Submitted by LaVieEnRoseLavelle t3_11c5kwr in tifu
not_czarbob t1_ja1sbs3 wrote
What five-year-old needs a passport unless they’re leaving the country? This isn’t irrational at all, it’s exactly what I would immediately suspect.
Edit: love all the comments proving my point. “We travel abroad all the time!” “What if you have a spur of the moment vacation outside the country?”
Exactly.
MercurialMal t1_ja1tq46 wrote
And given the fact she went radio silent instead of having an adult conversation? Red flag.
coupl4nd t1_ja272n2 wrote
Probably in the air by that point. She'll reconnect when she lands.
akairborne t1_ja1utnb wrote
We live in Alaska and got them for our kids when they were younger than 5. Never know when a cool opportunity arises and you don't want to be stuck, not able to travel or take advantage because of this.
KidRooch t1_ja2vqme wrote
I kinda get that. Alaska is closer to more opps for international travel.
Solgrund t1_ja4tv9w wrote
They are also Type 1 or whatever documentation. Which means a lot of times you can show only a passport instead of multiple types of id and they are in the same class or above the new Real ID things some states are starting to require for even domestic travel.
Harry_Gorilla t1_ja2nydz wrote
Does alaska not offer a state ID card?
alice_op t1_ja2opac wrote
Do you never travel outside of the USA?
Harry_Gorilla t1_ja2se8l wrote
The easiest form of ID to acquire for an infant is a state issued ID card. It can be acquired same day in most states, whereas a passport takes weeks of planning and has a much slower turnaround time. So the only reason to get a passport instead is because you plan to travel outside the country. Source: am former TSA screener.
alice_op t1_ja2zt7j wrote
Yes, exactly. If you ever want to go abroad, you must plan and apply for a passport weeks-months in advance, but they last for years. Why wouldn't you apply way before you might need it?
Cheap deals and trips with friends will go completely to waste if you lack a passport.
CPTDisgruntled t1_ja3w7ir wrote
I think it’s also faster and easier to get a NEW passport if you already had one.
A young friend moved across U.S. Nobody had a clue where his birth certificate was. Procedure to get a duplicate was complicated. But we could use his expired passport, which implicitly confirms that U.S. government has already seen ID documents, to apply for a new passport, which he could use to open a bank account etc.
There’s obviously a cutoff for expiration—don’t remember if it was five years or what. But having initiated that means the next passport should be easier.
fifoldara t1_ja4cbu5 wrote
Not for children in the U.S., you have to go through the same application/proof of citizenship/both parents present or signing off on it every time.
CPTDisgruntled t1_ja4wpje wrote
Huh, I was not aware. Does that end when they turn 18?
fifoldara t1_ja66v04 wrote
16, I think. :)
HelenaBirkinBag t1_ja59662 wrote
Yes. I was present with my ex when my children’s passports were both issued and renewed. Ironically, we didn’t need our actual children for the renewal (just pics) but both of us had to request it together.
Aadaenyaa t1_ja67bqi wrote
Wow. As a passport acceptance agent, I can tell you, the children are required every time. Children's passports aren't renewed. You need every thing, every time. Without the child there, how do we know it's the correct child? Children change appearances very quickly, that's why their passports are only good for 5 years. You could literally provide a photo of ANY child and claim it was the same one.
HelenaBirkinBag t1_ja69yi0 wrote
Well, I don’t know what to tell you. We didn’t have them with us for their renewals, and there were no issues.
Aadaenyaa t1_ja7pwtw wrote
Directly from the State Department website:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/under-16.html
Children Under 16
All children under age 16 must apply for a passport in person with two parents or guardians using Form DS-11. You cannot renew your child's passport using Form DS-82. Passports for children under age 16 are only valid for 5 years.
HelenaBirkinBag t1_ja9ghge wrote
Again, I don’t know what to tell you other than I remember two years ago accurately.
Harry_Gorilla t1_ja3zjoh wrote
True. But if mom is thinking that far ahead she should also open a bank account and credit card in the kiddo’s name. I did that for my kids when they turned 5, but skipped the passport because having a passport won’t improve their ability to get a home or a car later in life
ThatOneGuy308 t1_ja3ym50 wrote
I don't think I've ever seen a deal cheap enough that I could afford it.
