You folks kill me....these new passport rules were known for months.....

I went and got mine last summer knowing this would happen....it took 4 weeks....

Plan Folks....It always helps!!!

My family is going on a cruise this summer, and I recently applied for a passport for my 9-year-old son. At the county building where I applied, I was told there were two different ways to expedite service. There was one extra fee that would guarantee your passport in 6 to 8 weeks, and another fee that would get you your passport in 4 weeks. Since the cruise was 3 months away I paid the extra "6 to 8 week" fee and was given a receipt in which you could track the progress of the passport on the web. To my surprise the passport arrived in 2 weeks! (My son's original birth certificate was returned in the same envelope) I am very surpried about all the 'passport nightmare' stories I have been reading about since my experience was actually quite good. I was impressed that I could track the progress of the passport on the web, and at the speed in which it arrived. My advice to people seeking a passport is to pay the extra fee to expedite service. The extra fee to expedite passport service is nominal compared to the amount of money you are paying for your vacation. Don't be cheap, pay the extra fee, and enjoy your vacation!

Protection comes at a price. Requiring passports for all foreign travel is a great thing, along with the push for a national Identification system. Submitting ones passport application less than 3 months from departure is poor planning point. I submitted a passport application for my 8 year old son, knowing that it could take as long as 6 months or more to get the passport. Protection comes at a price as does poor planning.

I watched an old episode of Bill Maher's "Real Time" on HBO lawt night and heard the same old big le nonsense spewing from the mouth of John Fund about the ability of te government to issue passports. When challenged about the fallacious nature of that contention, Fund replied "I got my passport very quickly." Whether he did or didn't is rather irrelevant. It is another example of the Right's propensity to lie their way out of anything. Thus, to engage Republicans and conservatives in any kind of debate, it is first necessary to counter the lie with the truth and that's something a lot of people, in and out of government, aren't equipped to do.

Add the passport glitch to the litany of failures of this administration which was supposed to benefit from the advice and counsel of the ubiquitous "private sector." However, all we have seen from the corporate crony system is avarice, not advice, and incompetence or the highest order, not counsel.

not only are we prisoners on the earth,we are becoming prisoners in our own countries thanks to muslim terrorists.big brother is watching us more and more-i dont mind God and angels watching me but i have crossed paths with a few crooked cops in my life of 60 years so i get nervous when i end up being evaluated by other humans and especially when they accuse me of acting suspicious when i think i am just acting normal with no criminal intentions-why cant people just mind their own buisness ?

This article is foolish. There was plenty of advance warning of anticipated delays. Anyone who didn't get their application in at least 3 months in advance or 2 months for expedited service has only themself to blame.

Once again the George W. Bush has put a policy into effect with little thought of what it would take to make it work. Iraq, immigration, Katrina, passports, all failures buy an incompetent President.

This is another fine example of how well the Bush Administration is doing.

I still find it amazing that we need a passport to stay within North America. In the end, it will just discourage those of us close to Canada or Mexico from making (what once was a simple) trip over the border. I am not about to renew a passport to go to Canada. The expense and time isn't for me. The shame is the number of people who will stop travelling to these areas (that aren't far) to stay within the US. No one really thought it through when they required passports for border crossings.

Personally, the government never really thinks things through before they implement them. Why would you get a child under 12 a passport? They change too much in that time. Sometimes I think we are foolish to implement policies that cannot be met at the speed they need to be meet. But then again, when has a passport every been completed quickly unless you pay?

I tried the passport expediter service. A terrible choice and it did not produce the passport on time. I finally flew myself to Houston (where the "expediter" said my passport was being processed) and stood in line with 1000 angry people for 5 hours in the heat. Talk about broken government. If I wanted recruits for a revolution I was in the right place.

I applied on May 5th, and got it June 9th. I paid for expedited service and that’s what I got. Fast service with no problems. I would be most of the people crying that they can’t get their passport in time either applied too late or wouldn’t pay for the expedited service.
It just sounds like a lot of people had poor planning involved with their travel plans.

I spent the extra cheese to expedite my passport. It came 2 weeks later. I was dumbfounded. Spend the extra dough. Save yourself some hassle.

You folks kill me....these new passport rules were known for months.....

I went and got mine last summer knowing this would happen....it took 4 weeks....

Plan Folks....It always helps!!!

I thought I was going to miss a trip to England this year because of the passport backlog. I had a valid passport, but had gotten married and wanted to change my name in order to avoid problems coming back into the country. It took 10 weeks for me to receive my new passport! I tried calling the phone number a few times toward the end of my wait. I never got through to a human being, and several times the recording malfunctioned and just hung up in the middle of the call. I think it is utterly disgusting that the government would even suggest (as they do on the phone recording) that an applicant should pay an additional fee to expedite the application, after they have already waited beyond the standard processing time! Some people don't have the extra money. If they apply well in advance, they shouldn't need to cough up extra dough to get special consideration.

It's really pathetic that the government created these new rules but we don't have the manpower to handle the influx of applications. By the way...the extra staff they hired are not specially trained government workers, but rather credit card company employees who work out of a new passport office that you aren't even allowed to contact or visit. That didn't sit well with me when I discovered that's where my application was! I've had enough problems with the government screwing things up, let alone temps.

I definitely agree with the recommendation to contact your congressional representative. Another thing that seems to get your application noticed is requesting the status online. I don't mean the automated webpage, but the email form that can be found on the government website. I emailed twice, and progress was made within days each time. People need to be vocal about this problem. It's unacceptable that we are being treated this way by a government that we elect and fund.

The law changed 3 years ago, with two extentions. Ignorance is no excuse. The world laughs at us because this "crisis" would only occur in the US. Over 80% of Europeans have a passport, only 25% of Americans.

You can obtain a certified copy of a child's birth certificate in one or two days via companies like VitalCheck.

I was concerned about the time they advise as well. Ten weeks! I already had a passport, but it would expire less than 6 months after my trip, so a renewal was required. They state the time for a new passport application(10 weeks), but not renewals. Sent an email and the State Department advised renewals take the same time. I submitted via standard service and was very pleased when two weeks later I received it.

Hi, as a suggestion maybe pay for the expedited service..I had gotten a passport within two weeks for work related project back in February and my work paid for expedited service...You don't need to use "passport expediters" as the article suggests....Just when applying for the passport at your local Post Office you have the choice of paying for regular passport service or expedited service...It's more expensive ofcourse but I bet anything you'll won't have such a delay...Amazing how money works;)
Anthony Sellitto

When I heard about the new passport regulations, I went and applied. We had over two years to get up to snuff. Those that wait till the last minute deserve what they get. No regulations should be relaxed. How hard is it to forge a receipt? While the cost it high, it amounts to $9.70 a year.

Hi, as a suggestion maybe pay for the expedited service..I had gotten a passport within two weeks for work related project back in February and my work paid for expedited service...You don't need to use "passport expediters" as the article suggests....Just when applying for the passport at your local Post Office you have the choice of paying for regular passport service or expedited service...It's more expensive ofcourse but I bet anything you'll won't have such a delay...Amazing how money works;)

I sent my expired passport in for renewal on April 23 and got the new one (without the chip) in 10 days. I was very surprised! Maybe most of the delay is with new applications?

