lol! I miss the good ol' days of flying too. It's atrocious what has been done to the airport and flying experience. As if flying isn't anxiety provoking enough with all the DEI not-enough-tranny pilots flying around.
My wife and I always plan to spend an extra 30-45 minutes when going to the airport so we can skip the EMF scanner so that randos can't just look at our goods. Do you all remember when those machines first rolled out and those screens were available for both the TSA and the public to see? That ended pretty fast with all the uproar, so they just moved those screens so only big brother could see them. How lovely.
As I understand it, the real ID is your official digital ID that the government wants everyone to have so that they can start using it as the "single point to truth" to identity and monitor you. So your bank accounts, credit cards, social media accounts, phone, etc.
It's time for continued mass non-compliance. I try to practice this on a daily basis, but especially when I have to go to the airport. Opt out of the facial scan, opt out of the body scan, tell them your water in your water bottle is medical grade, and be prepared for them to grope you because they grope you almost always anyways when you go past their creepy EMF poisoning devices.
Like I said, I got mine without realizing it. I needed a Texas drivers license when I moved from California and I just thought that their requirements were much more complex. But help me understand how the fact that I showed them a couple of utility bills and my birth certificate and Social Security card enables enhanced tracking or surveillance? They already Have all of that information… I’m genuinely curious.
I got mine too accidently lol. I'm planning on letting it expire next year and re-applying for a new one without the "REAL ID".
So this is a technological and administrative technicality that allows the enhanced tracking and surveillance, not an actual "upgrade" or anything like that because of an extra icon on your driver's license.
Right now, all the official government databases that contain are personally identifiable information reside on disparate systems, such as our social security number, bank account and credit card information, cell phone, medical history, social media accounts, etc. Technically speaking, the government could probably just use our social security number instead of a REAL ID (and they are probably already doing this in the secret NSA owned and controlled databases), but the REAL ID is slated to become the "official" and publicly accepted way to digitally track us by providing us all with a unique ID that lives on a centralized government controlled database that will not be disparate, but interconnected with everything and anything that is associated with the individual.
At first, this digital ID will be used for anything related to travel and anything that involves your local, state, or federal government, but it's not hard to imagine that private corporations will get involved in the process with a few legislation changes. Of course this will all be marketed as "convenient" and "safe", but we all know how that usually goes. I hope this makes sense!
I got mine accidentally too. Also did the TSA pre check thing too, before I knew better. Good plan to let the license expire & renew to the old fashioned kind. Though in my blue state I’m not sure we’ll have a choice. All this do we can do to board a plane, but it’s racist to expect to show a valid ID to vote?
Need to turn DOGE loose on RealID to see how many infants (although some of our infants were required to register for SSNs at some point) and illegals, living and dead, have them already.
DOGE is a psychological operation. The federal government just let this billionaire and his private AI systems siphon off all of our personal government owned data into some private cloud while holding absolutely no one accountable.
While we are all distracted at this "efficiency" show, there is absolutely little to no discussion on accountability and what is going to be used with these "savings". Absolutely zero transparency and we are supposed to all cheer on this circus show.
So far I agree the alternative would have been worse. Same push for digital ID integrated systems as trojan horse for digital prisons, with different stated reasons. "Biden" / Harris pushed vax mandates, mutilating children, turned border patrol into middlemen in child trafficking, etc. But that doesn't mean we should be trusting now, or even give them the benefit of the doubt. Still important to be vigilant. DOGE did cut some f*d up things, and found real fraud. . . but also Elon wants to build the "everything app", and I think people are too easy on them, grateful to not have whatever puppets Harris in charge - understandable! - but it may be similar forces at the top of all of this ... and whoever is currently in charge, or seeming to be in charge, Real ID is still a trojan horse for digital control ...
Nah. "All of our personal government owned data" is already in private clouds, plural. DOGE is shutting down wasteful operations and sending drones home to look for gainful work.
It is now after Elon sent home all the cyberscurity personnel so that he could siphon off all of the data.
I disagree. The average working American has been negatively affected by all of these "efficiencies" than anyone else. Zero transparency, zero accountability, and zero explanations as to what is going to be done with these "savings". This was the foot in the door to let AI into our government. Next step, let AI algorithms control our government bureaucracy.
I wholeheartedly disagree. I firmly believe Trump has his issues, as does Elon, but they are here to help.
Many at USAID and such have been audited and all have failed.
Elon has the capability to do things we could not, such as set up communication in Ukraine via Starlink, ✔️, bring home the astronauts who went up for a week but got stuck for 9 months, ✔️, and now he has managed to audit the unauditable, ✔️. Yet people want to be all sus and skeptical about his every move or say it’s a distraction from a real ploy to see your “private government info”, an oxymoron if ever there was one.
To what exactly, does Elon’s team have access that Bobby Joe Bureaucrat and his secretary didn’t already have? What “personal government owned data” can they see that hundreds of employees before them could not? And what magic spawned “THE SEEING”, pray tell? Genuine question.
As to the zero transparency, Elon posts as many as 8x a day via X, regarding what’s going on with DOGE. Trump has been nearly as vocal abt it on Truth Social as well as his multitude of on camera interviews— the sheer volume of which is unprecedented.
Sleepy Joe of Autopen Fame, Head Cabbage that he was— didn’t have nearly as many on camera moments as Trump has had in 100 days, when he was running for president.
Good question. I don't know because there is no transparency of the data. The main problem here is that the federal government has allowed an external party to use their private AI technology to process our data and to upload it to a private cloud. As I said previously, this is the foot in the door to allow AI algorithms to run our government under the guise of "efficiency". This is a government takeover by big tech.
Those are very superficial updates. Where are the actual details and specifics? Who and/or what organizations are being held accountable for all of this wasted money? What is going to be done with all of this "saved" money? Do you think the money saved is more than the money that Musk has received in government subsidies for his companies?
This isn't a left versus right thing. This is a them versus us thing. Elon was on the left before wasn't it? Now he's miraculously switched sides and finds himself on the right. This should be a clue for those of us that still think that the left and right aren't wings of the same bird that rules over us.
I’m in Texas also and didn’t realize I received it when I renewed my license in person with a much more disturbing horrible picture I now have to live with. Real ID was not noticed. Priorities! I know the push is for this to be used to easily prove citizenship when voting, which I think is a good thing. I know there are so many ways we are being tracked right now that this is not that much worse than lots of other things - mainly this phone I am using to type this. However,as a parent, I learned the value of choosing my battles - this isn’t one I’m concerned about yet. If the voting system is fixed, then that will make our other fears less likely to happen.
And what’s with the fuzzy, low-resolution, faded, nearly colorless pictures on Texas drivers licenses now? We used to have a clear full-color picture (for better or worse!), but the picture on my latest license looks like it was printed on the “save ink” setting on a printer that was running low on a couple of colors. And I renewed online, so it was the same picture I had had before, just printed in gray. Like drivers license photos weren’t bad enough already!
Oh Man U abandoned us conservatives and moved to Texas. Bummer. Cali is needing red voices. Help!! Anyway I just renewed my license and it was real ID. I didn’t think about it Much. Phone tracks me every where
I think it's more about what the digital-integration-ness of all of it is Capable of doing, that could be easily activated. I wouldn't have believed anything like the surveillance Chinese people live under could happen here, if not for seeing what was done during covid (like freezing bank accounts of the Canadian truckers *and anyone who donated more than $25 to them(!)*, and the vaccine passports, and others like Mercola, and more, being debanked. And the "jab or job" horrific "choice" so many were subjected to. Etc.
It's too intense, too sci-fi, it's a conspiracy-minded podcaster's vision that may happen somewhere else like China, but .. Not here - I thought, until they went past free donuts, and saw what they actually did and tried to do.
