Don't Smile If You're Canadian And Want To Travel Overseas!!

[Duckster]

The Government of Canada says passport photos are no laughing matter: In fact, you’re not even supposed to crack a smile.

In a news release yesterday, the Canada Passport Office issued new specifications for passport photos and wants serious faces only. But not too serious. Not actually frowning or scowling or glaring or grimacing.

To get a valid passport, Canadians must now send in two photos with “neutral expressions.” That means a closed-mouth, straight-ahead gaze into the camera.

Source: http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030827.wsmile0827/BNStory/National/

I’ve found our neighbors to the north to be about the most friendly people on the planet.

So shall we now call our Canadian friends the Sourpusses of the North?

Or just the government which apparently has no sense of humor?

Yeah, yeah it’s a lame pit thread. Deal with it.

[omni-not]

Suzanne Meunier, a spokeswoman with the passport office, said the government is complying with recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization, the United Nations agency responsible for aviation issues, aimed at making it easier for security personnel to recognize the passport holder.

:rolleyes:

[friedo]

You’re not allowed to make that face, either, omni.

[Ms_Macphisto]

:rolleyes: is right. They claim that smiling distorts your facial features. If customs agents or security people can’t recognize someone because their passport photo has them smiling but at that moment they’re tired and grumpy after spending several hours on a plane, I don’t want them in charge of security.

[Early_Out]

Canada isn’t alone. The U.S. State Department’s guide to taking passport pictures indicates that the subject should have a natural expression, which is defined thusly:

Natural Expression - the subject’s expression which should be neutral (non-smiling) with both eyes open, and mouth closed.

[Coldfire]

It was about damn time!

Stupid Canucks with their shit-eating grins flooding the streets of my city. It’s unheard of. At least the Americans -though annoying in other aspects- just keep a straight face when engaging in conversation with a local.

I eagerly await international legislation banning Germans from being polite overseas, too. That Gerry chivalry crap is really messin’ with my stereotypes.

[Gorsnak]

My response to my much-beloved government?

Take that!

Actually, I long ago adopted the policy of not smiling on photos for ID.

[Orbifold]

*Originally posted by Ms Macphisto *
**:rolleyes: is right. They claim that smiling distorts your facial features. If customs agents or security people can’t recognize someone because their passport photo has them smiling but at that moment they’re tired and grumpy after spending several hours on a plane, I don’t want them in charge of security. **

It’s not human agents they’re worried about; it’s face-recognition software. They want passport photos to have a neutral expression so that machines can have an easier time identifying us automatically.

Sigh…there was a time when if a machine didn’t work properly, we fixed the machine.

[omni-not]

Needless to say that this

would be totally verboten…
( <<<<<<<<<<<<<<That one’s for you. May it make you cringe and your machines have fits.)
:mad:

[sailor]

Well the US Department of State apparently wants photograps sideways or something like that

http://travel.state.gov/dv2005.html
If a new digital photograph is taken, it must have a resolution of 320 pixels wide by 240 pixels high

Now you must lie down to get your ID photograph. Maybe the employess of the Department of State also work lying down. Or maybe the guy’s monitor was turned on its side as a prank and he can’t figure it out. Some bright minds there in the State Department.

[Tusculan]

But are my smilies still allowed to travel overseas? Godspeed, the lot of you. :);):p:D

Coldfire, it looks as if they are going to take “Lach of ik schiet” literally now.

[Capcha]

They don’t want them to smile? then all those hundreds of people i take pictures for their passport will comeback…

oy!

[Rashak_Mani]

Well after hours packed in a plane… I agree no one will be smiling. The question is… would terrorists be smiling ?

[matt_mcl]

Really? They’ve abandoned their old policy whereby the passport photo must look as if the holder has just been booked on charges of soliciting sheep?

[Larry_Mudd]

320X240? How 1987.

(Drat IBM’s lazy R&D folks for spoiling a cheap and easy Orwell dig.)

[eunoia]

*Originally posted by Coldfire *
Stupid Canucks with their shit-eating grins flooding the streets of my city. It’s unheard of.

We prefer the term “permasmiles”.

Grin and bear it, you’ll be seeing more of us in the streets soon enough.