You bring up some interesting points regarding the inability of the State Department to handle the large on slot of passport applicants. But with that said this has been an on going problem for some time and widely reported by the media including MSNBC, so why did she wait til just 3 months before her travel to get a passport. With all the additional security to get into the country a passport is going to be required so people need to plan with this in mind and even if they don't have current travel plans they should apply for their passport to avoid this problem. It is her problem that she made the plans without having a passport and second listened to the advice of the postal worker who would not have a clue as to really how long it would take to process the application with the increased demand. Have all your documents in hand before you commit money to your travel because it will only cost you more in the long run if you don't.

Why would anyone want to leave the US for any reason. Who wants to wallow in the third world when you can have a better time staying at home. Travel is an overrated experience. George Carlin has the right idea, whenever you travel you hve to bring your stuff with you and usually you bring the wrong stuff. Stay home and enjoy its tranquility

I paid the extra charge for faster service and received my passport in 17 days. Was I happy? Hell yes!

Security stupidity has replaced common sense and good judgment. We spend billions and inconvenience millions to combat phantom threats like binary chemical explosives while guarding critical infrastructure and border security languishes. The passport absurdity is merely another example that our government is in the hands of incompetents. People selected for their positions because of their ability as party fund raisers or that they went to Oral Roberts University instead of actual qualifications to do the job. It's all quite insane.

We had a similar passport nightmare in January of this year, and paid a "courier" to turn our applications over in 24 hours. We paid A LOT of money for this, but risked losing over $15,000 we had shelled out for a trip of a lifetime. Perhaps Ms. Oliver might simply obtain a certified copy of her child's birth certificate, which we had to do. Good luck!!

America can't let its citizens out, can't keep a dumb blond in jail. I wonder why America's omage around the world isn't that great these days....

BTW: In other countries going through your government representatives to get things done is called nepotism or corruption.

Welcome to the real world. This new era of Patriot Acts, terrorist worries, and a faulty government makes me feel very unsafe. Privacy lost for nothing.

Interesting article. However, it would be a simple matter for Oliver to get her daughter's birth certificate replaced by going to the original b.c. office or her state department of vital records . . . then she could get the state ID she needs . . .

Some months ago I had to reapply for a new passport; my old one had expired sometime before. I did everything from a local postoffice, which other than being open for passport application (with appoint) only 4 hours each week, went fairly well. I paid a small expediting fee (overnight mail only), much less than the $100 cited in the article, and receieved my passport in about 10 days. My wife had reapplied for her passport about six weeks prior to whan I did. She had also used to postoffice but did not pay the expediting fee. She only received her passport the day before we left, about 8 weeks after applying. When I applied, the postoffice official told me that a significant part of the delays then being seen were due to poor budgeting by the State Department. The "story" was that the State Department had spent their entire years passport processing budget in the 1st quarter of the fiscal year. I was told that the budget only accounted for the costs at the processing center but that every embassy, consulat, or other formal US OCONUS office in any local to which you had previsoulsy traveled had to "clear" your application after a check of their records for any undersireable activity. Each of these offices were supposedly appying there costs the same common passport processing budget thus depleting the funds. At that time, I was also told, that high-priority government security related passports were being pushed to the front of the line, followed by other expedited, follwed by all others. Any of this true? I have no idea but I've since heard similar accounts from others.

I called my congressmens office and I had my passport 3 days later (the day before our trip).

And to think the Bush administration and a lot of Dems in Congress would have us believe they can handle issuing 12 million Z visas in one day! They can't even issue passports for American citizens on a timely basis.

I was pulled aside when arriving back from Mexico by Homeland Security. I understood the reasoning for I'm a British Citizen and I had forgotten my greencard for re-entry.

I had to purchase a "waiver" to be allowed back into the country for $260 on the spot, I've lived here for 24 years yet with all the technology today, we have no way to see if I'm a registered alien?

How does it make you all feel that anyone from anywhere can purchase their way into the country? Were my bags checked? No.

Shouldn't we be able to purchase our way out of the country if we can rip people off coming in? Passport acquisition has always been a cluster(mess) and it's time that we focused on upgrading the system for entry and exit.

How ridiculous. The feds are wasting so much time of its normal, ordinary citizens' time with this passport mess, all supposedly to protect us from terrorism, yet these so-called "passport expediters," who are apparently not in any way affiliated with the government, are still able to operate in the shadows to get people passports on a fast turnaround? Anyone see a problem here?

Doesn't Tarina Oliver, the woman in this story, know her daughter doesn't need an ID to travel to the Dominican Republic, which is in the Caribbean. The U.S. State Department website says that if a minor is traveling with a their parent, all they need is the status printout from the website. A birth certificate is only required if the minor child was traveling alone. Looks like she canceled those tickets prematurely!

While I agree that the government offices need to work on their problems, I believe the citizens that have waited until even 3 or 4 months before their trips to apply for a passport need to take a lot of heat as well since the fact that passports would be required for all travel outside the country has been known for a long time. They have had plenty of advance notice and they should have anticipated long delays and gone ahead and applied 6 or 9 months or a year earlier. Everyone seems to want to wait until the last minute and when you do that you unnecessarily risk running into the exact types of problems people are experiencing now.

My experience was similar Tarina's but the outcome was much more positive. My trip to Mexico was set for the end of April. I applied for a new child passport, as well as replacing expired passports for my spouse and I in mid February. When the trip was within 10 days and no passport I called the Passport number to expedite. The phone system was over loaded with calls and it hung up on me. The next try, I actually talked to a customer service rep. Sadly the computer system was down. It happens. I was not angry and wished the customer service rep. well. She was set up to have a bad day.

I called the next day and talked to a different customer service rep. He looked up the status of the passports and expitided them. I recieved passports within two days of leaving for Mexico. The systems worked for me.

I agree that it is a problem. I am lucky enough to work for a company that has a passport expediting agency on retainer, so when I needed my and my fiance's passports, I got them within a week by paying $65.00 more to them. It was definitely worth it!!!!

Before my wife and I left for our cruise to the Bahamas earlier this year, we had heard all the media reports for about two years prior to our honeymoon.

Some people unfortunately decide to procrastinate and do things last minute. This is what happens when you do things last minute... blame yourselves, not the government.

We applied near august 2006, got our passports in 6 weeks (regular, NOT expedited) before the rush of late-filers.

Thank you all those that decided to wait until the last minute to apply for a passport. Had you been any earlier, our passports may have been held up longer, and our vacations ruined.

The passport application requires a birth certificate, the same document necessary to travel to caribean by ship, so if you apply for pasport and include your birth certificate you now have the ability to go nowhere. what a stupid bunch of rules. We will let the mexicans in but we dont allow our own citizens to travel.

