On 2013-08-25 17:48:51 +0000, Chris Dickinson said: > Roy Stockdill wrote: >   > <snip> >> On the odd occasion I have been asked> to provide either a passport or >> driving licence, I am met with bewilderment on> the part of idiots when >> I tell them I possess neither because I don't drive and> I didn't >> bother to spend money renewing my passport when I ceased travelling> >> abroad.<snip> >   >   > I have a similar problem. Currently I don't have any photo identity > (not being a driver and not having got round to renewing my passport - > must do soon, before any fraudster reads this post).  > I used to play a MMPG that is based in Sweden. My security card for > this game stopped working earlier this year, so I had to get it > replaced. Couldn't do it because the company wouldn't accept anything > other than photo ID. At the same time they assured me that they don't > keep a record of the photo. So why need the photo in the first place - > they haven't got anything to compare it to! Anyway, they've now lost a > client. >   >   >> abroad. Unfortunately, though I know I am in the right this can >> sometimes cause> problems, especially with banks. >   >   > This is partly a problem of technology transition. Using online > banking, you simply don't have that sort of ID problem. Friends of mine > who refuse to bank online complain about how long it takes to prove > their identity at their local branch. They spend an afternoon doing > something that would take a few minutes online. Crazy. >   > The problem is going to get worse. Increasingly now, I don't have > utility bills and the like to prove identity - because I do everything > online or paperless - so even if I had the photo ID, I'm running out of > additional proofs of current address. >   >   > Chris > http://rumbutter.info/ A few years ago a friend of mine died. The funeral took place in the North of Scotland where she had lived for many years. Her father and brother were to travel by plane from London. They had a real problem, as even for internal flights the airlines now require photo id before they will check you in and allow you to board. Granpa was in his 90s and almost blind and in a wheelchair. Hadn't had a passport for years and (obviously) no driving licence, not even a bus pass with his photo on. They did eventually allow him to travel (can't honestly remember now how they got around it) but it can't be an uncommon problem. The airline maintained that it was needed for 'security' purposes but I suspect its more to do with the fact that they charge to transfer a flight ticket and if they have no photo ID we could all transfer tickets if we were unexpectedly unable to travel rather than lose the money we paid for the fare :-) -- Tickettyboo

On 30/08/2013 00:09, Tickettyboo wrote: > > A few years ago a friend of mine died. The funeral took place in the > North of Scotland where she had lived for many years. Her father and > brother were to travel by plane from London. They had a real problem, as > even for internal flights the airlines now require photo id before they > will check you in and allow you to board. Granpa was in his 90s and > almost blind and in a wheelchair. Hadn't had a passport for years and > (obviously) no driving licence, not even a bus pass with his photo on. > They did eventually allow him to travel (can't honestly remember now how > they got around it) but it can't be an uncommon problem. The airline > maintained that it was needed for 'security' purposes but I suspect its > more to do with the fact that they charge to transfer a flight ticket > and if they have no photo ID we could all transfer tickets if we were > unexpectedly unable to travel rather than lose the money we paid for the > fare :-) Also a problem for children. The list of acceptable photo ID is quite limited and I think a passport is the only acceptable photo ID actually available for a child. Some airlines will accept an expired passport as long as it's only recently expired (two years?)