Sometimes you have to wonder…

I recently sent in my passport to get my name changed ( I got married…It only took me a year to decide that, in fact, a name change was in order.) I called to see how long it was going to take, and if I needed a new picture. They told me 7-10 business days, and that they already have a digital image of my picture, so it wasn’t necessary. I have to admit I was quite excited about this, and the fact that it wasn’t going to cost me anything. Super sweet, right?

About a month and a half later, I got my passport. I looked at it, and was surprised to observe that it was the same passport. Did I not follow the directions? Did they need more information? Nope. I found a little scrap of paper that looked like a three year old cut. It said that noted on the last page of my passport was the amendment that I requested. No name change printed in the front. However, on the last page, in DOT MATRIX printing, it stated that “this passport has been amended on April 29, 2005 to reflect the name change of…” What? Our country will let you back in with just a simple line printed on a printer from 1950? I could’ve done that at home and saved on postage. No wonder people have such an easy time making counterfeits? You really have to wonder about the people in charge sometimes.