The problem of obtaining a goverment issued ID without the original Birth certificate is easily remideis by obtaining a certified copy of the birth certificate from the town where it was recorded

I requested an auto insurance quote from AARP/Hartford. Along with the quote came a sheet which said in part "We use reports from consumer reporting agencies to determine insurance premiums." It further listed three items from my credit report that significantly influenced my quote. I got no satisfaction trying to understand this when I called AARP. I am in the process now of getting a current copy of my credit report, and will challlenge the three items they used, because none of them should be on my report. It is very frustrating!

I sympathize with travelers stuck in this quagmire. However, I did plan ahead and obtained passports for my children last year just in case we traveled this year. I had read about these changes and chose to stay ahead of the requirements, especially since dealing with THE GOVERNMENT. Why not just go ahead and comply with no worries, instead of depending on a govt bureau to be prompt & effecient? Good luck to travelers!

The U.S. Government can't get passports to people in a timely manner yet the President and some members of congress think we can get 12-20 million Z-visas to illegal immigrants within 24 hours. Go figure.

I know the wait is long in the US, but my husband is Canadian. We have been waiting since late December for his passport and, as of today, it still has not come through. He would have had better luck becoming a citizen at this point.

There is another option if you are traveling within 14 days. You can obtain a passport the same day at a passport agency in of the major US cities. Although, it is very difficult to get through their automated phone system, with some patience and persistence you will be able to schedule an appointment. Be prepared to pay an expedite fee, though. Their phone number is available on the State Department web site.

I just recently returned from a trip to Austria. My son and I put in our applications on Feb. 28th for a trip on May 13th. As soon as we were within 2 weeks of our trip I began calling on a daily basis to find the status. The Voice Mail system they have is ridiculous but I copied down the #'s and you are able to enter them before being prompted. Again I called every single day and every single person I talked to was kind, caring, interested in where I was going and truly was helpful. In the end, they ended up sending them fedex 3 days before we left. I completely understand people being frustrated with the process but, I had a great experience. When I started calling they started expediting the application.

Just a few comments, it was tight time frame even in March. The processing time then was 10 - 12 weeks. 10 weeks was June 1st.
Second, I do not know what state her daughter was born in, but in NY she could have gotten a second copy of her daughters birth certificate. They have 3-4 business day turn around, for a price.
I do see that this is an issue, but there is another side to the story.

Leave it to the Bush administration to screw up something else.

let`s see birth certificates can be purchased at area social security office atleast in pennslyvania. As for the backlog duh change somthing and when everybody wants in, I have never needed a passport but with the travel restrictions guess what .And all i plan on is a day trip to mexico,all else fails i could walk..........

There has been plenty of advance notice on the need for a current passport to leave and return to the US. Travelers have no one to blame but themselves in their procrastinations. The US Government should not be waiving passport requirements like they did last week. Everyone entering and leaving the country should be required to have and show a passport. EVERYONE! No exceptions.

Yeah, "Now yous can't leave!" The current "passport issue" is list a little taste of what's to come when the REAL ID ACT comes into effect in 2009. "Huh, REAL ID, what's that?" Every American will have to have "their papers" just like in the old WW2 movies.

A warning was sent out letting everyone know the new rules and regulations regarding travel and passport over a year ago. It is the fault of these people who chose to ignore this message who are complaining about getting passports. I feel the government should not change the new rules just for these lazy people who if would have paid attention and sent for a passport well in advance would not be in the situation they are now. America stop being a country of complainers and spoiled children!

While the criticism of the passport mess is certainly justified, the writer dismisses the easy solution-- use a passport receipt-- by a bit of diversion. So she doesn't have a copy of her daughter's birth certificate, which she would need to get a state ID card. She can order the birth certificate online and get a certified copy fedexed to her within a week. Or spend the morning at the county vital records office and get it today. But wait, that would ruin the story, wouldn't it?

I went through the same problem, and so did my mother-in-law. The only reason I ended up getting my passport was through the help of Senator Trent Lott's office. The passport hotline was unable to help, and the nearest passport office is 7 hours away. What a nightmare!

It is important that people know they can contact their members of Congress and get assistance in locating or expediting a passport. Calling the National Passport Center as a citizen is useless.

Oliver "sent her child's birth certificate in with the passport application" and thus thinks she can't get state ID. Actually, she just needs to get a new birth certificate. Certified copies are usually provided pretty quickly, so that would solve her problem.

Not that this helps the thousands of other people still waiting for passports, of course. Another wrinkle is that airlines may not honor the new "relaxed" rules. I posted to a local consumer travel message board about the new rules on Friday; the next day, I got a reply from someone who tried to make a Saturday morning flight from Atlanta on Delta using the appropriate documentation and was turned away. The airline rep told them that the plan was just a proposal, which isn't what the announcements and news reports said.

Many of the problems could have been avoided if people hadn't foolishly made non-refundable trip plans requiring passports before they had the passport in hand. However, my personal feeling is that businesses should be willing to help people out. For example, it would be a huge act of goodwill for airlines to allow passengers caught in this quagmire to change their flights free of charge.

One way to speed up the process is to go to one of the main passports centers like the one in Boston, Mass. By going directly to the center, you can get your paperwork through faster. For a fee, which is about $100, you can get your passport in 2 to 3 days instead of the months it takes otherwise.

I applied for renewal passports in March for a trip in May, paid the expedited fee noted in the instructions, and got our passports in about 3 weeks.

Everybody had plenty of warning about the new passport rules, which have been public for years. I am not defending the government, but I have no sympathy for people who did not get their passport situation taken care of long ago. If you missed a chance to go on a trip, it is because YOU missed your chance, not because your are some poor victim. And applying on March 26 for a June 2 trip IS procrastinating, no matter what the post office told Ms. Oliver.

Yet another case of our illustrious government creating new rules without supplying the personnel or money necessary to ensure timely delivery of prepaid goods or services, in this case, passports. Our elected officials would rather see their districts receive "free" money (grants, earmarks, etc) than make sure that the programs already in place receive the funding necessary to operate smothly and efficiently. What a bunch of cheapskates......

Hmmm, they built a wall around Berlin to keep the people in...Fascism anyone?

7.) Obsession with National Security: Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses

Check it out:
http://www.oldamericancentury.org/14pts.htm

I had mailed my old passport for renewal in early April. They deposited my check, and then...nothing! I'm scheduled for a cruise to Norway next week with several family members to celebrate my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary. Everyone had paid for the trip and it was too late to cancel so I was sure they would be going without me. I had called and called the 800 number at all hours to get a status with no luck. My emails to the passport administration were ignored. Finally, I went to my Congressman's office...they made a phone call, and one week later I had my passport in hand.

I understand the frustration, however the gov't came out last year and told all what the new rules were for traveling outside of the US.

You are paralleling the US with USSR or Cuba. and you my friend are totally wrong. The only problem I see is....guess what...Procrastination. If you want to travel take the time to prepare, this means apply with ample time of letting things run its course. Elemental... my dear Watson.

