Should I worry about my renewed US passport?

Factual Questions
1

I recently renewed my US passport for the first time after having had the old one for 10 years. Anyway, I got a new one, along with the old one with a hole punched in it. While it was nice to receive the old one with its many stamps of the countries I’ve been too, I was wondering if I will face more scrutiny now when I enter countries with the new passport, as it is presently empty. (Or am I supposed to drag along the old one as well?)

This also got me to realize that if I should ever be unable to visit a country due to having visited another one (like not being able to enter some middle eastern countries if you have an Israeli stamp), I can just rid myself of these problems whenever i renew my passport.

2

I’m sure passport inspectors realize that everyone has to take a first trip on a new passport at some point. I wouldn’t worry about it. Leave the old one at home, where it’s safe.

3

If you’re planning on taking a trip to a country which prohibits your entry if your passort has an entry stamp (or other evidence you’ve been there) for another particular country, the State Department can issue you a second passport so you can avoid that problem.

See www.state.gov for info on passports.

4

Some countries don’t even stamp your passport, so not a problem.

5

It would never occur to me in a million years to worry about such a thing. If you have stamps, they might take a look at them to see if you like to hang out in rogue states, but if there are no stamps there is nothing for them to look at. No problems at all.

Me, I’m starting to worry that my passport renewal is going to be held up while the Feds examine my Cuba stamps. It’s an irrational fear, I’m sure.

6

Stamps from some countries can certainly be a problem in others. Some years ago, friends were not allowed to leave the airport in South Africa because they had been in Israel.

I was questioned by airport police in Brussels because I had visited Turkey several times. It was an effort to hold my tongue and temper and to not tell them it was none of their goddamn business. But I’m not into cavity searches (at least not by the cops!).

A new passport is zero problem.

7

Stamps do not always mean anything. Some countries enter your passport info. in their computer system at their borders, and often do not stamp. An Austrian border official did this to me when I was crossing into the Czech Republic at a train station.

Re: passport renewal. You can still get one if you lost your old passport.