There was a time when U.S. citizens could zip in and out of a caribbean vacation and not have to worry about major travel documents. Since 911, or so the government wants us to believe, the country is no longer safe. This means that the good guys have to put up with unnecessary red tape if we want to travel.
There is nothing wrong with protecting the country but the changes made since 911 have made travel to popular destinations tougher than ever. You can get out the U.S. without a passport and travel to most of these picturesque islands, but you will have a fight on your hands when you return to your country.
Without a U.S. passport you will have to go through the hassle of proving you are a legitimate resident or citizen. That’s interesting because most people we meet outside the States tell us we are Yankees or some other term foreigners use to pigeon hole Americans. Most times it’s the way we speak that gives us away. Sometimes it is our behavior. Some Americans see themselves above the natives of “banana republics” or for that matter, anywhere in the world. We are numero uno!
Too bad the immigration officers at the airport where your flight arrives cannot tell the difference. If you don’t have a passport, you are an alien of some foreign country. That is their only way to identify you, having to vet hundred of people entering the country on their shift.
You can always make the case for spending too much time in the sun, which affects your memory. Or you can plead ignorance, but that will not help you. because your travel agent probably sent you several warnings about needing a passport to get back into the country.
As a last resort you can empty your wallet and expose all your debit cards, credit cards, and other consumer cards. This will prove beyond a shadow of doubt you are a typical American. You may have to use one or more of those cards to buy your way out of immigration, or pay for your hotel and meals until you can convince the officials you are real.
The most troubling issue with passports is having to renew them. They don’t come free and the fees are yet another form of taxation. Further, imagine booking a special deal on a vacation and are all set to go when your travel agency sends you a last minute advisory about your passport.
According to the government, your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the date of your expected return to the United States. Imagine realizing just days before you travel that your passport would expire during the time you are sunbathing in the Caribbean. This is no big deal because it’s only a few days. But you need to be certain that’s how the immigration officer will see it when you return.
Traveling to the Caribbean is a great holiday idea, but this passport issue is a bummer!
