# I am now among the 39 percent **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 8, 2016, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-now-among-the-39-percent/765310 "2016-09-08T01:13:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-now-among-the-39-percent/765310/21 "2016-09-09T02:34:26Z")
Welcome, **Mona Lott** , to the siblinghood of the booklet. As you may have noticed, not just a conveniently sized document (most Western countries have similar standardized proportions), but the procedure for getting it (if not in any rush) is susprisingly smooth vs. what you’d expect of such a Federal ID transaction. Happy crossings at the border! ---
**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:** [September 9, 2016, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-now-among-the-39-percent/765310/22 "2016-09-09T04:04:22Z")
You will need your US Passport if you plan to fly from Idaho to anywhere else **in America** come 2018. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-now-among-the-39-percent/765310/23 "2016-09-09T04:27:07Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > I’m almost through my 3rd passport. I’m two months into my fifth passport – if I’m counting correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-now-among-the-39-percent/765310/24 "2016-09-09T04:38:01Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > You will need your US Passport if you plan to fly from Idaho to anywhere else **in America** come 2018. This is only true if neither side caves. This deadline has approached and passed without consequence about a half a dozen times already. The original date was in 2007, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-now-among-the-39-percent/765310/25 "2016-09-09T05:47:31Z")
> [@Mona\_Lott](#): > > The passport is much smaller than I thought it would be. I was expecting something like a three-hole punched school notebook, not something small enough to fit into my shirt pocket. Used to be a bit bigger – not school notebook, but too big for a shirt pocket – unless you had big pockets and didn’t mind looking like a nerd. ---
**Author:** ![GunnarFranz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/da6949/32.png) [@GunnarFranz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GunnarFranz)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-now-among-the-39-percent/765310/26 "2016-09-09T12:39:25Z")
About to be the first person in my family to get one since my great grandfather came over from Germany. My father has always lived in his home town, just like his father before him. Mother has been to Canada once with a license when that was a thing. I used to hate the idea of travel just because it doesn’t leave you with anything and I can experience all the world from my computer, but as I get older I think what the hell, I’m not going to be able to interact the same way with people of other cultures when I’m 70. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-now-among-the-39-percent/765310/27 "2016-09-09T13:16:05Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > I’m two months into my fifth passport – if I’m counting correctly. I think I’m on my 5th as well, but I lost one of those so it wasn’t full or expiring. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-now-among-the-39-percent/765310/28 "2016-09-09T14:44:47Z")
I was looking through our old (and current) passports the other night. My gf has 4, I have 3. So I arranged the 7 passports such that the holes (indicating expired) were covered. I took a pic of what looked like a fan of seven passports. I posted the picture on Facebook, with the caption, “prepping my bugout bag”. Several friends freaked out, thinking I really had seven passports and warning me to delete the pic before the feds come-a-knocking.😃 ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-now-among-the-39-percent/765310/29 "2016-09-09T15:14:18Z")
I renewed mine earlier this year and decided to pop for the US Passport Card. I live in [Minnesota and our driver licenses aren’t up to snuff so](http://www.startribune.com/real-id-issues-are-about-to-get-real-for-minnesotans/329655171/)I figured I should get that one for US flights just in case as that would suffice instead. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-now-among-the-39-percent/765310/30 "2016-09-09T20:30:24Z")
I am 29 and on my second American passport, about to renew for my third if not mistaken. I also have an Iranian passport, which expired, so I’ll need to get a second one. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-now-among-the-39-percent/765310/31 "2016-09-10T03:57:41Z")
I’m on my fifth passport, although two of them were simultaneous – my personal passport and my official US government passport we had for Peace Corps. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-now-among-the-39-percent/765310/32 "2016-09-10T06:53:01Z")
I renewed my passport last year. It’s my primary form of ID, I don’t have most of the typical ones like a Driver’s License, so I have to remember to keep it current, even if I don’t travel. It’s every five years now. It sure does look fancy, though. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-now-among-the-39-percent/765310/33 "2016-09-10T07:44:15Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > Once you’ve tested your passport out by visiting Canada, why not try something more adventurous? Fly to somewhere like Paris or Tokyo, and spend a few days wandering around a really foreign city. it’s real easy to tell other people how to spend their money. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-now-among-the-39-percent/765310/34 "2016-09-10T08:05:09Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > You will need your US Passport if you plan to fly from Idaho to anywhere else **in America** come 2018. wait, what? What did I miss? What stupid incorrect thing has the national media been saying about Idaho now? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-now-among-the-39-percent/765310/35 "2016-09-10T08:54:43Z")
> [@guestchaz](#): > > wait, what? What did I miss? What stupid incorrect thing has the national media been saying about Idaho now? The current threat is that people with ID from a state that isn’t compliant with the REAL ID Act will be unable to use those IDs to board a plane starting in [del]2007[/del] [del]2009[/del] [del]2011[/del] [del]2013[/del] 2018. A passport is the only other easily-obtainable ID on the list. However, [Idaho caved and is going to comply](http://www.localnews8.com/news/idaho-gov-c-l-butch-otter-approves-real-id-legislation/38750562), so it is not going to affect Idaho. If it happens at all. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2016, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-now-among-the-39-percent/765310/36 "2016-09-11T20:19:03Z")
Oh that. yeah, the state has already started phasing out the old style as people renew their drivers licenses/IDs ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-now-among-the-39-percent/765310/37 "2016-09-12T14:05:37Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > The current threat is that people with ID from a state that isn’t compliant with the REAL ID Act will be unable to use those IDs to board a plane starting in [del]2007[/del] [del]2009[/del] [del]2011[/del] [del]2013[/del] 2018. A passport is the only other easily-obtainable ID on the list. I believe they now have a sort of sliding scale for the holdouts, depending on how they show progress. Last year there was a panic here because our extension was up to 2017, based on that we were going to start transitioning at the end of 2012. But there was an election and a change of administration and they wasted 3 years. So finally they started last December and our window is now 2020. So of course PRDOT being PRDOT, the Real ID compliant license renewal is %}€%# opt-in and has an additional charge. Of course in order to get it you need to produce evidence of citizenship or migratory status, evidence of residence, and the picture background has to be white/light grey unlike the old yellow. Or, you can just renew the one you already have on record and be done with it before lunch. So come 2020 a whole buncha people are still going to be holding non-compliants. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-now-among-the-39-percent/765310/38 "2016-09-12T17:22:30Z")
We live in Canada. My wife and I have had passports since the late '90’s. Whether it’s necessary or not, there’s nothing like them for identification even on domestic flights. I do find it somewhat amusing that you have to take your glasses off and not smile when you take the passport pic, even though I always wear glasses and smile most of the time. IMHO, my passport pic makes me look like a thug, but it hasn’t gotten me into any trouble (by itself anyway) so I don’t worry about it. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-now-among-the-39-percent/765310.md?page=1)