# Don't Smile If You're Canadian And Want To Travel Overseas!! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 28, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-smile-if-youre-canadian-and-want-to-travel-overseas/198111 "2003-08-28T01:32:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-smile-if-youre-canadian-and-want-to-travel-overseas/198111/1 "2003-08-28T01:32:08Z")
> [@](#): > > 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](http://www.ppt.gc.ca/passports/get_photo_specs_e.asp) 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/](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. ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-smile-if-youre-canadian-and-want-to-travel-overseas/198111/2 "2003-08-28T01:45:45Z")
> [@](#): > > 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: ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-smile-if-youre-canadian-and-want-to-travel-overseas/198111/3 "2003-08-28T01:57:48Z")
You’re not allowed to make that face, either, **omni**. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Macphisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@Ms\_Macphisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Macphisto)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-smile-if-youre-canadian-and-want-to-travel-overseas/198111/4 "2003-08-28T02:07:54Z")
: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. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-smile-if-youre-canadian-and-want-to-travel-overseas/198111/5 "2003-08-28T02:42:21Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-smile-if-youre-canadian-and-want-to-travel-overseas/198111/6 "2003-08-28T08:04:12Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-smile-if-youre-canadian-and-want-to-travel-overseas/198111/7 "2003-08-28T10:36:20Z")
My response to my much-beloved government? 😃 Take that! Actually, I long ago adopted the policy of not smiling on photos for ID. ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-smile-if-youre-canadian-and-want-to-travel-overseas/198111/8 "2003-08-28T14:19:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*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_. ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-smile-if-youre-canadian-and-want-to-travel-overseas/198111/9 "2003-08-28T14:52:12Z")
Needless to say that **this** 🆒 would be totally verboten… (😃 \<\<\<\<\<\<\<\<\<\<\<\<\<\ **Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-smile-if-youre-canadian-and-want-to-travel-overseas/198111/10 "2003-08-28T14:55:51Z") Well the US Department of State apparently wants photograps sideways or something like that > [@](#): > > [http://travel.state.gov/dv2005.html](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. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-smile-if-youre-canadian-and-want-to-travel-overseas/198111/11 "2003-08-28T15:02:21Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Capcha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Capcha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capcha)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-smile-if-youre-canadian-and-want-to-travel-overseas/198111/12 "2003-08-28T15:55:04Z")
They don’t want them to smile? then all those hundreds of people i take pictures for their passport will comeback… oy! ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-smile-if-youre-canadian-and-want-to-travel-overseas/198111/13 "2003-08-28T16:33:43Z")
Well after hours packed in a plane… I agree no one will be smiling. The question is… would terrorists be smiling ? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-smile-if-youre-canadian-and-want-to-travel-overseas/198111/14 "2003-08-28T20:03:52Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-smile-if-youre-canadian-and-want-to-travel-overseas/198111/15 "2003-08-28T21:31:43Z")
320X240? How 1987. (Drat IBM’s lazy R&D folks for spoiling a cheap and easy Orwell dig.) ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-smile-if-youre-canadian-and-want-to-travel-overseas/198111/16 "2003-08-29T06:47:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*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](http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2003/05/28/97946-ap.html) soon enough.