PASS ON THE PASSPORT AND DRIVE !
February 2007
Earlier this month, our venerable Department of Homeland Security, put into effect new regulations which require citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda present a passport to enter the United States when arriving by air from any part of the Western Hemisphere. Sounds reasonable so far, doesn’t it?
This change in travel document requirements is the result of recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission, which Congress subsequently passed into law in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.
Now you would think that since this legislation has been pending for more than two years people would have had time to get used to the idea. However this is not the case. In fact, these new regulations are causing havoc for American, Canadian, Mexican and Bermudian travelers. Oh yea, there’s that other thing, these new regulations do very little if anything to make this or for that matter any other country safer. Here’s why.
The new passport requirements only apply to those travelers entering the United States by air, who again are citizens of the US, Canada, Mexico and Bermuda. They do not apply to people trying to enter the US by car, truck, rail or ship.
I recently spoke with a friend who is a retired FBI Agent who served on the Terrorism Task Force. His comments on these new regulations are as follows: “It’s kind of like locking the front and back doors to your home but leaving the windows wide open. It doesn’t do a lot as far as safety is concerned.” However he added that some time in 2008 the Department of Homeland Security will change the rules once again and passports will be required for entrance to the US for those driving and sailing and flying.
This all seems a bit odd to me. If the purpose of these new requirements is to secure the homeland, why not make the regulations apply immediately to those who enter the US by land, sea, rail, and air? In other words why not do this all at once and be done with it. What do we gain by waiting a year before these new regulations apply to sailors and drivers and riders of the iron rail?
So what affect are these new rules having on the public? Confusion is one word that comes to mind. According to the State Department only about 27% of US citizens have passports. In Canada that number is about 30%. Needless to say the new rules have overwhelmed the passport offices in both countries causing major delays.
Officials at the Canadian Passport Office say the office can barely keep up with the increased demand for passports. The United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are very popular travel destinations to our friends up North. It used to take a few weeks to get a Canadian Passport, but due to the increased demand for it now takes nearly two months. The new requirements have also put pressure on our Passport Office as well as the Post Office, who now process passport requests.
These changes have also been responsible for new businesses being set up to expedite US passport requests. Websites like Travisa.com (www.travisa.com) help travelers get passport approvals. In fact, Puerto Rico along with some of its Caribbean neighbors regards this as a marketing opportunity to direct travel in their direction. In some instances, certain Caribbean Islands along with Puerto Rico are actually paying the fees for expedited passports requests for travelers.
Peter Carideo, President of CRC Travel in Chicago, says many of his clients have actually complained about the changes. Some view this as just one more inconvenience that has been thrust upon the traveling public with a small payoff in terms of safety.
Finally, Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines terrorism as: “the unlawful use or threat of violence esp. against the state or the public as a politically motivated means of attack or coercion.” This is an enemy we can’t see. It’s not like they’re wearing red stars of swastikas on their clothes.
In my opinion, we as a country have to get used to these changes in our new world which lives under the constant threat of terrorism. In order to fight it successfully, we are all going to have to get used to the idea of perhaps giving up some of our freedoms previously unheard of. However if we as a nation do all of this, then we have a right to expect that the government is also making intelligent choices.
For more information on the new passport rules go to this link on the Internet.
http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
Lee Degenstein has covered the financial markets for print and broadcast media for more than 15 years. Mr. Degenstein was also the news director and morning anchor at two major radio stations in New Jersey. He has been a reporter/contributor to United Press International, The Associated Press, The Mutual Broadcasting System and New York 1 News. A winner of the Associated Press award for 'best business story' he lives and works in New York City. Mr. Degenstein can be reached by email at: lee723@verizon.net
© Copyright 2007, Lee Degenstein.
All rights reserved
www.leereports.blogspot.com
Earlier this month, our venerable Department of Homeland Security, put into effect new regulations which require citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda present a passport to enter the United States when arriving by air from any part of the Western Hemisphere. Sounds reasonable so far, doesn’t it?
This change in travel document requirements is the result of recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission, which Congress subsequently passed into law in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.
Now you would think that since this legislation has been pending for more than two years people would have had time to get used to the idea. However this is not the case. In fact, these new regulations are causing havoc for American, Canadian, Mexican and Bermudian travelers. Oh yea, there’s that other thing, these new regulations do very little if anything to make this or for that matter any other country safer. Here’s why.
The new passport requirements only apply to those travelers entering the United States by air, who again are citizens of the US, Canada, Mexico and Bermuda. They do not apply to people trying to enter the US by car, truck, rail or ship.
I recently spoke with a friend who is a retired FBI Agent who served on the Terrorism Task Force. His comments on these new regulations are as follows: “It’s kind of like locking the front and back doors to your home but leaving the windows wide open. It doesn’t do a lot as far as safety is concerned.” However he added that some time in 2008 the Department of Homeland Security will change the rules once again and passports will be required for entrance to the US for those driving and sailing and flying.
This all seems a bit odd to me. If the purpose of these new requirements is to secure the homeland, why not make the regulations apply immediately to those who enter the US by land, sea, rail, and air? In other words why not do this all at once and be done with it. What do we gain by waiting a year before these new regulations apply to sailors and drivers and riders of the iron rail?
So what affect are these new rules having on the public? Confusion is one word that comes to mind. According to the State Department only about 27% of US citizens have passports. In Canada that number is about 30%. Needless to say the new rules have overwhelmed the passport offices in both countries causing major delays.
Officials at the Canadian Passport Office say the office can barely keep up with the increased demand for passports. The United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are very popular travel destinations to our friends up North. It used to take a few weeks to get a Canadian Passport, but due to the increased demand for it now takes nearly two months. The new requirements have also put pressure on our Passport Office as well as the Post Office, who now process passport requests.
These changes have also been responsible for new businesses being set up to expedite US passport requests. Websites like Travisa.com (www.travisa.com) help travelers get passport approvals. In fact, Puerto Rico along with some of its Caribbean neighbors regards this as a marketing opportunity to direct travel in their direction. In some instances, certain Caribbean Islands along with Puerto Rico are actually paying the fees for expedited passports requests for travelers.
Peter Carideo, President of CRC Travel in Chicago, says many of his clients have actually complained about the changes. Some view this as just one more inconvenience that has been thrust upon the traveling public with a small payoff in terms of safety.
Finally, Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines terrorism as: “the unlawful use or threat of violence esp. against the state or the public as a politically motivated means of attack or coercion.” This is an enemy we can’t see. It’s not like they’re wearing red stars of swastikas on their clothes.
In my opinion, we as a country have to get used to these changes in our new world which lives under the constant threat of terrorism. In order to fight it successfully, we are all going to have to get used to the idea of perhaps giving up some of our freedoms previously unheard of. However if we as a nation do all of this, then we have a right to expect that the government is also making intelligent choices.
For more information on the new passport rules go to this link on the Internet.
http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
Lee Degenstein has covered the financial markets for print and broadcast media for more than 15 years. Mr. Degenstein was also the news director and morning anchor at two major radio stations in New Jersey. He has been a reporter/contributor to United Press International, The Associated Press, The Mutual Broadcasting System and New York 1 News. A winner of the Associated Press award for 'best business story' he lives and works in New York City. Mr. Degenstein can be reached by email at: lee723@verizon.net
© Copyright 2007, Lee Degenstein.
All rights reserved
www.leereports.blogspot.com
Labels: Homeland Security, Passport, Travel
posted by Lee Degenstein | 7:46 AM
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