) birth certificate in the beach bag I had used for a trip a year earlier. It was on my deck! Had been through the rain, and all the handwriting was washed away!!! With so little time, I used an old ink pen and filled in the blanks (no I did not change my birth year!). Sailed through immigration even though I was dying inside.

That was before 9/11/01.

But, these things do usually turn up. I'm betting (hoping!)MM's gal found it at the last minute!

I hope MinnesotaMouse checks back with the good news that the passport was found.

(I keep mine in plain sight on my dresser at all times, ready to go!)

The airline WILL NOT let you on a plane to a foreign country without a passport. Full stop. No exceptions.

She needs to first - redo her travel plans, and second - either find her current or get a new passport.

And perhaps this will provide a good life lesson about personal responsibility.

Great vent and total agreement, gardy, but methinks the 4-post wonder wasn't worth it ....

Hey everyone - forgot about this post - she found it at the last minute and they were able to go!

Yahoo! Glad it was found! Hope they are having (or had?) a great trip to Costa Rica. It's absolutely beautiful!

Starrsville: Have you just been absolutely everywhere???

Costa Rica was a work trip - and the local contact kind of "adopted" me and he, his wife and daughter were excellent guides to their country they were very proud of.

I've traveled for business for 20+ years, so between work trips, national conferences, award trips and trips on hotel/ airline points I've been to about 70% of the places I want to see.

I work to travel and plan to see the world before I die.

So, "no", but working on it

Minnesota,
I'd love to hear what happened to your daughter's friend.
I am waiting for my passport(renewal) and it's a nightmare. They tell you that if you travel within the next 14 days to call for an appointment at the regional center, San Francisco, in my case.
However, there are NO appointments available.
I don't know what to do except to go in person without an appointment and see if they'll see me.
Does someone here know what's going on in the San Francisco passport office on Hawthorne?
Stressed-out Karina

Hi Karina I am almost positive they will not allow you into the SF Passport Office without an appointment.
Call back again today and see if an appointment has become available. If not get hold of your US Congresspersons office for assistance. Per other Fodorites they will be able to get your passport issued by the time you need it. Best wishes.

"Minnesota, I'd love to hear what happened to your daughter's friend."

Karina, if you look a couple of posts above yours you'll see that Minnesota Mouse posted to say the girl found it at the last minute before she went -- so no problem.

What I don't understand-mainly about the Mexico and Canada thing-is why people all along, even when we didn't need a passport to go there, didn't bring one anyway? What if something really bad happened and you got detained there? I don't know, it's just always bothered me that people thought they could leave the 50 United States and not have passport protection.

I went to CR 2 years ago and my friend lost her passport the day before and she asked me "do I really need it?" It's CENTRAL AMERICA dude! was my response. She had to pay a small fortune but she got a new one, and then got mad when I told other people on our trip how she waited till the very last minute to see if she even had a passport! UGH. This is why I like to travel solo sometimes.