My friend applied for a name change (adding her married name) back in February in preparation for a trip to Jamaica in May and a trip to Spain in June. She finally received the amended passport in May and her name was misspelled. When she finally got through to the office, they told her she'd have to re-apply but she would NOT get a new passport by her trip in May.
Basically she had to take everything that proved her identity including a phone bill. It was a major hassle.
Her next trip is in 2 weeks and still no passport. This is all the Passport Office's fault but they have not been willing to expedite at all. Just a gross mishandling of the entire situation.

We can all understand the frustration that these travelers are experiencing, but you are not supposed to make travel arrangements that involve leaving the country and that require a passport until you have the passport in your hands! I thought everyone understood this? Two months, even before the new passport regulations went into effect, is not enough time to allow for a passport.

If you dig a little you will find an incompetent political appointee behind the problem. It is the hallmark of this administration.

I just got my new passport and paid the extra $60 for expedited service. I used FedEx to send my application and photo for processing and recieved my new passport within 3 days of dropping it in the FedEx collection bin. The passport agency charges the extra money for expediting your application ($60) but it was well worth the peace of mind. Basically, my advice is to pay the $60 expedition fee through the US Passport Agency...this is an option when you apply for your passport online(http://travel.state.gov). It is definitely worth $60 (total cost for passport and expediting of service= $127), especially considering you only have to go through this every 10 years and you have probably spent way more than that on your trip all ready.

First of all, the Dominican Republic IS NOT A POOR COUNTRY. Yes, we have needs and could be better, but, shouldn't people have a better live in New Orleans? What about the Appallachians in Kentucky? Do your homework Bob!!!! You americans like to denigrate the so called third world countries and do not realize that you could have been doing a better job to improve your own country. We do appreciate people coming to help, missionaries, teaches, they are all welcome, but don't come and tell the world that we are a starving country. Check the homeless in your own downtown first, and check the burocracy that is driving this nation down, thanks to your own politians.

And this comes as a surprise to any one? Name one government project ever done on time and on budget????

I am not surprised by the poor efficiency that our governments display. This is not the only example. It seems that government and business alike believe that more computers is the answer. All continue to cut and out-source the human element and I believe that this causes most of the problem. Over worked employees continue to get more work dumped on them and often without proper instructions or resources to complete the tasks. Poor management causes most of these problems. Get the bureacrats out of Washington, they are only concerned with their tenure and retirement.

I live in Ohio and am leaving for Ireland next Thursday. I applied for my passport on March 20th and was also told not to worry - that I had plenty of time. Instead the passport never came and never came and my emails to www.travel.state.gov were NEVER returned and my phone calls NEVER answered. Then I contacted both of my senators and my house representative. Finally Rep. Tim Ryan's office was able to help me. I picked up my passport from FedEx last night.
My advice - do not wait to start contacting people. The sooner they know you need their help the sooner they can help you. Call everyone and call often. I think being a pest and having a very helpful staffer in Ryan's office saved our trip.

But isn't it true that these rules were known before the crunch came? The government should encourage all citizens to have current passports if there's any chance they might want to travel internationally. I'm sympathetic to these folks, but it's not as if they didn't have a long time to apply, they waited until close to summer and anyone knows that the closer you get to summer, the longer it's going to take, new rules or not.

The new passport laws came out in 2004. The dates keep getting pushed back further over the laziness of the US citizens. Everyone should know that you should not wait until the last minute to get your passport. Shame on Tarina Oliver (In this article) and all the other Tarina Oliver’s in the US. There was a backlog starting in January at the passport offices. It was all over the news 6 months ago. It is a shame that we are again relaxing our border security over the procrastinators in the US.

We live in a new world. 60-70 days for a passport turnaround is not a realistic expectation.

It wasn't even when I applied for mine 10 years ago.

We live in a world where bad guys run rampant- when are Americans going to take responsibility for their lives?

Want a passport?

Apply for one 6 months in advance. Very few people who are leaving the country DON'T know prior to 6 months out.

Let's give the government a break: It takes time to ramp up a system to absorb a 30-40% increase in information flow and expectations. At the same time, they are obviously ramping up technology, changing systems, and adding personnel.... Change is hard- especially at the governmental level.

The problem? Americans' expectations are built around TV and movies- real life is not like the CSI's and war movies we see every day-wrapped up neatly and tied with a bow by the time the closing credits roll across the screen.

Real life is just that: "real".

Because I, too, sent my children's birth certificates in with their passport applications, this passage in the article sent me into a brief panic: "The relaxed rules won't help Oliver, however. She sent her child's birth certificate in with the passport application. Without that, she has little hope of getting a state ID card from the motor vehicles department for her daughter, which she’d need to satisfy the new rules."

However, the State Department's official website says that "Adults who have applied for but not yet received a passport should present government-issued photo identification and an official proof of application from the U.S. Department of State. Children under the age of 16 traveling with their parents or legal guardian will be permitted to travel with the child's proof of application" which can be downloaded from the State Department's website.

Consequently, it does not appear that young children traveling with their parents need anything more than a receipt from the State Department's website indicating that they've applied for their passports. Does anyone have a different view?

You say that the increase was predictable due to new laws passed by congress. I would expect that added capacity would require additional personnel and resources. I wonder if those laws included any additional funding.

It should be possible for Oliver to obtain another copy of her daughter's birth certificate from the issuing county or state vital records division. This could probably be done quite quickly, especially if she can appear there in person to request the record.

The birth certificate gets sent back with the new passport so it isn't lost forever. But you can always get a replacement at your state's designated office. In my state I can get 1 copy for $12 and another for $4 so why not go ahead and get and extra certified copy. It pays to have a backup.

No procrastinator? Whatever. The law requiring passports for certain travel was enacted over two years ago. Now the State Dept. is overrun like TicketMaster when Rolling Stones shows go on sale but somehow the government is to blame. Suckers

Going through your congressperson is a great idea if it's getting close to your travel time. I had put my application in to renew my passport two months before I was to leave for Australia. My parents are good friends with who is now our governor and gave his office a call. I had my passport in two days.

Sad it had to come to that but...yes, get ahold of your congressperson.

This is the same government that is going to issue 12 - 30 million "Z Visas" to illegal immigrants in 24 hrs after the Bush -Mccain- Kennedy bill is passed

To bypass the Passport 5 minute automated message first press 1 for english then press 3 when the guy starts talking about how long its been taking for appilications. A new voice menu will come on . From here you can press the button that corresponds to your issue. They may still tell you that no one is available to take your call, but you don't have to wait through the long winded message to learn that info. I called about 30 or more times and was "allowed" to wait on hold 5 times. I spoke to someone 3 times and ended getting my passport in 8 weeks.

"The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."

This is typical goverment efficiency BUT anyone that that even had a slight notion that they may leave the states this summer should have acted sooner, this problem has been warned about for many many months. I think about you all as I fly out on vacation, plan ahead better!!!!

When I needed a passport to travel to Asia, I applied 4 to 5 months before departure -- had no problems. Perhaps this person did not apply in enough time. As a traveler, I am well seasoned with delays and organizational misshaps. If she had planned it well and started long before her trip, she would not be lamenting and posting her sad story. However, not every one plans a trip well.