I think Catherine Austin-Fitts, Sasha Latypova, Meryl Nass, Naomi Wolf, Whitney Webb, Derrick Broze, are likely right to warn that this is the beginning of a slippery slope from which there's no turning back.
When RFK Jr's speech at Defeat the Mandates DC was massively distorted to become a media flood of "He compared dying in the Holocaust, or hiding from Hitler's army, to mask madates", or whatever TF they said, what he actually was saying was every tyrant in history would Want the tech that's available now, where it is possible -"turnkey totalitarianism", to keep tabs on / control everyone.
If digital systems are integrated, it's possible that everything from access to funds to medical care, etc, etc, can be contingent upon ... whatever they want. I don't trust team Trump to wield that power wisely, but once it's in place, down the road President Pritzker (ugh) and CDC Director Rachel Levine could potentially require being "up to date" on whatever they want to stick in us, as well as never having said a publicly shared, critical word about "gender affirming care". Or something ...
I usually resist speculation - I need to see real evidence before assuming something as sci-fi-sounding as one's access to their own bank account or doctors would be connected to social media posts or compliance with poisonous injections ...
But seeing what they've already done, tried to do, have planned in plain sight, and listening to warnings from folks with integrity who have gotten most things right ...
And it looks like the REAL ID thing could be a trojan horse for digital prisons ... but now with Less opposition from the same people who would never tolerate it if done in the name of vaccine compliance or carbon footprint.
(*These plans began in 2005 after 9/11 .. when the same awfulness that paved the way for Covid, like the PREP Act began)
There Are good reasons to know who is a citizen when it comes to voting, border crossing, etc, etc ... but if this is anything like what tech / finance / powers-that-shouldn't-be-savvy allies are warning .... it should be opposed ...
This. As long as I carry a damned iPhone, or any other kind of web-attached media device, they have the ability to see everything. I have given up believing that rules and opt outs mean anything, except to those who have the capacity to feel hono
I have to say that you are the most real, authentic and funny human I get content from. Easily the most entertaining and honest person I've had the pleasure of getting email from. Thank you for making me giggle this morning!
I was crabby this morning. “Gotta let go,” I coached myself, “gotta lift the mood.” I thought, “Jenna will make me laugh.” I found your essay hilarious. You captured some of the iconic moments of the US airport experience. To wit there’s even more to riff on with the onboard experience with DEI hires, fake snacks, and endless announcements. You really are one funny lady.
All of this is just more reason that I don't ever plan to fly anywhere ever again. I'm not a world traveler in the first place, and I simply refuse to put up with all the crap involved with just getting on an airplane. I'll just drive my red 2008 Dodge Charger wherever I want or need to go.
Sometimes people don’t have the luxury of time just as others don’t have the luxury of money. When my mom was dying, I jumped on a plane and barely had time to watch her take her last breath. My brother who doesn’t fly arrived too late. Just saying.💔
Well, please notice that I said I don't "plan" to fly again. Doesn't mean I won't if the situation calls for it, but if it's not necessary, ain't doin' it.
Same. I think world travel is overrated. I can look at photos and videos and I'm happy. I'm fortunate to live in the US where there is so much natural beauty and so many places to go easily accessible by car (or hiking). We can even drive to Canada or Mexico! Not to mention that planes are flying petri dishes - and I'm not even a germophobe.
Ugh, I LOVE traveling. I want to see everything! It's such a surreal experience to me--like this existed yesterday and it'll exist again tomorrow and people will just go about living their lives in this place I got to stand in for five minutes. I'm not explaining it properly but it moves me deeply.
Also, I don't ever see the benefit of going anywhere if snorkeling or wild critters aren't involved. That's boring to me. So, I guess I'm just weird that way.
Fortunately I live near Mexico and I can cross over into the country and take a “domestic” flight within Mexico. You get all the benefits of a different culture and language , food, architecture, art, etc. No REAL ID required. And as far as US travel, I love road trips.
You know the real irony for me? My oldest daughter is a flight attendant for United, so I could fly almost for free, but I'm not even interested. And my daughter totally understands me in this as well.
Yes, and sadly, she is all in with that garbage. Though raised in a very conservative home, she got to college and that changed everything in that regard. She and I mutually agreed that we absolutely love each other, but that politics can never be a topic of discussion. So, we have a wonderful father-daughter relationship, and I pray for her and her husband to see the truth.
The *exact* same story here with my brilliant son. I even work with him now, but we can never discuss vaccines or climate change. It's sad really, when he prides himself on being an open-minded, critical thinker . . . .
Oh my gosh, same here with my son. He’s a medical professional and “science guy” was raised in a Conservative home. Is a hospital administrator of a large children’s hospital. Little by little he moved Left and is now so far left we have little to talk about besides the weather and what the animals on my ranch are up to. Everything else is OFF-LIMITS.
No politics, healthcare, COVID, energy, climate, abortion, gender, illegals permitted to be mentioned. Makes family visits a little shallow. Thankfully, he lives 2500 miles away so we only have to struggle with our words about 14 days a year. Quite sad as when he was younger we had a close relationship.
Well, another irony at play in that. She is generally in excellent health, thankfully, but probably due to her job she has now had Covid 4 times despite getting all the jabs. She be 33 in another month and a half, so I also continue to pray that she and her husband avoid the dire effects of the jabs.
The irony is they are not critical thinkers, and are far from open minded, unwilling to even see that someone could hold a different POV in politics or life in general and still be a decent, loving and kind human being.
We are so used to the insanity of it now that it’s quite easy to navigate. We know what we’re allowed to discuss , since the topics are so few, that e can breeze through our weekly phone calls. What bugs me is that I easily accept his views although I totally disagree with him on it all. But he thinks his father and I are just a couple of right-wing morons and would try to convince us, sway us or belittle us to his side of thinking. A truce was needed…and perhaps a few changes to our wills.
I hear all this and feel so blessed with my kids and grandkids. My son made it through university intact and is now on our local school board in a tiny town. God bless all those estranged from family. This is what 'the government' did to us. And now they are telling us what we 'need' to have to be free. Piss on them.
Whenever "saving energy" comes up, I always offer "stop refrigerating water at drinking fountains" and "ban air travel." The first one is beneath stupid. The second one will see me burned at the stake, with bystanders throwing only token buckets of p*e onto the flames.
I agree with your statement about patriots wanting voting with ID but then they turn around and are upset about Real ID . Which is it ? What do we want ? I don’t see the Real ID as a big deal . I got it and it is no different from a passport , really . So yes if you have a passport, use it . But passports are expensive and mainly for for the wealthy so they can travel overseas. The majority of low income Americans do not have passports, so real id is the option.
FWIW, they get EVEN SURLIER when you refuse it (because then--sigh--they have to swipe your stupid license manually) but I still do, every time. And I try to KILL THEM WITH KINDNESS OMG THAN YOU SO MUCH I HOPE YOU HAVE AN AMAZING DAY and they just scowl. It's actually sort of amusing.
Good on you. In Milwaukee they were nice. Even LGA gave me a smile. I don’t plan to fly until next Christmas if I can help it so who knows by then. I’ll stuff my nose openings with Vicks vaporub and spray my throat with original Listerine every 5 minutes. Wear gloves. NO MASK. LOL.
Yeah. Our only kid and family lives on Long Island so we have to fly once in a while from our preferred airport Milwaukee. Ohare is a nightmare. I used to visit a family member in Ireland regularly. Nope. No more.
