carry passport or copy
 

Lately, I've been hearing that most people now only carry a copy of their
passports while walking around on vacation. While leaving the original
in the hotel safe or hidden well in the suitcase. Is this wise?

Am I missing something by carrying the original around?

Re: carry passport or copy
 

Kato <[email protected]> wrote:

    > Lately, I've been hearing that most people now only carry a copy of their
    > passports while walking around on vacation. While leaving the original
    > in the hotel safe or hidden well in the suitcase. Is this wise?

I usually just leave my passport in the hotel. I have a scan of it
hidden on the web, in case I ever lose it or have it stolen.

    > Am I missing something by carrying the original around?

Other than a possibly irritating confrontation with a policeman
requesting ID in a country where they can, I doubt it.

In cases where you have to prove age or nationality (for example, you
get reduced rates to certain museums in some countries depending on age
or, say, EU nationality) it might be useful.

My passport is already _well_worn, mostly because of the vicious staples
that US immigration insist on puncturing the pages with, and I want it
to last for the remaining two years- so I tend not to carry it on my
person, where I tend to subject it to further abuse, if I don't have to.

--
David Horne- www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

Re: carry passport or copy
 

"Kato" <[email protected]> wrote in news:rDy2e.18405$C47.2554
@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com:

    > Lately, I've been hearing that most people now only carry a copy of their
    > passports while walking around on vacation. While leaving the original
    > in the hotel safe or hidden well in the suitcase. Is this wise?
    >
    > Am I missing something by carrying the original around?

I would strongly advice you not to leave your passport (or other valuables)
"well hidden" in your suitcase. Professional thieves already know where
these hidding places are. I suggest you leave it in the hotel only if you
have use of a safe.

Re: carry passport or copy
 

Emilia <[email protected]> wrote:

[]
    > I would strongly advice you not to leave your passport (or other valuables)
    > "well hidden" in your suitcase. Professional thieves already know where
    > these hidding places are. I suggest you leave it in the hotel only if you
    > have use of a safe.

I usually leave mine on the beside table.

--
David Horne- www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

Re: carry passport or copy
 

On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 14:23:19 GMT, "Kato" <[email protected]> wrote:

    >Lately, I've been hearing that most people now only carry a copy of their
    >passports while walking around on vacation. While leaving the original
    >in the hotel safe or hidden well in the suitcase. Is this wise?
    >Am I missing something by carrying the original around?
Carry the original in a money belt or other hidden
pouch, carry the copy in an easily accessed but secure
pocket. Most places like hotels, car rentals etc will accept
the copy for the Passport information. In the case of a
demand by the police the original is still available.

Re: carry passport or copy
 

"chancellor of the duchy of besses o' th' barn"
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:1gu8w7c.1bi7k261msat8gN%this_address_is_for_s [email protected]...
    > Emilia <[email protected]> wrote:
    > []
    > > I would strongly advice you not to leave your passport (or other
valuables)
    > > "well hidden" in your suitcase. Professional thieves already know where
    > > these hidding places are. I suggest you leave it in the hotel only if
you
    > > have use of a safe.
    > I usually leave mine on the beside table.
    > --
    > David Horne- www.davidhorne.net
    > usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk


What's a "beside table"?

Re: carry passport or copy
 

Gomezz <[email protected]> wrote:

    > "chancellor of the duchy of besses o' th' barn"
    > <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:1gu8w7c.1bi7k261msat8gN%this_address_is_for_s [email protected]...
    > > Emilia <[email protected]> wrote:
    > >
    > > []
    > > > I would strongly advice you not to leave your passport (or other
    > valuables)
    > > > "well hidden" in your suitcase. Professional thieves already know where
    > > > these hidding places are. I suggest you leave it in the hotel only if
    > you
    > > > have use of a safe.
    > >
    > > I usually leave mine on the beside table.
[]
    > What's a "beside table"?

bedside table missing a 'd'

--
David Horne- www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

Re: carry passport or copy
 

Kato wrote:

    > Lately, I've been hearing that most people now only carry a copy of their
    > passports while walking around on vacation. While leaving the original
    > in the hotel safe or hidden well in the suitcase. Is this wise?

Leave your Passport in the hotel safe (its big and doesn't fit into a
purse) and take an ID card [1] (it is an official document and it's
small enough to fit.

    >
    > Am I missing something by carrying the original around?

