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Home/Notes from a Web Visitor
Notes from a Web Visitor
I accept questions from web visitors and one series of e-mails was
illustrative in terms of passport applications. I have permission to
reprint the e-mail series, but not to use the person's name.
Bear in mind that many web visitors start under the false impression
that my website is an official, govenment sponsored site. It is not. I try
to correct that impression right away.
Read and learn...
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Hello! I stumbled upon your site and wondered if you could help me. I
applied for a US passport, and it was returned, with a request for
additional info. When I had it done at the PO, I brought my drivers
license, birth certificate, and photos. The only way to get in contact
with them is by a damn 900 #. I called this and it did not help at all. I
wasted $5.50 along with all the money for the passport. Do you have any
idea why they would return the passport with a request for more info? Who
can I call and not get charged? This almost seems like the us goverment is
scamming us. Why should we pay just to ask whats wrong with the passport?
I bet someone messed it up and its not my fault anyways. The letter they
sent me says nothing. It does not say what's wrong, who I can contact, or
anything. It just wants a ridiculous amount of info like my employers for
the last 10 years, along with my neighbors, and people who know me, and
past school teachers. It's an absolute mess. I am a US citizen, 26 years
old, with a valid ss number, drivers license, and birth certificate. All I
want to know is who singled me out and for what reason and who to get a
hold of. It's impossible to find out. I was just wondering if you had any
ideas.
Thank you very much |
I can only offer you sympathy, seeing as how I am not a government
official and have no official standing.
Unfortunately as far as getting passports is concerned, the State Dept is
the only game in town. It's not like you can go down the street to another
rival office and get a passport there. If you want to get a passport,
you're going to have to give them what they asked for: past employers,
neighbors and school teachers. If you don't want to do this, then it looks
to me as if you will not get a passport.
This is in line with other post-9/11/01 security procedures. Many people
are unhappy about these kinds of things, but that's the way it is now in
America.
I have no idea why they singled you out. None. There's no way for me to
find out, either, as I am just an individual with a hobby website. |
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Hi. Just wanted to let you know, I contacted my local Senator and their
casework office. They say that this sounds like something I should not
have to put up with. They are investigating this and will get back to me
(hopefully today, the caseworker said). |
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That sounds like a good plan to me, bringing it to the attention of your
senator. I sincerely hope it works out for you. Please let me know, as I
would like to pass on what you learn to other web visitors. |
Hi. Today the impossible has happened. Yes, I have won. In my personal
battle with the US governmental bureaucracy, that is. I checked the mail
just now, and my US passport was there.
How did I accomplish this, you ask? I sent over 20 personal documents. I
paid almost 30 bucks for the post office to send the requested documents
to the New Orleans Passport Agency via Express Mail and return to me that
way. I sent daily emails to my state senator. I also called the NOPPA
agent once I found out who he was.
To make a long story short: No one knows why I was singled out to jump
through all these hoops and waste another $29.05 of my own money (in
addition to the cost of the passport) to mail all the documents to them,
plus another $5.50 when I was FORCED to call a 1-900 # (which I think is a
crock). And also wait an additional 2 weeks for my passport.
I have the complete letter they send to me, which I could type up or scan
for you if interested. You can post this story on your site provided you
omit my name as you said before.
When I talked to the state senator's caseworker, he told me he was happy
to help. He called the NOPPA and immediately got back with me. He told me
they were able to cite "national security" and they did not have to tell
him anything. However, he did promise to make sure they processed my
passport immediately after I sent them the documents, and he would call
daily to check the status and email me. I am really thankful to this guy.
He saved me a lot of stress and did exactly what he said he would do.
Once I called the 1-900 number, I told them I wanted to know what the heck
was going on. The operator said "I don't know"...I almost lost it..I paid
$5.50 to hear this? I told her I wanted to have the agent processing my
passport to call me directly. To my surprise, he called back 3 days later
and left a message with his name and number. I called him immediately (I
stepped outside for just a few minutes when he called). He was very rude.
He did not have any answers for me. All he said was there were "certain
inconsistencies" in my passport application. I asked him what he meant by
this. He told me by law they were allowed to request this info from me,
and by law, they did not have to tell me why. According to him, if he told
me then "all the bad guys would know the secrets" about how to get a fake
passport. I understand that after 9/11, certain precautions are to be
taken. I just really wanted to know why I was singled out and what these
"inconsistencies" were. I am starting to think they randomly pulled me,
and there was no real "red flag". They just don't want the general public
to know that passports are being pulled and randomly checked. Again,
that's just my guess. I have a copy of my original passport application,
and I had my parents, friends, girlfriend, and brother look over it to see
if they noticed anything. No one noticed anything wrong with it. So I
guess this is just a mystery. At least I have my passport now so I can
move on with my life. Well, I have to go now but I can give you more
details about this if you have any other questions.
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08/09/2003 |
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This is a MUST READ for international travelers. It concerns protecting
yourself from pickpockets and other scam artists.
Travel Advisory by Bambi Vincent and Bob Arno
(link to purchase page on Amazon.Com)
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