So true. My expat sister refuses to believe anything is wrong there. Gets on a very high horse if I try to warn her and votes blue absentee. No. I will never return. The country elites and banksters have impoverished her. Kept her sick and like a mushroom, she willingly lives in the dark while the Irish Times and Guardian feed her shite. It’s sad but she had a chance to return home 30 years ago but chickened out. Now she’s stuck with nothing to support her if she came back. Maybe she should get on a plane, throw her papers away when she arrives here and then claim asylum, like the CEO of Ryan Air says happens on migrants wanting free stuff entering Ireland. She would be set up then. But she missed that chance too here, it seems. 🤔
I was told by the tsa guy- May 7th mandatory picture as well. I hope he was wrong. I wonder if the pic is to track you thru the airport or is it to track you beyond.
Yeah, just like the average American I don’t have any of the other forms of acceptable ID on that TSA listing (as many have to do with a particular group, like an Indian tribe member, veteran, a visiting foreigner, etc) and only the passport is something I would be eligible to get - so in reality there are only TWO forms of ID on that list that most people can choose from.
It’s not the same as those planting chips under their skin. That’s where I will draw the line. I can always ditch the ID in a trash can and move on if ever I needed to - it’s not attached to me. I understand the worry over tracking our movements using the Real ID, but they already have had that capability for many decades.
While I liked the idea of having a way to distinguish a legal citizen from an illegal, my concern right now is how many states have not enforced the strict documentation requirements people needed to verify their citizenship - so it’s already a polluted pool. It would have been good to use as a Voter ID and I think that’s why some states screwed it up.
Sign at Texas border: "If you will be presenting RealID from California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York or Oregon, please step up to the 'Deep Probe' line..."
I can understand that we don't have a right to a driver's license, but one would think that, of all the rights there be, the right to proof-of-your-citizenship would be the most important right of citizenship. Free birth certificates! Free passports! for citizens. Dumb simple to me.
Sorry Nancy, but that is a silly statement. Passports are not mainly for the wealthy. I have a passport and have had it for years. I am by no means wealthy yet have traveled overseas a few times.
Before I jump down your oh-so-seductively alluring rabbit hole--again--I have one question, but before I ask it, I have to 'fess that "I took the RealID vax" (in Wisconsin they rolled it into the driver's license years ago and I live for driving; I'll probably still go to town a few times after I'm dead out of sheer habit). Anyway I viewed it as an overdue way to reduce big-truckers' abuse of drivers' licenses from multiple states, ensuring they're off the road after THE VERY FIRST license revocation. I also figured it would make it impossible for illegal aliens to get government services for free... <blows Pollyanna doll a kiss>
So my question is: "What about the Amish?" Is Big G expecting me to believe that this law will be imposed "equally" on all US citizens, as the Constitution requires? I mean to say, "Really?" Incidentally, I have a young Amish business friend whom I've gotten to know over the last couple of years and he assured me that "the Amish network" in Wisconsin did NOT turn out to vote, despite being fully aware of the story around the Amish farmers in Pennsylvania. "Of all the places" I've _never_ encountered Amish, "in a government building" and "airports" top the list. "Bus and," OTOH, "train stations" are another matter entirely. I have sometimes been the only person without a hat in the waiting rooms.
Also regretting substack's policy not allowing for posting of images (and frankly we would bring it to its knees within the first 45 min of revocation) because on one of my visits "to Amish country" I saw something at one business (and can't be sure if these were associated with a bank or a fast food place) that puzzled me. There were three what-looked-like basketball goals but with wire "racks" instead of hoops and mounted much closer, about 4-5 feet, to the ground, at the ends of three adjacent parking stalls. I really puzzled over this, but then I realized what they were: horse re-charging stations.
So like all ignorant people, I suspect "the others" of getting preferential treatment, but I don't even care whether they aren't; I only want the preferential treatment for myself.
Not sure what states are just issuing Real IDs willy nilly, but here in the great state of NJ, there are appointments and checklists and documents galore to get one. And good luck getting an appointment before 2027, the DMV here employ sloths, riding on giant snails, carrying carves stone tablets to set stuff up.
I suppose I should feel lucky that it took hardly anything to get one here in Idaho. I think I did a couple of utility bills and a birth certificate and SS card. Not too bad.
It’s like that in NC too. You can’t get an appointment at the DMV for love or money, and everything is booked 90 days out with zero openings. You can’t go stand in line but they won’t let walk-ins in until after lunch and people are arriving at 5-5:30 am to get in line. Bring a chair and a snack, and don’t be surprised if you have to do this for multiple days in hopes of making it inside as a walk-in. And only about 50% of the state has a Real ID here. I wonder how many other states are battling this and what they will do. It’s ridiculous.
Every state has the same checklist. Not willy-nilly. Birth cert, proof of SS, proof of address. If one's name is different than birth cert, then marriage (and divorce) certs. My sister has been married three times, haha, but she now has all of her certs in a row. Again, every state has the same checklist, it just depends on who is complaining about it.
I was joking, I hope you got that. And it’s not about the checklist being “scary,” it’s the fact that NJ DMV sucks, has always sucked and will always suck. The state “revamped” it a few years ago and it got worse.
Sorry! It is just that someone I know in NJ is quite upset about this whole thing, how difficult it is and even believes someone who said she needs a "federal birth cert". Here in Fl, we used to have little local DMVs, they got closed down, and now you need an appointment for pretty much everything, but it still goes pretty smoothly. Have even had things smoothed out or rushed through when needed. Hey, I lived in North Carolina once, and they had a line at the DMV for people who could not read. Funny/frightening on several levels.
OMG! The Social Security card! I almost spit out my tea from laughing!
I’ve had mine for over 50 years and it’s in a plastic sleeve, but I’ve never had to show it to anyone. I have Global Entry as well and figured the government has all my info anyway, so it’s too late now for me to worry. And I got Real ID the last time I renewed my license, not really understanding what the big deal was. Wished I had thought it through and I wouldn’t have gotten it.
Flying now requires (asks) you to stand in front of a camera at the TSA checkpoint as they hold your legal picture ID in their hands. There are prominent signs all around the disney lines of hell saying you can refuse the photo. I’m sure checking the biometric mug shots taken for the Real ID. This old (and looks it) granny refuses this photo very nicely now. Might explain the extra wanding or pat down after explaining my hip prosthesis and the holding of arms up for the security kabuki. I’m innocent!! , I want to plead but smile sweetly. I absolutely HATE FLYING now. Plus I got a terrible flu on our Christmas flight. Ugh.
A poor sick child was coughing right behind us ALL through the flight. Within days my partner and I both were sicker than dogs. Worst respiratory illness (and cough) I've ever had ~ unlike COVID. 😉👍
My husband did too. Much worse than me. Awful. I took ivermectin and that helped. I heard it was influenza A and yes, was more nasty than the Covid I had.
Oh dear. I live in Florida, supposedly the home of folks who don't know how to do ANYTHING, and we have had Real-ID for years and years. And years. It did not require anything the government does not already have - whatever I was missing, I merely called a state government and was sent a shiny new copy. We all just showed up at our little local DMV offices (gone now, sadly), showed a nice (or bored) employee our documents, and got our little gold stars. Since so many of us think (I certainly do) that voting should require an official ID, I honestly do not see the problem.
Airports? I worked overseas quite a lot between 1995 and 2000. When I flew to the Netherlands, I always had to explain - to a person in uniform who was carrying a machine gun - why I was even trying to get into the Netherlands. For work. Which required a letterhead note from whoever I was working for , with a phone number. And every time I was asked, unkindly, why would someone in Den Haag need a computer software person when Holland was stuffed with smart people who could program. The answer is because you would not want to hire a person to write a program you could buy, because when they were done, you had to either find other work for them, or pay them 85% of their salary until they got another job. Anyway, machine guns and hard questions. My now-expired passport has a letter stapled inside which explains, in Japanese, that I was foolish enough to have had my passport stolen on the JR train platform at Narita, got it replaced, which took QUITE a bit of doing, and thus had not had the exit stub of the stamp you get when you enter Japan that trip. I always got pulled into a little office, whether flying in or out of Japan, and had to tell the tale again to a government agent. Every time I went to Japan after that. But - I was always very happy to go to Japan, it was worth the hassle.