This is unbelievable, and totally unacceptable. Everyone should be calling their member of Congress and demanding that this problem be resolved.

Passport procurement has turned into a for profit business through the use of "expediters. Simple cash gets you to the head of the line while those who apply early get shoved back. This is disgraceful. It should be first come first served period.

The info on calling the 800 number is true, I never once got through. I applied on May 10, 2007, and the status check online never reflected that even recieved my passport application. I spoke with my travel adgent on this and she provided me with my senators phone number. She told me to call and plead my case to him and he could make the phone call to put things in action. I called, doubtingly, and spoke to a man there on a Tuesday. I kid you not, I got my passport in the mail on Thursday! That was only 3 weeks after I applied for it. So if you are in need, call you senators office and see what they can do for you :)

I hate to disagree but everyone found in this situation IS a procrastinator. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative was originally scheduled to take place January, 2006. If they had gotten their passports at that time, they wouldn't be in this situation!
Just because there were "no plans" to leave the country at that time, after 9/11 people should have known that it was going to happen eventually!

The delay in receiving passports is news worthy, however I think it is indicative of a much larger problem. The State Department may get the blame for the passport delay but the Dept. of Homeland Security also figures into the mix. Performance in the Mid and lower range of our governmnent services, while still acceptable, is not on an upward trend. When a huge bureaucracy like the US Government has delays or failures it can usually be corrected when mid-management starts focusing on the job/project instead of focusing on upper management.

This woman does have a recourse now with the new law. She can apply for a DUPLICATE original birth certificate. You can order endless amounts of them, if you want to...and take that to get the state ID done and then change her ticket and go as soon as she gets that done...provided she has her receipts that the passports were applied for.

over 100 billion sent to iraq and they cannot find a million to hire more people to process these passports. Makes no sense. Someone should be held accountable. If you can't handle the influx of new passports, the restrictions should never have been put in place.

She should have got one as soon as she found out everyone needs one. Be prepared people. Get your s**t together. Stop relying on the government.

I don't understand the issue here. I applied for a passport on May 19, 2007, paid the extra $60 for expedited status and received my passport in 13 days. Sounds like people are trying to blame the government for poor planning.

As for the woman in this story, if she really wants a state ID for her child, she can get a new copy of the birth certificate really easily.

This isn't really news. The passport office has always had issues with getting passports out on time. I applied for mine three years ago and it took 5 months to get to me, with expediated service. It took a complaint to my congressperson to even get it a week before my trip.

Be proactive and don't wait until the last minute.

This seems to be another failure of our Secretary of State, Condaleeza Rice, and the Bush Administration as a whole.

Call your congressional representative......their office can get it taken care of. I had the same problem....one call and the passports were here within 4 days.

Missing from the story is that the U.S. government privatized the passport process to make it more efficient. The big problems is making all U.S. international travelers get a passport and providing no phase-in. I renewed mine last year and it took almost two months to get it back. Things were very slow before the new regulations. I travel this summer to SE Asia and at least for Vietnam, you must send your passport to their embassy to get a visa. Many out of the tourist mainstream countries require you to get a visa before you go. It looks like Haliburton is responsible for getting your passport processed and like Iraq, it's a quagmire.

I don't understand why Ms. Oliver wouldn't get a duplicate of her daughter's birth certificate, she could easily obtain that and get it certified in order to get the ID card. Am I missing something?

WE waited 14 wks for my sons passport. I started sending emails 3 wks before travel and was told that it was in Charleston, SC and was in process. I emailed back and asked what did in process mean, would we have his passport before June 5. I was told it was being worked on. I started calling at the 14 days and never could get thru. I even set my alarm at 5am my time to call and still got the same recording to call back. A lady at work told me how to stay in the system until I got on hold in the inter circle. When you get the msg to call back you need to press 9 three times and it will bring you back the the same msg to call back. You keep doing that until you get music or a different msg to hold. I called in many times and sometimes only held 20 - 30 minutes and one time we held over an hour and half before I had to hang up. I finally got someone to tell me the week before he was to leave that his had just been suspended because they wanted the long birth certificate which we sent the 5x7 size and some of the ones sent at the same time was accepted. I went and got a long form and sent it fed ex overnight on Friday with a letter and a paid returned fed ex so we could get it back on Tues for travel on tues afternoon. The person told me to call back as soon as I got a name on who signed itand then they could get in touch with that person and tell them it needed immeidiate attention. I was told that all they needed was the long form and then they would finished processing it and get it in the mail. I called within 20 mintues of it being delivered and called in they emailed Charleston because I got a call center in Kentucky.Called back late that day and the next and computer system didn't show it being worked on. I tried to get an appt. The closest center to me was Houston, TX or Aurora, CO which both of them are about a 9 to 10 hour drive. Houston was totaly booked. I never could get an appt on the auomated system. I called at 5 am on Monday and held for about an hour and got a backup appt in Colorado and she sent another email letting them know that I needed it processed and mailed today. Later that day I called and they said that it was out of suspension so I still had hope that maybe they got it in the mail. I called late that day and it showed processed but not mailed. So my son and I left at 10 pm to drive all night to Colorado for a 9 am appt at the center. I also had been told to call our Congressman and he was also calling and sending faxes to to get this processed. At our appt. we where told that his passport was mailed that morning and that we would receive it while he was in the air.It only took 2 &1/2 hrs to get our passport and it cost me an additional $225.00 in gas for the trip to and from Colorado. Then I had to pay another $120 to fly him from Lubbock to Dallas at 5:45am Wednesday morning to meet his group that drove on Tuesday to leave for Mexico at 9 am. Then to read 2 days later that they relaxed the laws and didn't need the passport. We were told 6-8 weeks and that we didn't need to pay the extra $60. I wish I had, it would have been a lot cheaper than the EXTRA $345 I had to pay for gas and airfare. They truly have a mess with the system. When I got back I had an email that his passport was mailed from Houston and it had been sent from Charleston. They don't even know what is going on and I received the short birth certificate back and the long form and the paid return fedex is still floating around some where.

Isn't it interesting? Republicans always complain about the incompetence of the gov't, but when THEY are in charge, we get a war that's a total disaster, a dysfunctional emergency agency (FEMA), the largest bureaucracy ever created (Dept of Homeland Security), a budget that is totally out of control ($120 billion for 4 months in Iraq), and a State Dept that couldn’t predict that demand for passports would increase with all the new requirements.

At least under Clinton, the gov’t was only half as dysfunctional!

I think that this just might be the icing on the cake for the corruption of our government.

I think this is the icing on the cake of how corrupt our government really is.

I lost my passport a few years ago, while in the US. Unfortunatly I had an overseas trip planned the next week. I used one of those expiditers and was VERY pleased with the results. It was not cheap and required a little extra leg work, but well worth the cost, vs losing the value of an overseas trip.

My brother just wound up taking a few days off work to get a passport a few months in advance of a trip to Mexico - he flew to Chicago and stood in line to get one.

Ok, the State Department obviously did not gear up to handle the predictable increase in passport applications. This has caused a significant disruption in travel plans for many people. They certainly share some of the blame here. I can agree with that.

