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Saturday 22 January 2011

I am so CROSS!!!

I am feeling so cross, that I just have to get this off my chest!  You couldn't make it up really.

My ten year Passport is due to expire shortly, so I had a new photograph taken and filled out the form.  Now, before you send it off, the local Post Office do a 'check and send' service to make sure that everything is absolutely spot on before it goes to the Passport Office.

I should point out here that I have worn glasses all my life.  I put them on as soon as I get up in the morning, because I can't see much without them.  Anyway, I handed the application form, along with the two photographs and my old passport, to the assistant for checking.

She looked at it for a while, and then called another assistant over.  Between them they decided that I would have to have another photograph taken without my glasses.  Now this is absolutely ridiculous.  I look nothing like ME without my glasses on!  I explained this to the assistants, but they assured me that the Passport Office wouldn't accept my photos.

So, I trudged across the road to have another set of photos taken, incurring an additional £5 for the privilege of doing so. 

I then return to  the post office, handing it all back over, along with the new, glassless photos.  But, oh dear, what is this, the young lady is calling the other assistant over again to have a look!  So there they both are, looking at my old passport photo and the two new photos that they asked me to provide. 

"Oh dear", one of them said.  "It looks nothing like the photo on your old passport, where you've got your glasses on."  By this time, I swear that I am losing the will to live.  Either that, or I was about to leap over the counter and throttle someone. 


The upshot of all this, is that I now have to get the new photos countersigned by a professional person who has known me for at least five years.  This has to be done to prove that it is actually me that is applying for the new passport!  They then have to also sign my passport application form and enter their own passport number.

Actually, I just feel a bit sick at the stupidness of it all.  Has anyone else who wears glasses ever come up against this problem?

I'm now off to pour myself a stiff drink! 

32 comments:

Shady Del Knight said...

Still awake here in the Eastern time zone USA, Thisisme. It's amazing the hoops they try to make us jump through. I don't wear glasses but those who wear them regularly should be wearing them in photos taken for important documents. Seems to me that you should be reimbursed for the unexpected expenses they forced upon you!

Lesley said...

Only the stupidity of P.O. staff trying to follow orders that are not sensible.
Enjoy the stiff drink.

Holly said...

That's ridiculous! I hope you got it sorted out in the end! :)

Gawgus things... said...

How ridiculous. I'm sure if you'd just sent the original photos off to the Passport Office, there wouldn't have been a problem. If it's any consolation, it does seem that PO workers the world over are the same...:)

SkippyMom said...

That it OBSCENE This and not fair.

I am so sorry that it was that kind of rigamorole for you today. Wow.

Nice to know that our gov'ts work similarly tho' ::wink::

LindyLouMac said...

Oh poor you, somewhat ridiculous but it does seem that SOME people behind counters do like to make things difficult if they can, all over the world.

Southhamsdarling said...

Shady - I can never get used to all the different time zones that our blogging friends adhere to! It does seem silly, doesn't it, to have take the glasses off. Presumably, therefore, as if the queues weren't long enough at passport control, we will now have to wait until everyone takes their glasses off so that the customs' officers can see whether it's really us or not! LOL!

Lesley - yes, I think I made a BIG mistake by using the P.O. check it service!

Holly - thank you - so do I!

Gawgus things - Strangely enough, that's just what my husband said. SO, this morning I have just posted it all off (without using the check service) to the Passport Office, using the photos of me WITH my glasses on. We will just have to wait and see what happens now. Fingers crossed, I might just be lucky!!

SkippyMom - thank you! It seems that public servants are the same the world over, although I'm sure that, hopefully, the majority might be ok. (She says hastily!!).

LindyLouMac - It must be the counter that does it?! Gives them a feeling of power I suppose! (For anyone reading this that might be working behind a counter, serving the public, that last comment was made with tongue in cheek!!!!).

Unknown said...

The tought comes to mind that I've seen before that describes them "They walk among us". How people like that make it through this life amazes me. Hope the drink helped.
Odie

Southhamsdarling said...

Odie - Oh, I like that comment! "They walk among us." Yes indeed. Felt much better after my glass of wine.

Rebecca said...

wow i applaud you for not losing your temper and getting cross with them because not sure i would have been so calm about it. hope the stiff drink helped some

Lyndylou said...

I had the same problem except it was because Jack couldn't look right into the camera. When I explained that he was disabled and couldn't follow instructions to look at the camera I was told that he at least had to be making an attempt to look!!!! FFS! Eventually I had to type up an a letter to go with the photo explaining that he was very disabled and the photo was not going to be able to follow their rules! Passport came within 5 days!

Carol E Wyer said...

Having just gone through the whole rigmarole with my husband's passport I know how you feel...they couldn't make it more difficult if they tried!
Just to add to your frustration your button I made has mysteriously disappeared and I highly suspect it is my fault for trying to make a second one for someone else. I bet I pressed something I shouldn't have. Please let me know if it doesn't reappear when you retype the code and I'll make you another :( Looks like a frustrating weekend all round...very sorry.