What is f**king fascinating is the uproar - personally, people I know who unquestioningly got jabbed, and were quite adamant that those of us who did not get jabbed should not be able to buy groceries, much less fly - those people believe anyone from anywhere in the world should be able to vote here (leaving aside my belief that elections are just giant bread and circus money-laundering schemes) are upset about real ID. People who evidently believed Rachel Maddow when she told them that the jab would keep them from getting or giving Covid. All I can say is - bwahahahahaha!
And I think I will stay in Florida. To all those who swear they will never ever come here - on behalf of all Floridians, thank you!
In my best Jeremy Irons voice - you have no idea! I am eternally grateful for all the opportunities I have had. Coming from extremely humble beginnings. I am only 79 though, and not ready to give my Tears in the Rain speech. And thank you for the smilies - I love to read actually funny stuff, and I endeavor to do the same. At times. It is addictive, when people get the humor.
You're reference to real machine guns made me smile. A few years back I was in Jamaica, and on the way to our rental we stopped next to a police or military (I think) vehicle at a light. The man standing in the back of that truck carried what looked like an M-16--with his finger on the trigger. WOOF!
Co-workers who worked in Venezuela had to carry bribe money for the walk from their hotel to the office. Safest to have the concierge call a taxi, could not even trust a random taxi. Of course, they could expense everything, haha. And yes, seeing folks with real guns up close is a bit scary. Every time.
I'll go further and sympathize by saying it's some ado about some thing. It's just that, these days, everything has to be "all of one thing" or "all of its opposite." There just doesn't seem to be a way to ask "But which play-out scenario seems more likely?" I don't want to blow off people with real concerns, but I don't want to be blown off either, as a fellow-traveler or useful idiot which seems to happen--a lot--when I only ask for more information.
What I'm saying is that stopping this-or-that half-measure is only a half-measure itself and we need to keep foremost in our United-States-of-American minds Thomas Jefferson's opinion that citizens of the new republic should watch for signs that a second revolution is warranted.
Having said that, I think the election of Trump qualifies[1], but there's no way of knowing if another won't be needed right around the corner anyway. Fellow Citizens, I ask you--I beg you--to be prepared.
[1] I see I wasn't clear: I meant "qualifies as a second revolution," but I willingly concede half the country could read it as "a sign that a second revolution is warranted."
I already have a valid Passport.... Why would I want to spend 2 or more hours waiting to get ANOTHER tracker that I don't need? Not doing it, I don't have time and it's not necessary
If you have a passport you don’t have to get one. You’re lucky to have that choice. My passport was issued in 1989 when I had 80s bangs, and I’m certain is no longer valid. For me it’s easier and cheaper to get the Real ID as I’m not traveling out of the country ever.
The purpose is to be able to replace your passport if you should have it stolen or lose it while traveling a photocopy of your face page of your passport is always recommended to keep somewhere apart from your actual passport. You would have to find an embassy in the country where you are traveling if that happens, but having that copy will expedite the process it’s always good practice!🥰
My passport was stolen in Japan. By people with European accents, not by a Japanese person. I did not have a copy. Luckily, I was staying at the same hotel as I did before and they had a photocopy. still took quite a while at the American Embassy - I was told the long interview was to determine if I had just sold it, because a well-traveled passport was worth a lot of money. Having a copy helped quite a lot. And then a day at the Japanese offices, where, even though I was accompanied by a Japanese co-worker, everyone was too polite to tell us we were in the wrong office, and so just asked us to wait while they ran around finding the correct offices.
Wow. Thanks for sharing your story, DJ. Sounds like quite the ordeal ~ and it's really good to know it did help to have a copy!
I realize now just how lucky I was, with all the international trips I made back in the day. Never heard about making a copy, or about selling passports (!) ~ so this conversation has certainly been a much needed wake-up call for me! Thanks again!
Never heard of “Global Entry” before reading this, but I’m sure I don’t want it. I’m too fearful the globalness of the entry refers to ME, not to my travels elsewhere.
Global entry just makes it much faster to re-enter the US after international travel. No standing in long custom lines, depending on your port of entry….I love it. If you have a tight connection once you exit customs,
We went to Niagara Falls, Ontario last year: dream come true. See it from Canadian side first if you can. We got there about an hour before dusk and walked along the falls-walk until well after dark. Everything except the falls is plastic like all the tourist-robber stations.
We had no trouble getting into Canada even though I presented our driver-license/RealIDs. I kinda corrupted the process, which would have fully established that Wisc. driver's license was good enough, by interrupting the border guard to say, "We have passports too!" He replied, "Well, why didn't you say so?" and seemed to prefer them.
But the real lesson learned came when we drove back into the US. The guard there (TSA by the attitude) was NOT happy to see us and "welcome us home," but got all pissy because I was "too close" to the motorhome in front of us, which was obscuring a sign saying, "Please stay back." (I was driving an Honda Insight peashooter; I thought I was being gracious by not driving in up under the motorhome.)
Wow! It seems the US border agents are still hating their jobs and like to exercise their authority by being rude. Had a similar experience 37 years ago. Maybe it was my t-shirt tho.. it read thank you for pot smoking!😂😂
"I knew a gal in college who literally did this . . ." It's OK, Jenna. Lots of us did a few things in our youth that we don't like to share. I had a friend who once sold a pound of MJ. He only made $35, but what he remembers of that semester was a lot of laughs.
So to fly to Cancun to booze it up requires a real ID but to vote in this country it doesn't. I am seriously asking someone to explain without their forehead veins exploding why Voter ID is a dog whistle for many folks in this land of opportunity.
lol! I miss the good ol' days of flying too. It's atrocious what has been done to the airport and flying experience. As if flying isn't anxiety provoking enough with all the DEI not-enough-tranny pilots flying around.
My wife and I always plan to spend an extra 30-45 minutes when going to the airport so we can skip the EMF scanner so that randos can't just look at our goods. Do you all remember when those machines first rolled out and those screens were available for both the TSA and the public to see? That ended pretty fast with all the uproar, so they just moved those screens so only big brother could see them. How lovely.
As I understand it, the real ID is your official digital ID that the government wants everyone to have so that they can start using it as the "single point to truth" to identity and monitor you. So your bank accounts, credit cards, social media accounts, phone, etc.
It's time for continued mass non-compliance. I try to practice this on a daily basis, but especially when I have to go to the airport. Opt out of the facial scan, opt out of the body scan, tell them your water in your water bottle is medical grade, and be prepared for them to grope you because they grope you almost always anyways when you go past their creepy EMF poisoning devices.
Thanks for calling this one out Jenna!
Like I said, I got mine without realizing it. I needed a Texas drivers license when I moved from California and I just thought that their requirements were much more complex. But help me understand how the fact that I showed them a couple of utility bills and my birth certificate and Social Security card enables enhanced tracking or surveillance? They already Have all of that information… I’m genuinely curious.
I got mine too accidently lol. I'm planning on letting it expire next year and re-applying for a new one without the "REAL ID".
So this is a technological and administrative technicality that allows the enhanced tracking and surveillance, not an actual "upgrade" or anything like that because of an extra icon on your driver's license.
Right now, all the official government databases that contain are personally identifiable information reside on disparate systems, such as our social security number, bank account and credit card information, cell phone, medical history, social media accounts, etc. Technically speaking, the government could probably just use our social security number instead of a REAL ID (and they are probably already doing this in the secret NSA owned and controlled databases), but the REAL ID is slated to become the "official" and publicly accepted way to digitally track us by providing us all with a unique ID that lives on a centralized government controlled database that will not be disparate, but interconnected with everything and anything that is associated with the individual.