But lets look a little further... Like the story mentions, this rule has been in place since 2004, 3 years ago. I believe that anyone that even has the possibility of travelling internationally should have a current passport. Instead of waiting until the last minute, why not go ahead and get a passport before you need one? Passports are valid for many years, and it is much easier to renew a passport than apply for a new one.

Ms. Oliver could have applied for passports last year or even the year before that. Just because you don't have immediate plans to travel abroad doesn't mean you shouldn't get a passport. If she even thought of visiting her sister last year when she started working in the Dominican Republic, she should have applied for a passport then.

Finally you mention that Ms. Oliver is no procrastinator. I beg to differ. The rush has been on for passports for most of this year. Is 2 months before a trip really enough time to get a passport? This may have been the case a year or two ago, but not now.

Plan ahead! If you travel, get a passport now. Don't wait until the last minute and hope it comes in time.

This is untrue. I submitted a passport request for my 18 yr old son 6 weeks ago and forked over an extra $60 bucks to get it back faster and it arrived in 2 weeks. Not sure why all the noise - why would you risk a trip for $60?

While I understand the frustration facing those who have current travel plans and are waiting on their passports, we cannot totally blame the State Dept. We were informed about these changes back around 2005. I know many people didn't pay much attention, but that is no excuse. Whether you thought you'd need one, you should've gotten one before this year. That is what I did. I knew the new law would take effect beginning this year and while I had no travel plans last summer for this year, I went ahead and got one. It took about 5 weeks. Doing that enabled me to take a last minute trip to France, with no worries or concerns, and I'll be able to go to Mexico, Canada, etc hassle-free.

My granddaughter's passport finally arrived 12 weeks after they applied for it and her name was spelled wrong, so what was the sense in sending her birth certificate. Do the passport people NOT PROOFREAD their work??? Correction was sent in and then several days later another letter from the passport office came and we were told we had to provide another picture and complete another application, this was never mentioned in their first letter for the redo. What is being done to correct this mess??

While I understand the frustration facing those who have current travel plans and are waiting on their passports, we cannot totally blame the State Dept. We were informed about these changes back around 2005. I know many people didn't pay much attention, but that is no excuse. Whether you thought you'd need one, you should've gotten one before this year. That is what I did. I knew the new law would take effect beginning this year and while I had no travel plans last summer for this year, I went ahead and got one. It took about 5 weeks. Doing that enabled me to take a last minute trip to France, with no worries or concerns, and I'll be able to go to Mexico, Canada, etc hassle-free.

I have no sympathy for people, who knowing this was coming down the pike, didn't anticipate a run on getting passports. Who waits a mere 10 weeks to file for a passport before going on an out-of-country trip? Remember the days of old? It used to take months to process a passport request. I don't care that we are now in the technological age, I want the passport processing centers to be hypervigilant in making darn sure they issue passports accordingly. A passport is a precious thing and we need to remember that as well.
If you applied for your passport 6 months ago and still experience delays, you have a right to complain. But don't expect Joe Public to commiserate when those who complain the loudest are the procratinators who wait to the last moment in this current climate. People, we are fighting a war on terror and terrorism. Wake up and smell more than just your morning coffee.

She sent in the only copy of her child's birth certificate? Not smart and you can go to the health department of the county where the child is born usually and get a copy.

I've always been told there's a three month minimum for an American passport. Though this is a sad story, I don't consider this "tragic", only an blown out of proportion problem. We live in a McDo society where we expect instant results. It's a passport, for goodness sakes. Not a driver's license!

Come to France where you'll see red tape. Until then, dry your tears and bucker up lil' camper. Life isn't all that bad.

Next time, pay the extra fee if you need to have a passport before six months.

It would be nice if this gave US citizens a small bit of sympathy for people in other countries who are trying to enter the US legally, but are forced to wait years and years even to get an interview for a visa. Not to mention the professionals trying to come to the US for international conferences, unable to get even temporary visa requests processed in time (even applying a year in advance) to actually get to the conference where they are scheduled to speak. Those delays are causing much more anti-US sentiment and damage than the problem of US citizens who feel entitled to go on vacation anywhere in the world. The appropriate Congressional committees should call in the Secretary of State (when she's available) and demand answers.

Sounds like my adventure in March of this year. I must have called hundreds of times and only got through twice. I paid for expedited service and got service that was slower than they indicate for normal. I ended up with a meeting in DC that I ended up having to take a day off work to go to for a meeting only for them to say that the processing center in LA started processing my Passport 15 minutes after my appointment that they were 30 minutes late in seeing me for. But, I would not leave until they contacted that agent in LA processing it to guarantee I would have it in a couple days for the trip I had. So I was out the expedited service fee that I didn’t get, a day’s work, gas for the drive and the time it took from Eastern NC to DC and back.

My wife and I went through this chaos just last month. We applied well in advance for the passports with the assurance that they would be here prior to our trip. We had a 3 week window from the time they we due in until the trip. After contacting the passport office, when they did not arrive, we were told to get duplicate birth certificates to use for our trip. After spending over $300 to get expidited birth documents, the passports arrived the day before we departed. That was $300 wasted due to an inept process.

Can someone please tell me a website or a phone number to call to inquire about my passport? I applied for mine in February and still haven't recieved it. I need it within 3 weeks. Thank you!

Robert R. from New Jersey wrote: "My advice to people seeking a passport is to pay the extra fee to expedite service." Well, Robert, I _did_ do that, but I still didn't get my son's passport until 8 weeks AFTER our scheduled trip. Now, just on principle, I will be applying for a refund of the supposed "expedited processing" fee. Wish me luck,

What a joke! We have no problem LETTING 12 million illegal's in the country, but for a TAX PAYING U.S. citizen can't go on vacation to the island's with out a (urine test,blood test,your first born, the deed to your house,what political party you belong to),you get the idea.
Again, WHAT A JOKE.

I was in miami two weeks ago at the passport place tagging along with a friend. It took early 9 1/2 hours to have passport in hand. It wasn't the 4 1/2 hours waiting outside the building that got me (even though he had an appointment, it was the fact of how unorganized those people were. With something as simple as name calling in a room of maybe 50 people, it took nearly 4 hours. There has to be a better system. the majority of the time they just stood around making jokes acting like they had all the time in the world. but what can you expect from a government like this.

All you losers who blame the government for your own stupidity, should, when you finally travel to another country, STAY THERE!! You don't like the way things are done here by all means leave. Why would you want to carry a document from a country you winge about on a daily basis. People from all over the world will pay anything to live here but you spoiled brats who are the least productive here should go. Don't let the door hit you on the way out!!

I have a trip planned for Sep and decided to go ahead and do an expedited passport at the local post office . Was told it should arrive in about 4 weeks. To my surprise it arrived within 2 weeks.

When I applied for my passport, the average wait time was 4-6 weeks. It took 17 weeks for me to receive my passport, but that was not necessarily the aggragating part. What was most aggravating was the fact that you could never (at no time of day or night and I tried at all hours) get through to a human being that could tell you when you might expect to receive your passport and whether in fact it was being processed. We just want to know that it is coming! These 5 minute recorded messages and then you are cut off is insulting.

