OT making it harder to travel

UK and EU both moving to require pre-approval, that had not previously been required, for foreign nationals to visit.

Old phartz like me remember how easy it was to visit Canada: pay the bridge toll, and tell Canadian Customs the purpose of the visit. Since the US went Shiny, now I can get into Canada, but I can’t get back into Shiny-land without additional documentation.

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What kind of documentation is the issue?
I’ve made that trip many times over the last 30 years. It used to be the US side sometimes asked all sorts of questions before passing us through (as Canadians). But these days, the Canadians are the fussy ones (and they ALWAYS ask about firearms…), only recently not requiring the filling out of their ArriveCan app before crossing. The US side pretty much just welcomes us home.
Yes, you need a passport these days that you didn’t need in historical times (pre-911). But it seems pretty easy to me.

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Yes, a passport, or some “enhanced” ID of some sort. In the 60s, I didn’t need diddly to pass freely between the US and Canada. I can’t remember if my dad even had to show his driver’s license. I don’t remember any questions about firearms in the 60s, but that was when this was the US, not the brutish, violent, gun-crazy, Shiny-land of today.

Steve

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Steve,

Will they take the new driver’s license with the star in the upper right hand corner?

In that US that is good for getting on a jet from one state to the next. It is a domestic sort of passport. Required now to fly in the US.

This is why I am getting the Irish passport. None of the countries in the EU will turn me away or hassle me…etc…I can be or live buying a house anywhere in the EU.

The turn around on an Irish passport is around six weeks. The guys in Dublin need to verify everything. They need to call my dentist to see if I is who I say I is. Seriously an almost casual phone call to double check.

The “real ID” license is apparently different from the “enhanced driver’s license”. The “real ID” is the one with the gold star. The date to need it to board a domestic flight has been pushed back, again, to, iirc, May 2025.

The “enhanced driver’s license” has an RFID chip in it, so that immigration can pull up a flock of identifying information on you at the moment to verify you are you (Amusing story about how my driver’s license had the wrong eye color, for decades, because, in spite of the evidence confronting her, my mom kept insisting I had brown eyes. So much for parents always being right) Apparently, the “enhanced driver’s license” is only available to residents of Michigan, Minnesota, Washington, New York. and Vermont.

The Canadian government web site says USians need a US passport to enter Canada. iirc, that is a change over the last 20 years. Originally, after 9/11, I could, for instance, still freely enter Canada, but could not get back into the US. without a pile of documents.

Steve

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I get a Passport Card with m passport, so I can carry secure ID and don’t need to use a passport for trips to Canada or Mexico.

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We don’t live in the 1960s (when you and I were teenagers) anymore, nor the 1860s either.
Lots of stuff happened since then.
I would hate to live in those times again. We are ALL much better off - Canadian and Americans.
Sheesh!

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Willing to bet the number of killings is roughly the same per capita as ever in the US. Yes ups and downs but with so many guns it really never goes down to a western world ratio.

According to Pew, your hunch is right, about the same as 50 years ago. We were doing better, until the last couple years.

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People who are small minded are handing younger men guns. Go figure.

Note I understand the American culture of pride in teaching a son or daughter how to respect and use a gun. The problem is many families do not carry on that tradition. Many people are holding guns that will be misused. You have a choice.

Steve - The State of Washington is another state issuing "Enhanced Driver’s Licenses’. Your license arrives with a wallet-friendly tyvek-like Protective Sleeve: “This document contains sensitive electronics. For best performance, do not bend, perforate or expose to extreme temperatures.”

NWVillager

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Huh. I got my WA Enhanced ID yesterday. Just came in the regular mail. No Tyvek sleeve provided.

We just call it a “Real ID” here in CT.

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The “Real ID” is the one with the gold star. Not the one with the RFID chip that would get you into Canada.

Steve

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