At first, this digital ID will be used for anything related to travel and anything that involves your local, state, or federal government, but it's not hard to imagine that private corporations will get involved in the process with a few legislation changes. Of course this will all be marketed as "convenient" and "safe", but we all know how that usually goes. I hope this makes sense!
I got mine accidentally too. Also did the TSA pre check thing too, before I knew better. Good plan to let the license expire & renew to the old fashioned kind. Though in my blue state I’m not sure we’ll have a choice. All this do we can do to board a plane, but it’s racist to expect to show a valid ID to vote?
Need to turn DOGE loose on RealID to see how many infants (although some of our infants were required to register for SSNs at some point) and illegals, living and dead, have them already.
DOGE is a psychological operation. The federal government just let this billionaire and his private AI systems siphon off all of our personal government owned data into some private cloud while holding absolutely no one accountable.
While we are all distracted at this "efficiency" show, there is absolutely little to no discussion on accountability and what is going to be used with these "savings". Absolutely zero transparency and we are supposed to all cheer on this circus show.
I'd say the alternative is much worse. Prior to Musk, USAID operations have been like the fox in charge of the henhouse
So far I agree the alternative would have been worse. Same push for digital ID integrated systems as trojan horse for digital prisons, with different stated reasons. "Biden" / Harris pushed vax mandates, mutilating children, turned border patrol into middlemen in child trafficking, etc. But that doesn't mean we should be trusting now, or even give them the benefit of the doubt. Still important to be vigilant. DOGE did cut some f*d up things, and found real fraud. . . but also Elon wants to build the "everything app", and I think people are too easy on them, grateful to not have whatever puppets Harris in charge - understandable! - but it may be similar forces at the top of all of this ... and whoever is currently in charge, or seeming to be in charge, Real ID is still a trojan horse for digital control ...
Nah. "All of our personal government owned data" is already in private clouds, plural. DOGE is shutting down wasteful operations and sending drones home to look for gainful work.
It is now after Elon sent home all the cyberscurity personnel so that he could siphon off all of the data.
I disagree. The average working American has been negatively affected by all of these "efficiencies" than anyone else. Zero transparency, zero accountability, and zero explanations as to what is going to be done with these "savings". This was the foot in the door to let AI into our government. Next step, let AI algorithms control our government bureaucracy.
I wholeheartedly disagree. I firmly believe Trump has his issues, as does Elon, but they are here to help.
Many at USAID and such have been audited and all have failed.
Elon has the capability to do things we could not, such as set up communication in Ukraine via Starlink, ✔️, bring home the astronauts who went up for a week but got stuck for 9 months, ✔️, and now he has managed to audit the unauditable, ✔️. Yet people want to be all sus and skeptical about his every move or say it’s a distraction from a real ploy to see your “private government info”, an oxymoron if ever there was one.
To what exactly, does Elon’s team have access that Bobby Joe Bureaucrat and his secretary didn’t already have? What “personal government owned data” can they see that hundreds of employees before them could not? And what magic spawned “THE SEEING”, pray tell? Genuine question.
As to the zero transparency, Elon posts as many as 8x a day via X, regarding what’s going on with DOGE. Trump has been nearly as vocal abt it on Truth Social as well as his multitude of on camera interviews— the sheer volume of which is unprecedented.
Sleepy Joe of Autopen Fame, Head Cabbage that he was— didn’t have nearly as many on camera moments as Trump has had in 100 days, when he was running for president.
Good question. I don't know because there is no transparency of the data. The main problem here is that the federal government has allowed an external party to use their private AI technology to process our data and to upload it to a private cloud. As I said previously, this is the foot in the door to allow AI algorithms to run our government under the guise of "efficiency". This is a government takeover by big tech.
Those are very superficial updates. Where are the actual details and specifics? Who and/or what organizations are being held accountable for all of this wasted money? What is going to be done with all of this "saved" money? Do you think the money saved is more than the money that Musk has received in government subsidies for his companies?
This isn't a left versus right thing. This is a them versus us thing. Elon was on the left before wasn't it? Now he's miraculously switched sides and finds himself on the right. This should be a clue for those of us that still think that the left and right aren't wings of the same bird that rules over us.
🤦🏻♀️
When I was younger in the 70's, getting and signing up for Social Security was optional
I think babies need SSN’s before their first birthday.
Yes they do.
I’m in Texas also and didn’t realize I received it when I renewed my license in person with a much more disturbing horrible picture I now have to live with. Real ID was not noticed. Priorities! I know the push is for this to be used to easily prove citizenship when voting, which I think is a good thing. I know there are so many ways we are being tracked right now that this is not that much worse than lots of other things - mainly this phone I am using to type this. However,as a parent, I learned the value of choosing my battles - this isn’t one I’m concerned about yet. If the voting system is fixed, then that will make our other fears less likely to happen.
And what’s with the fuzzy, low-resolution, faded, nearly colorless pictures on Texas drivers licenses now? We used to have a clear full-color picture (for better or worse!), but the picture on my latest license looks like it was printed on the “save ink” setting on a printer that was running low on a couple of colors. And I renewed online, so it was the same picture I had had before, just printed in gray. Like drivers license photos weren’t bad enough already!
Oh Man U abandoned us conservatives and moved to Texas. Bummer. Cali is needing red voices. Help!! Anyway I just renewed my license and it was real ID. I didn’t think about it Much. Phone tracks me every where
Me too . 😢
I think it's more about what the digital-integration-ness of all of it is Capable of doing, that could be easily activated. I wouldn't have believed anything like the surveillance Chinese people live under could happen here, if not for seeing what was done during covid (like freezing bank accounts of the Canadian truckers *and anyone who donated more than $25 to them(!)*, and the vaccine passports, and others like Mercola, and more, being debanked. And the "jab or job" horrific "choice" so many were subjected to. Etc.
It's too intense, too sci-fi, it's a conspiracy-minded podcaster's vision that may happen somewhere else like China, but .. Not here - I thought, until they went past free donuts, and saw what they actually did and tried to do.
I think Catherine Austin-Fitts, Sasha Latypova, Meryl Nass, Naomi Wolf, Whitney Webb, Derrick Broze, are likely right to warn that this is the beginning of a slippery slope from which there's no turning back.
When RFK Jr's speech at Defeat the Mandates DC was massively distorted to become a media flood of "He compared dying in the Holocaust, or hiding from Hitler's army, to mask madates", or whatever TF they said, what he actually was saying was every tyrant in history would Want the tech that's available now, where it is possible -"turnkey totalitarianism", to keep tabs on / control everyone.
If digital systems are integrated, it's possible that everything from access to funds to medical care, etc, etc, can be contingent upon ... whatever they want. I don't trust team Trump to wield that power wisely, but once it's in place, down the road President Pritzker (ugh) and CDC Director Rachel Levine could potentially require being "up to date" on whatever they want to stick in us, as well as never having said a publicly shared, critical word about "gender affirming care". Or something ...
I usually resist speculation - I need to see real evidence before assuming something as sci-fi-sounding as one's access to their own bank account or doctors would be connected to social media posts or compliance with poisonous injections ...
But seeing what they've already done, tried to do, have planned in plain sight, and listening to warnings from folks with integrity who have gotten most things right ...
And it looks like the REAL ID thing could be a trojan horse for digital prisons ... but now with Less opposition from the same people who would never tolerate it if done in the name of vaccine compliance or carbon footprint.
(*These plans began in 2005 after 9/11 .. when the same awfulness that paved the way for Covid, like the PREP Act began)
There Are good reasons to know who is a citizen when it comes to voting, border crossing, etc, etc ... but if this is anything like what tech / finance / powers-that-shouldn't-be-savvy allies are warning .... it should be opposed ...
https://sashalatypova.substack.com/p/desperate-housewife-of-north-dakota
This. As long as I carry a damned iPhone, or any other kind of web-attached media device, they have the ability to see everything. I have given up believing that rules and opt outs mean anything, except to those who have the capacity to feel hono
We call the process at the airport "Gate Rape".