I myself paid for the expidited service claiming two weeks delivery...much to my amazment it came in exactly two weeks.....lucky me;)

For everyone saying people should have known and should have applied before, I am curious to know what you consider to be a reasonable time- 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years? At what point does it become ridiculous? Say I have a family of 4- that is over $400 in passport fees- most people aren't going to shell out that money unless they actually have plans of travel- these things do expire you know.

I knew about this law and foreseeing that it was going to be pandora's box, I went ahead and renewed it about a year before my old passport's expiration.

So last December, I headed to my local post office to get my application. The clerk told me that it would cost $97. Uh, no. That's $67 to the US State Dept and $30 to the USPS which they call it as an "acceptance fee." I asked the clerk why do I need to pay the USPS an extra $30 for a RENEWAL, she said that's how it was. I left the post office with the application form in hand, saying that I didn't have my photos ready.

I immediately went online to the State Dept website and it states $67. Just as I though, nowhere does it state that the USPS acceptance fee is required for a passport renewal.

So I filled out the form, put in the photos I took at Walgreens, inserted a check for $97, and sent it in in a regular 39 cent (as it was then) stamped enveloped.

4 weeks later my passport arrived with no problems.

I applied for a passport March 7th for a June 15th trip. I called the passport service number I found online (1-877-487-2778) 13 days before my trip and had to call several times (I memorized which numbers I needed to press for each option I wanted so I could just press them quickly and call back over and over again.), but after about an hour I did finally get through. My passport was expedited at no additional charge and I got it in time. SO, KEEP CALLING PASSPORT SERVICES B/C YOU WILL GET THROUGH EVENTUALLY. Yeah, it was a pain, but it would have been a bigger pain to have missed my trip.

If you look past the inconveinence and focus on the issue itself, US passports are very valuable - probably THE most sought-after travel document on the black market. They prove US citizenship, and many, many people (both good and bad) would love to get their hands on them. I would hope the government takes its time to make sure they issue passports to the right people. Americans' lack of planning should not have caused this delay. It's just plain wrong.

Also, the State Department issued 17 million passports in 2006. For 2007, they've already issued that many through May. I think they're doing a good job considering it's a neglected, underfunded, undermanned agency that doesn't receive anywhere near the funding it should in this day in age. The State Department budget (including foreign aid) is less than 1 percent of the total budget. The Defense Department gets massive amounts of cash compared to that. And we ask a lot of the State Department; it not only issues passports but it issues visas to foreigners, another pretty thankless but vital task.

First, the Bush administration sucks. Second, I used the expedite service and received my daughter's passport in three weeks. Just like going to metrics years ago, we didn't want to do it so we didn't. Now, we need to be more secure and have no idea had to get out of red tape to make it happen. Please, can 2008 get here soon enough?!

Our Passports took 1 WEEK! I sent in my passport info on June 1st, paying the $60 fee for expedited service. We had our passports in our hands on June 8th! We sent our information/expired passports using overnight delivery and wrote "PLEASE EXPEDITE" on the outside. We also included a 2-day SASE for return. With the application I included a short note asking them to please expedite. I'm not sure if this did anything to help, but it must have! Good Luck!

I applied on March 19th and was told that passports would be finished by May 10. I was planning on traveling on May 23. I too called that toll free number more than 20 times, then calling my congressman's office here, but queries went unanswered, so I ended up traveling to Seattle on May 22, the day before my trip. I was able to get my passport that day.

Its still a load of government BS. How hard is it to staple together a tiny little paperback book with eight pages in it? They certainly didn't waste anytime cashing the check. Doesn't seem to be any chaos or delays in that department.

God Bless America. Can't get it. Can't get out.

This change and new policy was mentioned over a year ago. Everyone had the option of renewing or applying when the new policy was first mentioned. So why wait? Even with expedited service, you know there is still the possibility of delays due to prograstination.

I learned when I was very young that the best identification is a passport. So why not have one. Ok, you may never go anywhere where you may need one but don't you feel it's best to have one, just in case?

In 1998, I knew I would be visiting Canada (long before I moved here). I had a copy of my birth certificate (another document most people don't have a copy) so I knew I wouldn't have any problems. I chose to renew my passport after 10 years of being without one.

Better safe and smart, than sorry.

When we applied February 22, we were told it was in plenty of time to go to the Dominican Republic mid-May to see our daughter who is an English teacher for the Foundation for Peace. After numerous phone calls, my husband got his passport 7 days before I did, mine was stuck in quality control, what I called "the passport Bermuda Triangle" for a week, no explanations. After hours waiting on the phone, we did get to visit with people who could request via e-mail that my passport be expedited and also who told me that it should be in the mail today. I even visited with a manager’s manager who also had no true power to help and could only send an e-mail. After calling our Senator, my passport was in hand – one day later, the day before our trip. What is strange is that our passports are consecutively numbered and “issued” on the same day.

Another tip?

Make a copy or scan the information page from your passport and give to several family members (that may not travel with you). This will help if you lose your passport especially in another country. Someone in your family has a record of it.

My family and I applied for our passports 4 weeks ago today for a trip we are taking in August. We paid for Expedited Service on all 5 passports. Mine is the only one of the 5 that shows up on the government's online passport application status lookup. It says that I paid for Expedited Service and will receive my passport within 2 weeks of the application date. It's been 4 weeks today and no passport!

For those of you that take the attitude that it's our faults for applying too late or being too cheap to pay extra to make sure we get our passports in time, how do you explain my situation? I applied almost 5 months in advance of my trip and still paid extra to make sure my family got our passports on time. The government has failed us once again.

It should'nt be any surpise that the most dysfunctional passport office is in New Orleans. I started working to get my passport 5 months beofre my trip. Those of you who criticize others for being procrastinaotrs are speaking from a different world. Most people do not travel overseas and therefore have little knowledge of the process. When they have the opportunity to make a trip, such as mine to Germany today, they are starting from scratch, learning as they go. What they and I have learned is that our State Dept. is a dysfunctional mess.

Some people don't even know they need a passport, or what a passport is, untl they plan a trip outside the US. They are no more ignorant than you are about some other topic they might know more about than you.

At the magical 2 week mark I started calling, and figured out the phone codes quickly, so I got through whenever I called. Did no good, The operators are almost powerless. They sent a few e-mails to New Orleans, asked for passport to be expidited. After 10 days, 4 days before trip, nothing changed. Senator Dole's office got the passport moving, but it was when I called the Task Force number that things really began to happen. Why was a Task Force formed? They know what a mess they have on their hands.

I'll skip over all the double-talk and lies I heard during that 2 week period. Bottom-line - my passport arrived 14 hours too late.

It is now 2 days later and I am flying to JFK this afternoon to sit standby for my flight to Frankfurt. My 89 yr old parents flew without me June 13. I am out $450 so far.

A friend payed for expidited servive 2 months ago - he leaves in 3 weeks, still no passport.