Jens

[1] Requires a civilized nationality
--
POTIVS AMICVM QVAM DICTVM PERDERE

Re: carry passport or copy
 

"Emilia" <[email protected]> kirjoitti viestissä
news:[email protected] .54...
    > "Kato" <[email protected]> wrote in news:rDy2e.18405$C47.2554
    > @newssvr14.news.prodigy.com:
    > > Lately, I've been hearing that most people now only carry a copy of
their
    > > passports while walking around on vacation. While leaving the original
    > > in the hotel safe or hidden well in the suitcase. Is this wise?
    > >
    > > Am I missing something by carrying the original around?
    > I would strongly advice you not to leave your passport (or other
valuables)
    > "well hidden" in your suitcase. Professional thieves already know where
    > these hidding places are. I suggest you leave it in the hotel only if you
    > have use of a safe.
True. I am used to carry my passport along with me all the time. It measures
125mm x 88mm x 3mm. It weighs a few grams. It fits about any container (even
though somebody suggested that purses don't have room for passports)

Re: carry passport or copy
 

"Jens Arne Maennig" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Kato wrote:
    >> Lately, I've been hearing that most people now only carry a copy of their
    >> passports while walking around on vacation. While leaving the original
    >> in the hotel safe or hidden well in the suitcase. Is this wise?
    > Leave your Passport in the hotel safe (its big and doesn't fit into a
    > purse) and take an ID card [1] (it is an official document and it's
    > small enough to fit.
    >> Am I missing something by carrying the original around?
    > Jens
    > [1] Requires a civilized nationality

I dont see anything especially civilised about having a duty
to produce ID on the demand of the police.

Unless I commit an offence its none of their damn
business who I am.

Keith

Re: carry passport or copy
 

Keith W wrote:

    > I dont see anything especially civilised about having a duty
    > to produce ID on the demand of the police.
    >
    > Unless I commit an offence its none of their damn
    > business who I am.

So - Why carry a passport?

Jens
--
POTIVS AMICVM QVAM DICTVM PERDERE

Re: carry passport or copy
 

Jens Arne Maennig <[email protected]> wrote:

    > Keith W wrote:
    >
    > > I dont see anything especially civilised about having a duty
    > > to produce ID on the demand of the police.
    > >
    > > Unless I commit an offence its none of their damn
    > > business who I am.
    >
    > So - Why carry a passport?

I doubt very much Keith normally carries his passport on him- most
people in the UK don't, unless they are taking a flight, going abroad,
etc. Any other irrelevant point you had to make?

--
David Horne- www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

Re: carry passport or copy
 

"Jens Arne Maennig" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Keith W wrote:
    >> I dont see anything especially civilised about having a duty
    >> to produce ID on the demand of the police.
    >> Unless I commit an offence its none of their damn
    >> business who I am.
    > So - Why carry a passport?

I dont unless I'm making a foreign trip.

Keith

Re: carry passport or copy
 

Keith W wrote:
    > "Jens Arne Maennig" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    >> Keith W wrote:

    >>> I dont see anything especially civilised about having a duty
    >>> to produce ID on the demand of the police.
    >>> Unless I commit an offence its none of their damn
    >>> business who I am.
    >> So - Why carry a passport?
    >
    > I dont unless I'm making a foreign trip.

Are you going to commit an offence there or is it just their damn
business there who you are?

That's one of the advantages of living isolated on an island: You just
don't fall into other countries by chance.

Jens
--
POTIVS AMICVM QVAM DICTVM PERDERE

Re: carry passport or copy
 

On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 15:57:02 +0100, [email protected]
(chancellor of the duchy of besses o' th' barn) wrote:

    |Kato <[email protected]> wrote:
    |
    |> Lately, I've been hearing that most people now only carry a copy of their
    |> passports while walking around on vacation. While leaving the original
    |> in the hotel safe or hidden well in the suitcase. Is this wise?

I read the other answers. To me it's simple. The inconvenience of
carrying my passport in a "secret wallet" is vastly outweighed by the
inconvenience of my passport going missing in a foreign country.

And, on that point, I'm paranoid. That passport never leaves my person
unless I have no alternative. When I sleep, it's under the pillow. The
only time it went in the hotel safe was when I went for a swim.

I also carry a laminated card I made myself. It's a scanner copy of
the personal information page that hotels and others need. It's
standard credit card size and I keep that in my normal wallet. It was
always accepted at those European hotels that demand your passport for
the Police checks.

Do what you wish - but consider the implications of loss in a country
far from home where they don't speak your language, and someone just
stole your wallet or purse.


Cheers, Alan, Australia