🤣 Right!? 😂
🙌
I am 💯 with you, Vee! This is what I posted in MAA’s comments yesterday regarding the Real ID.
https://substack.com/@katherinestrange/note/c-108432808?r=1u5z16&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
When I had to renew my license last year, I didn't opt for the Real ID which is doable here in Commieland Cali.
I have to say that you are the most real, authentic and funny human I get content from. Easily the most entertaining and honest person I've had the pleasure of getting email from. Thank you for making me giggle this morning!
Anyone else hoping to make my day can regroup. Wendy has already done it!😊😊😊
Wendy, you leave a distinct impression of being a real, authentic--and no doubt funny--human bean your own self. Friend of our friend is our friend.
[FYI, "Likes" of this comment are all for YOU.]
I was crabby this morning. “Gotta let go,” I coached myself, “gotta lift the mood.” I thought, “Jenna will make me laugh.” I found your essay hilarious. You captured some of the iconic moments of the US airport experience. To wit there’s even more to riff on with the onboard experience with DEI hires, fake snacks, and endless announcements. You really are one funny lady.
Wow, what an honor! I'm happy I could be a little bright spot in your day. :)
Hold on... <light dawning> Snacks aren't already fake?
They most definitely are fake, unhealthful, and bad tasting.
All of this is just more reason that I don't ever plan to fly anywhere ever again. I'm not a world traveler in the first place, and I simply refuse to put up with all the crap involved with just getting on an airplane. I'll just drive my red 2008 Dodge Charger wherever I want or need to go.
Sometimes people don’t have the luxury of time just as others don’t have the luxury of money. When my mom was dying, I jumped on a plane and barely had time to watch her take her last breath. My brother who doesn’t fly arrived too late. Just saying.💔
Well, please notice that I said I don't "plan" to fly again. Doesn't mean I won't if the situation calls for it, but if it's not necessary, ain't doin' it.
Fair. 😊
Same. I think world travel is overrated. I can look at photos and videos and I'm happy. I'm fortunate to live in the US where there is so much natural beauty and so many places to go easily accessible by car (or hiking). We can even drive to Canada or Mexico! Not to mention that planes are flying petri dishes - and I'm not even a germophobe.
Ugh, I LOVE traveling. I want to see everything! It's such a surreal experience to me--like this existed yesterday and it'll exist again tomorrow and people will just go about living their lives in this place I got to stand in for five minutes. I'm not explaining it properly but it moves me deeply.
I only get a feeling of greatness in nature. Thankfully, I can find plenty of that within a car rides' distance!
Also, I don't ever see the benefit of going anywhere if snorkeling or wild critters aren't involved. That's boring to me. So, I guess I'm just weird that way.
Fortunately I live near Mexico and I can cross over into the country and take a “domestic” flight within Mexico. You get all the benefits of a different culture and language , food, architecture, art, etc. No REAL ID required. And as far as US travel, I love road trips.
You and me both, Jeff. I used to have to fly all the time for work. Now you couldn't pay me to fly.
You know the real irony for me? My oldest daughter is a flight attendant for United, so I could fly almost for free, but I'm not even interested. And my daughter totally understands me in this as well.
Ironic, indeed. . . .
I'm also curious, if you don't mind me asking: did your daughter have to get jabbed in order to keep her job?
Yes, and sadly, she is all in with that garbage. Though raised in a very conservative home, she got to college and that changed everything in that regard. She and I mutually agreed that we absolutely love each other, but that politics can never be a topic of discussion. So, we have a wonderful father-daughter relationship, and I pray for her and her husband to see the truth.
The *exact* same story here with my brilliant son. I even work with him now, but we can never discuss vaccines or climate change. It's sad really, when he prides himself on being an open-minded, critical thinker . . . .
Hope your daughter's health has been OK! 🙏
Oh my gosh, same here with my son. He’s a medical professional and “science guy” was raised in a Conservative home. Is a hospital administrator of a large children’s hospital. Little by little he moved Left and is now so far left we have little to talk about besides the weather and what the animals on my ranch are up to. Everything else is OFF-LIMITS.
No politics, healthcare, COVID, energy, climate, abortion, gender, illegals permitted to be mentioned. Makes family visits a little shallow. Thankfully, he lives 2500 miles away so we only have to struggle with our words about 14 days a year. Quite sad as when he was younger we had a close relationship.
Well, another irony at play in that. She is generally in excellent health, thankfully, but probably due to her job she has now had Covid 4 times despite getting all the jabs. She be 33 in another month and a half, so I also continue to pray that she and her husband avoid the dire effects of the jabs.
The irony is they are not critical thinkers, and are far from open minded, unwilling to even see that someone could hold a different POV in politics or life in general and still be a decent, loving and kind human being.
Same with my daughter. It's a minefield of prohibited topics to navigate to preserve the relationship.
We are so used to the insanity of it now that it’s quite easy to navigate. We know what we’re allowed to discuss , since the topics are so few, that e can breeze through our weekly phone calls. What bugs me is that I easily accept his views although I totally disagree with him on it all. But he thinks his father and I are just a couple of right-wing morons and would try to convince us, sway us or belittle us to his side of thinking. A truce was needed…and perhaps a few changes to our wills.
I hear all this and feel so blessed with my kids and grandkids. My son made it through university intact and is now on our local school board in a tiny town. God bless all those estranged from family. This is what 'the government' did to us. And now they are telling us what we 'need' to have to be free. Piss on them.
Whenever "saving energy" comes up, I always offer "stop refrigerating water at drinking fountains" and "ban air travel." The first one is beneath stupid. The second one will see me burned at the stake, with bystanders throwing only token buckets of p*e onto the flames.
And most of the buckets will be thrown by Greta's most devoted acolytes.
I agree with your statement about patriots wanting voting with ID but then they turn around and are upset about Real ID . Which is it ? What do we want ? I don’t see the Real ID as a big deal . I got it and it is no different from a passport , really . So yes if you have a passport, use it . But passports are expensive and mainly for for the wealthy so they can travel overseas. The majority of low income Americans do not have passports, so real id is the option.
Doesn’t bother me much. I just refuse the photo at the TSA kiosk, as they say I can. My little bit of pushback.
Ha! Haven’t flown since 2019 so I didn’t know they take your photo these days! Thanks for the tip to refuse it.
I need to go visit my brother in Seattle, I don’t know what is more nerve wracking, driving up there by myself or flying 🤷♀️
Time wise it’s a pretty close. 2ish more hours to drive.
FWIW, they get EVEN SURLIER when you refuse it (because then--sigh--they have to swipe your stupid license manually) but I still do, every time. And I try to KILL THEM WITH KINDNESS OMG THAN YOU SO MUCH I HOPE YOU HAVE AN AMAZING DAY and they just scowl. It's actually sort of amusing.
Good on you. In Milwaukee they were nice. Even LGA gave me a smile. I don’t plan to fly until next Christmas if I can help it so who knows by then. I’ll stuff my nose openings with Vicks vaporub and spray my throat with original Listerine every 5 minutes. Wear gloves. NO MASK. LOL.
🤣good plan. I’ll remember that!
Yeah. Our only kid and family lives on Long Island so we have to fly once in a while from our preferred airport Milwaukee. Ohare is a nightmare. I used to visit a family member in Ireland regularly. Nope. No more.
Plus, Ireland is a mess. Let them come here to visit.