I can't even afford domestic flights to a few states over, much less overseas, so I don't see the purpose of a passport, myself.
akairborne t1_ja3zeht wrote
Things can change very quickly, so it's handy to have. Plus, if you're within a few hours of a border, it's easy to drive across and have an international weekend.
ThatOneGuy308 t1_ja3zw4o wrote
I'm definitely not near enough to a border that I'd want to drive there, lol.
Idk, it just seems like a pointless expenditure for me, personally.
akairborne t1_ja47l1s wrote
I understand. I hope that your situation changes soon and you get the money and opportunity to travel.
ThatOneGuy308 t1_ja4bbeu wrote
Thanks for that, I hope so as well, even if I don't really see it happening.
i_need_a_username201 t1_ja4fuh2 wrote
Only 5 states have that kind of OD and i don’t believe Alaska has the enhanced license required to go to Canada without a passport (Google is your friend naysayers).
[deleted] t1_ja5fc09 wrote
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speculatrix t1_ja2gzy5 wrote
People take their children on holiday/vacation abroad all the time here in Europe. Our son had a passport aged 7, daughter 5, to go to Disneyland/Paris.
Redbeardtheloadman t1_ja3c610 wrote
Okay, does that not qualify as leaving the country?
speculatrix t1_ja4rbhk wrote
Yes, abroad = leaving the country
But I might misunderstand your comment?
HelenaBirkinBag t1_ja59cyf wrote
I think they’re talking about traveling within the EU.
HelenaBirkinBag t1_ja59q7l wrote
There are different zones and treaties in Europe. It depends where you live and where you are going. Example: UK to France, you need a passport. France to Germany, you do not.
ichigoichi3 t1_ja4p4ae wrote
Even in Canada, everyone gets passports for their babies and go all over. It’s very normal.
stlmick t1_ja2s28w wrote
it is uncommon in the US.
speculatrix t1_ja2sb1c wrote
OP didn't actually say it was the USA
kimar2z t1_ja35fqp wrote
To be fair - it's really only super uncommon only in lower income households. Ya know, people who can't afford to travel and whatnot.
I say that, of course, by at 27 years old I still don't have a passport and my baby sister got hers at 17 after saving up for a year to plan a summer trip to visit a friend who lived in Italy. Pretty sure my mom doesn't have one either, tbh.
stlmick t1_ja36z9w wrote
Well I am from the midwest. When I was 23, I had a buddy who had never left the state border. We went to a different city on a road trip with our friends band. He was stoked. It was on our side of the city though. We offered to drive an extra 20 minutes but that wouldn't have counted so we didn't.
kimar2z t1_ja39dsr wrote
Your poor friend hahaha. I know people like that! But in my case it's almost reasonable, because I live in Texas. You can pretty much drive all day and still be in Texas. Sometimes I think that Texas is inescapable and my presence here is a form of punishment for some atrocious sin I must have committed in a past life. Texas is suffering.
Then again, I went to Canada briefly as a child for my uncle's wedding. But I was like 3 years old and I only kinda remember it. It was in like 1999 too, so I didn't even need a passport to go. Kinda crazy looking back on it haha.
Lexnal t1_ja3biw0 wrote
Texas is huge, I always found it funny that the state of Texas accounted for half of my drive to and from MN.
HelenaBirkinBag t1_ja5abae wrote
That’s common in the Midwest but uncommon on the coasts. It’s cheaper for me to fly to Reykjavik than it is to LA. My children are teens and have traveled to Europe on four separate occasions, but they’ve never been to California. I went to uni in Ohio and it blew my mind how many people had never seen the ocean.
Altruistic-Bad228 t1_ja374jt wrote
Don't worry bud, I didn't get mine til I was 26.
kimar2z t1_ja39jmy wrote
Fair enough. I hope to get mine one day, if nothing else because I live in Texas and I'm close(ish) to the Mexico border, and my boyfriend has family that lives in Mexico, so at some point we'd like to go see some of them... but it'll be a bit lol
pgm928 t1_ja4c902 wrote
I didn’t get a passport until I was in my mid-30s. Who are these people trotting off to Paris at a moment’s notice?
[deleted] t1_ja2s9kz wrote
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amazingsandwiches t1_ja2tdr7 wrote
Wow, you sure do know a lot about Europe!