Southhamsdarling said...

Becca - I came pretty close, believe me!! It just all seemed so stupid.

lyndylou - that's so awful having to go through that with Jack. FFS indeed! (took me a while to work that one out!). I'm glad that his passport did come through quickly though, with no further requests!! It really makes you want to spit, doesn't it?! As you will see from my comment above, I just decided to send the application off, with the original photo, so I will just have to wait and see if it works!

BB said...

I bet they would have accepted the ones with the glasses too. It's no different than me getting my refund from Comcast. Morons. People are morons!!

Southhamsdarling said...

Bouncin'Barb - I couldn't agree with you more! Morons!!

hilary@oldhousetruelove said...

you are kidding me... that is insane! ;)

Southhamsdarling said...

Sweet as June - it certainly seemed insane to me, Hilary. Thanks for popping over!

Just Martha said...

It took us 3 goes to get our passports and I too wished to kill someone!!! I needed to apply to births, deaths and marriages to get an extract of my marriage certificate to prove that I had legally changed my name some 20 years prior. My mistake was that I had let our passports lapse... Grrrr! My photo (one of 3) looks r-e-a-l-l-y crabby!!! I was!!

Southhamsdarling said...

Just Martha - it really can be such a pain! Gosh, I hope it doesn't take me 3 goes!! I'll keep you posted.

colenic said...

This made my head hurt just thinking about it....very strange that they were so completely confusing at the office...I am sorry that you struggled with this....ours expire next year and I am dreading it...

that guy said...

that is why they cannot catch the terrorists, becauss so much time is wrapped up in keeping us safe from the people that pose us no threat...

Bruce
bruce johnson jadip
evilbruce
stupid stuff i see and hear
Bruce’s guy book
the guy book
Dreamodel Guy
dreamodeling!

Belle said...

I had to take my glasses off too, and I wear them all the time. I don't get it either.

Donna B. said...

Sounds like someone is on a power trip...even the DMV allows you to take a photo of yourself without glasses! I would have asked to speak with the manager and complained!!!!

Southhamsdarling said...

Col - it's just officialdom, I think. They like to make things as difficult as they possibly can for us!

Bruce - I couldn't agree with you more! That's exactly what I was thinking, but I didn't like to actually say it.

Belle - oh dear, if you had to take your glasses off as well, it looks as if my application is going to be sent back to me! Hey ho!!

Donna B - I'm sure you're right about the power trip. I just felt so stunned by it all, that I just couldn't be bothered to complain!!!

Becky said...

Forgive me for just now reading this post!! WOW!! Can't believe that they would make you do that!!! How stupid! I can imagine how you would want to "throttle" someone! I would have wanted to, also! ~ My youngest dtr where's glasses (or contacts) all the time, as well. She can not see without them, either! Thankfully, I only need them to read.... right now! :)

Southhamsdarling said...

Becky - Hi! Well, it certainly seemed stupid to me, but I guess there is a reason for it! I'm fully expecting everything to come back, and I will have to send in the photo of me not wearing glasses. Oh well, all these things are sent to try us!!

puppykisses said...

What an exhausting process for you! I wear contact lenses, but have my glasses as a backup since I am blind as a bat. I think that what they made you do was absurd!
I haven't updated my passport in almost 20 years, so if I do travel outside the US, I hope I don't run into the problems that you did!
Thanks for all your comments on my blog. I have been playing around with it and have probably made it a little too "busy". But I have enjoyed personalizing it.
Have a great day.

Empty Nester said...

How ridiculous. They're always making life more difficult than need be. Hope the drink was long and tall!

Southhamsdarling said...

EmptyNester - ridiculous indeed! I did feel much better after the drink, and I certainly needed it!

On My Soapbox said...

Arghhhh, how frustrating! It is so tempting to box the ears of people like this. It almost makes you wonder how they can get through life with such a blatant lack of brainpower. Jobs*****!

Southhamsdarling said...

On My Soapbox - that's what I should have done, boxed their ears!!! LOL!

Sheila @ A Postcard a Day said...

I arrived via Odie Langley's link to your fabulous Valentine's post, but this post also caught my eye because I too have been having problems.

I had to have my photos taken twice because in the first lot, my eyes were in the wrong place!!!! However, I use my passport regularly and needed it fast so I went straight off and had it done, then rechecked by the PO. A few days later I a letter saying they had issued me a passport 4 years ago in my maiden name, and did I know it was an offence...blah, blah, blah...

I could not works out what was going on because, as I say, I'd been using the passport regularly. I phoned as soon as I could and they said someone who looked very like me, in a different county had applied under my maiden name.

"Very like me", I think is the clue. I think they have some sort of biometric software to spot faces and that's why they needed my eyes in the right place, and no glasses for you. Also, have you noticed that you are no longer allowed smile? In the end all I had to do was write a letter to say, no, that wasn't me. What a waste of time.

Sorry for such a long comment, and the first time I've visited you too. :)