So true. My expat sister refuses to believe anything is wrong there. Gets on a very high horse if I try to warn her and votes blue absentee. No. I will never return. The country elites and banksters have impoverished her. Kept her sick and like a mushroom, she willingly lives in the dark while the Irish Times and Guardian feed her shite. It’s sad but she had a chance to return home 30 years ago but chickened out. Now she’s stuck with nothing to support her if she came back. Maybe she should get on a plane, throw her papers away when she arrives here and then claim asylum, like the CEO of Ryan Air says happens on migrants wanting free stuff entering Ireland. She would be set up then. But she missed that chance too here, it seems. 🤔
Lost opportunities.
You've got me wondering if you can DO the photo holding "Theatrical Security Agency" in front of your face.
David, I like your style. 😀.
😆😂🤣
I was told by the tsa guy- May 7th mandatory picture as well. I hope he was wrong. I wonder if the pic is to track you thru the airport or is it to track you beyond.
Yeah, just like the average American I don’t have any of the other forms of acceptable ID on that TSA listing (as many have to do with a particular group, like an Indian tribe member, veteran, a visiting foreigner, etc) and only the passport is something I would be eligible to get - so in reality there are only TWO forms of ID on that list that most people can choose from.
It’s not the same as those planting chips under their skin. That’s where I will draw the line. I can always ditch the ID in a trash can and move on if ever I needed to - it’s not attached to me. I understand the worry over tracking our movements using the Real ID, but they already have had that capability for many decades.
While I liked the idea of having a way to distinguish a legal citizen from an illegal, my concern right now is how many states have not enforced the strict documentation requirements people needed to verify their citizenship - so it’s already a polluted pool. It would have been good to use as a Voter ID and I think that’s why some states screwed it up.
Sign at Texas border: "If you will be presenting RealID from California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York or Oregon, please step up to the 'Deep Probe' line..."
THIS!! I agree Juju.
I can understand that we don't have a right to a driver's license, but one would think that, of all the rights there be, the right to proof-of-your-citizenship would be the most important right of citizenship. Free birth certificates! Free passports! for citizens. Dumb simple to me.
Sorry Nancy, but that is a silly statement. Passports are not mainly for the wealthy. I have a passport and have had it for years. I am by no means wealthy yet have traveled overseas a few times.
Just like 'the stock market' is not just for the wealthy. We have 40 years of 401k investments in there.
Before I jump down your oh-so-seductively alluring rabbit hole--again--I have one question, but before I ask it, I have to 'fess that "I took the RealID vax" (in Wisconsin they rolled it into the driver's license years ago and I live for driving; I'll probably still go to town a few times after I'm dead out of sheer habit). Anyway I viewed it as an overdue way to reduce big-truckers' abuse of drivers' licenses from multiple states, ensuring they're off the road after THE VERY FIRST license revocation. I also figured it would make it impossible for illegal aliens to get government services for free... <blows Pollyanna doll a kiss>
So my question is: "What about the Amish?" Is Big G expecting me to believe that this law will be imposed "equally" on all US citizens, as the Constitution requires? I mean to say, "Really?" Incidentally, I have a young Amish business friend whom I've gotten to know over the last couple of years and he assured me that "the Amish network" in Wisconsin did NOT turn out to vote, despite being fully aware of the story around the Amish farmers in Pennsylvania. "Of all the places" I've _never_ encountered Amish, "in a government building" and "airports" top the list. "Bus and," OTOH, "train stations" are another matter entirely. I have sometimes been the only person without a hat in the waiting rooms.
Also regretting substack's policy not allowing for posting of images (and frankly we would bring it to its knees within the first 45 min of revocation) because on one of my visits "to Amish country" I saw something at one business (and can't be sure if these were associated with a bank or a fast food place) that puzzled me. There were three what-looked-like basketball goals but with wire "racks" instead of hoops and mounted much closer, about 4-5 feet, to the ground, at the ends of three adjacent parking stalls. I really puzzled over this, but then I realized what they were: horse re-charging stations.
So like all ignorant people, I suspect "the others" of getting preferential treatment, but I don't even care whether they aren't; I only want the preferential treatment for myself.
AND I have one other question:
Where can I get a RealFAKEid?
🤣🤣🤣
You want preferential treatment? Run for congress...and win.
I think there might even be some value in losing.
Not sure what states are just issuing Real IDs willy nilly, but here in the great state of NJ, there are appointments and checklists and documents galore to get one. And good luck getting an appointment before 2027, the DMV here employ sloths, riding on giant snails, carrying carves stone tablets to set stuff up.
I suppose I should feel lucky that it took hardly anything to get one here in Idaho. I think I did a couple of utility bills and a birth certificate and SS card. Not too bad.
That is all it is for everyone. I guess all the options look scary to some.
It’s like that in NC too. You can’t get an appointment at the DMV for love or money, and everything is booked 90 days out with zero openings. You can’t go stand in line but they won’t let walk-ins in until after lunch and people are arriving at 5-5:30 am to get in line. Bring a chair and a snack, and don’t be surprised if you have to do this for multiple days in hopes of making it inside as a walk-in. And only about 50% of the state has a Real ID here. I wonder how many other states are battling this and what they will do. It’s ridiculous.
I’m just going to use my passport to get on planes. It’s bullshit, but it’s a work around.
There's a movie for that. Zootopia
Here's the scene in particular. https://youtu.be/HHKwnUa3txo?feature=shared
Every state has the same checklist. Not willy-nilly. Birth cert, proof of SS, proof of address. If one's name is different than birth cert, then marriage (and divorce) certs. My sister has been married three times, haha, but she now has all of her certs in a row. Again, every state has the same checklist, it just depends on who is complaining about it.
I was joking, I hope you got that. And it’s not about the checklist being “scary,” it’s the fact that NJ DMV sucks, has always sucked and will always suck. The state “revamped” it a few years ago and it got worse.
Sorry! It is just that someone I know in NJ is quite upset about this whole thing, how difficult it is and even believes someone who said she needs a "federal birth cert". Here in Fl, we used to have little local DMVs, they got closed down, and now you need an appointment for pretty much everything, but it still goes pretty smoothly. Have even had things smoothed out or rushed through when needed. Hey, I lived in North Carolina once, and they had a line at the DMV for people who could not read. Funny/frightening on several levels.
😆😂🤣
OMG! The Social Security card! I almost spit out my tea from laughing!
I’ve had mine for over 50 years and it’s in a plastic sleeve, but I’ve never had to show it to anyone. I have Global Entry as well and figured the government has all my info anyway, so it’s too late now for me to worry. And I got Real ID the last time I renewed my license, not really understanding what the big deal was. Wished I had thought it through and I wouldn’t have gotten it.
Flying now requires (asks) you to stand in front of a camera at the TSA checkpoint as they hold your legal picture ID in their hands. There are prominent signs all around the disney lines of hell saying you can refuse the photo. I’m sure checking the biometric mug shots taken for the Real ID. This old (and looks it) granny refuses this photo very nicely now. Might explain the extra wanding or pat down after explaining my hip prosthesis and the holding of arms up for the security kabuki. I’m innocent!! , I want to plead but smile sweetly. I absolutely HATE FLYING now. Plus I got a terrible flu on our Christmas flight. Ugh.
You and me both, Janet.
A poor sick child was coughing right behind us ALL through the flight. Within days my partner and I both were sicker than dogs. Worst respiratory illness (and cough) I've ever had ~ unlike COVID. 😉👍
My husband did too. Much worse than me. Awful. I took ivermectin and that helped. I heard it was influenza A and yes, was more nasty than the Covid I had.
The experience I'm talking about was years before COVID, and we haven't flown since.
