May 21, 2018 - PPM - Passport Process Predicament

This week's PET PEEVE MONDAY (PPM) is the US Passport process.

I tried to get a Passport renewal for my 15 year old daughter because she is daring to hike/canoe in Canada this coming summer.

What should be a 3 minute online process was a painful 75 minute painful lesson in government inefficiencies at the local Post Office.

Here is a summary of the process:

- Mother could not attend so I needed a notarized affidavit of her having a working Mother along with photo copy of her driver’s license. (which I had)

- Clerk #1 did not like how I wrote my “A’s” on the application - I remarked you should see how the Nuns made me do my “2’s.” No sense of humor, 10 minute delay as I had to redo a page.

- Needed picture of non-smiling teenage girl. (which I had - see photo).  I remarked, my teenage daughter never smiles, as she is stuck in some Twilight / Stranger Things dimension. No sense of humor, 10 minute delay, just because they can.

- Clerk #2 said I needed photocopy of previous passport. I explained I had original, expired passport. After 5 minutes discussion with Clerk #1, they said they could accept it as long as I signed a form stating I would not get back the expired passport. I said fine. I joked that my daughter would not be going to Yugoslavia, North Vietnam, or Siam, as they were “expired countries.” No sense of humor, 10 minute delay. I can only guess they would have referred me to the Mueller probe had I referenced the USSR.

When it came time to pay, they needed an $80 personal check, no credit card for one of the fees. However, I was able to pay the other $35 fee WITH a credit card. WTF?

I dared to ask how long it will take before we receive the renewed passport.  I stated her trip starts on June 15. Clerk #1 and #2 picked up their calendar behind the desk, counted the weeks till June 15, looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders, and said, “Hard to tell.”

I kid you not.

Is it any wonder why NO ONE wants Government involved in Health Care?