Since you're the expert, you might want to delete this baseless untruth from wikipedia.
egglayingzebra t1_ja2tzow wrote
You cannot. That changed years ago.
mrdannyg21 t1_ja2u2cf wrote
Americans need a passport to go to Canada or Mexico, or any other country. Normal exceptions apply, like for deployed military.
nothxshadow t1_ja3eexy wrote
You don't need a passport within the EU and not even outside it in some countries.
JarrekValDuke t1_ja4ldng wrote
When your country spans the size of several large countries with as vast and diverse travel spots as each of those countries combined ranging from countries like Australia to the Swiss alps…. And all you need to visit them is a simple plane ticket and a night of clothes? International trips are…. Kinda unheard of
speculatrix t1_ja55u02 wrote
Yes, that's true, you can enjoy any climate or terrain in the USA. Mountains, snow, desert, lake.
International flights or trains are trivial here though. And, like I said, people will cross a border to go to a cheaper shop!
JarrekValDuke t1_ja58rfb wrote
Yeah it’s super nutzo how the world is scaled, but yeah that’s why a 5 yo with a passport here and no planned trips are… weird
PivotSquish t1_ja1wcg9 wrote
I disagree. I just applied for one for our 18 month old. While we are planning to leave the country soon, I’d get one anyway so he has some formal form of photo ID. If his birth certificate were to get lost, or somehow I needed to verify his name/birthright etc, it’s a good thing to have.
Happydivorcecard t1_ja2d39u wrote
That makes sense for an intact marriage, but not when you are divorced. It poses a different set of concerns then.
PivotSquish t1_ja3jzl5 wrote
Yeah if you didn’t trust your ex then sure
Darknessie t1_ja2093u wrote
Isn't that agreeing with the Statement
FlyingSpagetiMonsta t1_ja20p7k wrote
Nah, first commenter said getting a passport ONLY makes sense if you plan to go somewhere.
Second commenter said that getting a passport so the kid has some form of ID also makes sense.
So the second commenter disagrees with there being only 1 reason to get the passport
Darknessie t1_ja218gs wrote
Ah I read second disagreed then said they got one because they were planning on leaving which is what the first commented they were doing.
ProfMasterBait t1_ja2xke2 wrote
i don’t know about americans but it’s normal in my country to get a passport for everyone
StuckInTheUpsideDown t1_ja3p1n0 wrote
It's absolutely not normal in America, and I'm saying this as someone who just renewed my kids' passports for an upcoming cruise.
The US makes it a huge pain to get a passport for a minor. It is only good for 5 years, you have to renew in person, and it's expensive (over $100). No one is going to all that trouble unless they are at least casually planning a trip, or live near the border.
Embarrassed_B_23 t1_ja4hyk8 wrote
Well, if parents travel internationally as much or more than in-country… a passport would be a standard “on the to-do list” just like signing them up for pre-K. It was my for may family.
just-kath t1_ja41h4h wrote
Due to the times, I was happy to hear that my grandchild has a passport secured at age 5
ScorpionDreams t1_ja3hvk0 wrote
All of my kids had passports as soon as I could order them. You don't ever do anything spontaneously? What a nightmare trying to get a last minute passport...
[deleted] t1_ja3o9ue wrote
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Crytch t1_ja3kqvg wrote
Kind of off-topic, but what a glorious comment, showing the mental state of americans. You got a country big enough to have every climate type, fair enough. But hell, the world has much more to offer. Especially in terms of historical things of any kinds (Europe, Asia, South America), animals (i.e. Africa), and whatsoever.
Go get yourself a passport and travel the world. Free your mind, witness the beauty of our world.
not_czarbob t1_ja3nk92 wrote
I love Europe and go there as often as I can. However international travel is prohibitively expensive for many Americans.
Crytch t1_ja3q2gw wrote
Well, same for Europeans going to Asia, Africa or America. Travelling is expensive, but you grow so much as a person going abroad instead of travel your own country only.
Btw wasn’t meant as personal critism. Just an observation that a lot Americans have never left their country border. Maybe my thinking is different, I couldn’t live my life without discovering different places.
CazRaX t1_ja45w2u wrote
It's MUCH cheaper for me to travel the US and money is a factor for everything you do.
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