We also didn't know about Ivermectin then. (Definitely used it with COVID, though, since I'm in 3 high risk groups, and it was no big deal at all.) 👍
Oh dear. I live in Florida, supposedly the home of folks who don't know how to do ANYTHING, and we have had Real-ID for years and years. And years. It did not require anything the government does not already have - whatever I was missing, I merely called a state government and was sent a shiny new copy. We all just showed up at our little local DMV offices (gone now, sadly), showed a nice (or bored) employee our documents, and got our little gold stars. Since so many of us think (I certainly do) that voting should require an official ID, I honestly do not see the problem.
Airports? I worked overseas quite a lot between 1995 and 2000. When I flew to the Netherlands, I always had to explain - to a person in uniform who was carrying a machine gun - why I was even trying to get into the Netherlands. For work. Which required a letterhead note from whoever I was working for , with a phone number. And every time I was asked, unkindly, why would someone in Den Haag need a computer software person when Holland was stuffed with smart people who could program. The answer is because you would not want to hire a person to write a program you could buy, because when they were done, you had to either find other work for them, or pay them 85% of their salary until they got another job. Anyway, machine guns and hard questions. My now-expired passport has a letter stapled inside which explains, in Japanese, that I was foolish enough to have had my passport stolen on the JR train platform at Narita, got it replaced, which took QUITE a bit of doing, and thus had not had the exit stub of the stamp you get when you enter Japan that trip. I always got pulled into a little office, whether flying in or out of Japan, and had to tell the tale again to a government agent. Every time I went to Japan after that. But - I was always very happy to go to Japan, it was worth the hassle.
What is f**king fascinating is the uproar - personally, people I know who unquestioningly got jabbed, and were quite adamant that those of us who did not get jabbed should not be able to buy groceries, much less fly - those people believe anyone from anywhere in the world should be able to vote here (leaving aside my belief that elections are just giant bread and circus money-laundering schemes) are upset about real ID. People who evidently believed Rachel Maddow when she told them that the jab would keep them from getting or giving Covid. All I can say is - bwahahahahaha!
And I think I will stay in Florida. To all those who swear they will never ever come here - on behalf of all Floridians, thank you!
What an interesting life you have led and also🤣🤣🤣
In my best Jeremy Irons voice - you have no idea! I am eternally grateful for all the opportunities I have had. Coming from extremely humble beginnings. I am only 79 though, and not ready to give my Tears in the Rain speech. And thank you for the smilies - I love to read actually funny stuff, and I endeavor to do the same. At times. It is addictive, when people get the humor.
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You're reference to real machine guns made me smile. A few years back I was in Jamaica, and on the way to our rental we stopped next to a police or military (I think) vehicle at a light. The man standing in the back of that truck carried what looked like an M-16--with his finger on the trigger. WOOF!
Co-workers who worked in Venezuela had to carry bribe money for the walk from their hotel to the office. Safest to have the concierge call a taxi, could not even trust a random taxi. Of course, they could expense everything, haha. And yes, seeing folks with real guns up close is a bit scary. Every time.
Texas has had it forever, probably 10 years, I had to get it the last tIme I renewed my DL. Much ado about nothing.
I'll go further and sympathize by saying it's some ado about some thing. It's just that, these days, everything has to be "all of one thing" or "all of its opposite." There just doesn't seem to be a way to ask "But which play-out scenario seems more likely?" I don't want to blow off people with real concerns, but I don't want to be blown off either, as a fellow-traveler or useful idiot which seems to happen--a lot--when I only ask for more information.
What I'm saying is that stopping this-or-that half-measure is only a half-measure itself and we need to keep foremost in our United-States-of-American minds Thomas Jefferson's opinion that citizens of the new republic should watch for signs that a second revolution is warranted.
Having said that, I think the election of Trump qualifies[1], but there's no way of knowing if another won't be needed right around the corner anyway. Fellow Citizens, I ask you--I beg you--to be prepared.
[1] I see I wasn't clear: I meant "qualifies as a second revolution," but I willingly concede half the country could read it as "a sign that a second revolution is warranted."
I already have a valid Passport.... Why would I want to spend 2 or more hours waiting to get ANOTHER tracker that I don't need? Not doing it, I don't have time and it's not necessary
If you have a passport you don’t have to get one. You’re lucky to have that choice. My passport was issued in 1989 when I had 80s bangs, and I’m certain is no longer valid. For me it’s easier and cheaper to get the Real ID as I’m not traveling out of the country ever.
Just make sure you have a photo copy of the passport with you in another safe place in case you lose it!!
Just curious: What good will a photo copy do?
No government agency would honor a photo copy of a passport, would they?
The purpose is to be able to replace your passport if you should have it stolen or lose it while traveling a photocopy of your face page of your passport is always recommended to keep somewhere apart from your actual passport. You would have to find an embassy in the country where you are traveling if that happens, but having that copy will expedite the process it’s always good practice!🥰
Thanks for taking time to clarify, SQ.
I won't be getting a passport anytime soon, but definitely good to know! 👍
My passport was stolen in Japan. By people with European accents, not by a Japanese person. I did not have a copy. Luckily, I was staying at the same hotel as I did before and they had a photocopy. still took quite a while at the American Embassy - I was told the long interview was to determine if I had just sold it, because a well-traveled passport was worth a lot of money. Having a copy helped quite a lot. And then a day at the Japanese offices, where, even though I was accompanied by a Japanese co-worker, everyone was too polite to tell us we were in the wrong office, and so just asked us to wait while they ran around finding the correct offices.
Wow. Thanks for sharing your story, DJ. Sounds like quite the ordeal ~ and it's really good to know it did help to have a copy!
I realize now just how lucky I was, with all the international trips I made back in the day. Never heard about making a copy, or about selling passports (!) ~ so this conversation has certainly been a much needed wake-up call for me! Thanks again!
Smokin' hot snark on the grill, Jenna. Love it. My Kalifornia DL has been REAL ID'd for a while now. No biggie.
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I am sure you live in my brain. The thoughts and subjects that you write are a manifestation of my own thoughts. I love your articles.
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Never heard of “Global Entry” before reading this, but I’m sure I don’t want it. I’m too fearful the globalness of the entry refers to ME, not to my travels elsewhere.
Global entry just makes it much faster to re-enter the US after international travel. No standing in long custom lines, depending on your port of entry….I love it. If you have a tight connection once you exit customs,
you will appreciate it even more!
We went to Niagara Falls, Ontario last year: dream come true. See it from Canadian side first if you can. We got there about an hour before dusk and walked along the falls-walk until well after dark. Everything except the falls is plastic like all the tourist-robber stations.
We had no trouble getting into Canada even though I presented our driver-license/RealIDs. I kinda corrupted the process, which would have fully established that Wisc. driver's license was good enough, by interrupting the border guard to say, "We have passports too!" He replied, "Well, why didn't you say so?" and seemed to prefer them.
But the real lesson learned came when we drove back into the US. The guard there (TSA by the attitude) was NOT happy to see us and "welcome us home," but got all pissy because I was "too close" to the motorhome in front of us, which was obscuring a sign saying, "Please stay back." (I was driving an Honda Insight peashooter; I thought I was being gracious by not driving in up under the motorhome.)
Wow! It seems the US border agents are still hating their jobs and like to exercise their authority by being rude. Had a similar experience 37 years ago. Maybe it was my t-shirt tho.. it read thank you for pot smoking!😂😂
Ya think? :^)
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"I knew a gal in college who literally did this . . ." It's OK, Jenna. Lots of us did a few things in our youth that we don't like to share. I had a friend who once sold a pound of MJ. He only made $35, but what he remembers of that semester was a lot of laughs.
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So to fly to Cancun to booze it up requires a real ID but to vote in this country it doesn't. I am seriously asking someone to explain without their forehead veins exploding why Voter ID is a dog whistle for many folks in this land of opportunity.
You need a passport for Cancun, FYI
I think Tim meant a "real identification card" not a "RealID™".