My brother-in-law was at the Towers on 9/11, is now an anti-terrorist agent, and so
I am well aware the importance of the new rules and the desirability of having a US PAssport on the blackmarket. I don't undrstand the ineptness of the State Department. But I am not surprised.

My wife went through a similar nightmare, only it took from mid-February until this week to get her passport that she was assured would arrive in 6-8 weeks. She had to cancel a trip in mid-May! It finally took the intervention of her Senator to even get her passport this soon.
During the process, when she did manage to speak to a human, she was given false information and even blatantly lied to. All because the State Department was too short sighted to realize that giving people a chance to "jump the queue" as the Brits would say would swamp them and leave those who were patiently waiting for their passports holding the bag.

So I applied for my passport Mar 23rd for a trip to Peru on June 22nd. I was told I didn't need to expedite it and that it would take 6-8 weeks rather than 4-6 so I was good. WRONG! I started calling on June 8th and finally got through on the 11th. The put it on the fast track and told me to call back if I didn't get it on the 16th. Well I have since been in contact with them on the 17th, 18th & now this morning. And as of this morning they told me they still have time! R U KIDDING ME! So I guess it will get here Thursday. I am going to go to the Post office today to see if I can put my mail on hold so that I can go to the post office myself first thing in the morning rather than waiting till' 3:00 to get it delivered. This is an absolute nightmare!
My buddy went in a week and a half after I did and HAD to expedite his and he got his in 2 weeks. Mine is now on it's second week of being expedited but after 2.5 months of being in the system. WHAT A JOKE......

Good sweet lord this is entertaining reading, and some need a refresher in math apparently...

"My family and I applied for our passports 4 weeks ago today for a trip we are taking in August. We paid for Expedited Service on all 5 passports. Mine is the only one of the 5 that shows up on the government's online passport application status lookup. It says that I paid for Expedited Service and will receive my passport within 2 weeks of the application date. It's been 4 weeks today and no passport!

For those of you that take the attitude that it's our faults for applying too late or being too cheap to pay extra to make sure we get our passports in time, how do you explain my situation? I applied almost 5 months in advance of my trip and still paid extra to make sure my family got our passports on time. The government has failed us once again."

that was posted on June 12... Hmmm June.... July.... August.... Not sure what school you go to where that is 5 months, but whatever...

If normal passports are taking 10-14 weeks, your expedited passport will probably take a skintch more than 4, but I will at least give credit for realizing you needed to expedite them... Better than a lot of people on here...

I can sympathize with this story, we too went through a similar situation. We applied for our children's passports In January and was told by the people at the post office that we had plenty of time before our March 26th trip to Mexico and didn't need to pay for the expedited service. How silly were we to believe that. With 10 days to go before we were due to leave we were now told we could pay the expedited fee and they assured us they would be in our hands in 10 days. Sure. One of my son's arrived on time, the other's got lost in the system. I had to take my 6 yr old to Chicago and sit in line after line for over six hours to be told it was completed that day in South Carolina and will be delivered to our home the next morning. And I was supposed to believe that? Mind you this was a Thursday and we were leaving the following Monday. It wouldn't have mattered either way, I would have had to go back to the agency in Chicago the next day because it wouldn't be done until then anyway. So fine, I take my son home, and wait. Thankfully it was delivered via Fedex at 10:30 the following morning.

What I find so sad about our situation is exactly what everyone else has said. You cannot get through to speak to anyone. The process comsumes you, you have to spend so much time waiting on hold and really doing your research to get other direct numbers for people that may be able to help you. It's frustrating, stressful and leaves you in awe at just how much we are at the mercy of our own government.

To those blaming the passport applicants: I wanted to travel to Germany. I went to the State Department web site, I went to the local processing center. I read the alerts of additional time needed. They said to add four weeks to the normal wait. I allowed eight extra weeks. As in the above story, I was advised by the State Department processing center NOT to pay for expidited service because I was filing with "plenty of time." My passport arrived by US mail the day I left. Had it not arrived on time (as is happening to too many people, this would have been my fault how? I am supposed to outguess the 'experts'? Mind you, when I applied, the media was not yet full of these stories. I did my homework, and still was damn near burnt.

I can see both sides of this issue. I have a friend who just waited almost 4 months for a passport. I cannot feel sorry for the people who did not plan in advance for this issue. It has not been kept a secret that this was going to happen. Even to the point if I remember correctly the deadline has been pushed back a few times. I can however find fault with the Passport Service for not increasing staff knowing there would be a large push at the last minute. It seems to me that this is just another case of no one really cares how much they inconvienience they put someone else through. If you called the US Postal Service and asked a month or two ago how long it would take to get a passport they would not tell you there would be a delay knowing that sure as God made little green apples the lead time had more than tripled. Same old story pay more for mail service get less service.

My understanding is that this was signed into law in '04 or '05 and has been delayed 2 times. Unfortunately many people did not heed the warnings in the news to get a passport very early because of the possibility of delays. We are supposed to feel sorry for all the procrasinators? I think not. Everyone waited too long and everyone sent them in at the same time so you are going to have delays. I got mine a while ago in anticipation of the last minute rush. A passport is good to have anyway as a form of ID.

We had applied for my 14 year old sister's first passport, along with 2 renewals for others of the family, 5 months ahead of our departure date and paid for expidited shipping on all since we don't really trust the Gov't to do anything in a timely manner. The computer tracking consistently said it was in process, then finaly listed it as stalled or somesuch thing. We ended up calling our state senator's office and asking for help. The other app.s had been sent north, but hers was sent to New Orleans for processing--but they couldn't find it. When the Senators office got involved we squeaked by as it was delivered 2 days before we left. We have traveled and lived over seas for many, many years. No Visa or passport process has ever been this messed up-except Saudia Arabia. There is a bench mark to aspire to!
My young 5'10" blonde 14 year old sister was pulled up on a check list at every airport on this trip since her name "resembled" one on one of those no-fly lists . We suspect that is part of the stupidity of the passport offices blundering. I vote for more official passport offices. That way we can spread the red tape and incompetence country wide. And I disagree with a previuos poster...get out and see the world. If we stay at home like scared rabbits--they win.

I applied for an expedited name change about 2 weeks ago and was just told my passport was done and is in the mail. I should receive it in the next few days! I'm not sure what the delay is? Perhaps if everyone paid to expedite that was mentioned in this story wouldn't have had the problem? Just a thought!

I applied in February with expedited service and still do not have a passport. What a joke that I have to pay over $100 for the lousiest service on earth when I'm already shoveling thousands of dollars a year into the government blowhole of incompetence.

I ultimately paid to expedite mine PLUS Fedex 2 way overnight shipping. I was fortunate enough to get it back in 11 days.

My grandmother on the other hand, opted for regular processing. Hers took 14 weeks.

This is truly ridiculous... paying more than $100 extra in expediting and shipping fees, to get a service that the government should provide ordinarily.

Um cant she just get another birth certificate for her daughter??? They are easily obtained at the local courthouse where the child was born!!