BajaNews - 8-17-2006 at 10:42 PM
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/nation/1...
By Lesley Clark
WASHINGTON - The travel industry is pressing the Bush administration to delay a security measure that would require all cruise passengers and air
travelers taking trips beyond U.S. borders to carry passports starting Jan. 8.
The measure - part of a larger federal anti-terrorism effort - eventually would require all travelers, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the
United States, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda to have a passport or "other accepted document" to enter or
re-enter the United States.
The proposal, which has been published in the Federal Register and is under review, would be phased in over two years. But Travel Industry Association
President Roger Dow said Thursday that the cruise industry, in particular, was ill-equipped to meet the proposed 2007 target date because few people
who booked cruises had passports.
The requirement would be imposed on airline passengers at the same time, but Dow said the airlines began asking travelers to Canada and Mexico for
passports several years ago. He noted that many air travelers, unlike occasional cruise-line passengers, already carry passports.
"We're concerned about the potential for chaos" in the cruise industry, Dow said, adding that the industry is asking the administration for a "modest
extension" to June 2009.
The requirement for passports would be extended to land border crossings with Canada and Mexico in January 2008. Travel experts fear that it could put
a damper on travel from Canada, which is the United States' largest international travel market.
The industry also is pressing its case with Congress, and measures calling for a delay have advanced in the Senate, sponsored by Sens. Ted Stevens,
R-Alaska, and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who warned that federal agencies are ill-prepared to carry out the program. A spokesman for Leahy said a 17-month
delay was contained in two spending bills and that there was no known opposition to postponing the requirement in the House of Representatives or the
Senate.
"Momentum has been building since the effort began," David Carle said.
Leahy has warned that the effort could cause "major disruptions in commerce, tourism and travel," particularly in Canada, because Canadians now can
cross the border with only driver's licenses.
The industry says the delay also would give the United States time to develop a "passport card," a driver's-license type of identification that the
government says would be less expensive than a $100 passport but would require the same identification to secure.
The Department of Homeland Security didn't return phone calls asking for comment, but Rick Webster of the Travel Industry Association said the group
thought it was "pretty clear" that the administration wouldn't ask for a delay in carrying out the changes.
As it waits for a final determination, the cruise industry is recommending that passengers who plan to set sail after Jan. 1 apply for passports.
"Assuming the rules will go into effect is the only safe and practical way to proceed," said Jennifer de la Cruz, a spokeswoman for Carnival Cruise
Lines.
The passport requirement is spelled out on the cruise line's Web site under "frequently asked questions," with the warning that "guests without the
required documentation will be denied boarding and no refund will be issued.
"Please understand that Carnival will strictly enforce this requirement to be in compliance with this important U.S. government mandate."
INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!
Barry A. - 8-18-2006 at 09:01 AM
-------just get the passports and stop whimpering!!!!
Anything that even remotely helps in deterring "terrorists" is a GOOD THING, it seems to me. We have had Passports for 40 years-------what is the big
deal?????
If the Govt. can come up with a cheaper alternative with the same security requirements, then so much the better.
Bob and Susan - 8-18-2006 at 09:07 AM
drivers license...
Driver's License ??
MrBillM - 8-18-2006 at 09:28 AM
Although obtaining a "legal" driver's license (at least in California) has become more difficult since 9/11, it is still possible to obtain one in a
name other than the correct one. One example was the DMV employee in Georgia who was selling licenses.
Prior to 9/11, getting a "second" driver's license in a different name was pretty easy. At one time, I had one for emergency purposes.
That doesn't even address the multitudes of High-Quality forgeries that are readily available on the streets.
As Barry said, get the Passport. It's not that expensive or involved to acquire.
bancoduo - 8-18-2006 at 10:47 AM
Prior to 9/11, getting a "second" driver's license in a different name was pretty easy. At one time, I had one for emergency purposes.
