71–80 of 144 posts
> We used to make fun of the Soviet Union for its lack of freedom of travel ("papers please"). You only need ID not pre-authorization. You don't have to get Idaho to authorize your vacation and Nebraska to allow you transit.
> We used to make fun of the Soviet Union for its lack of freedom of travel ("papers please"). You only need ID not pre-authorization. You don't have to get Idaho to authorize your vacation and Nebraska to allow you transit.
And the US is actually pretty good about not requiring you to always have Federal ID on you, compared to European countries.
> We used to make fun of the Soviet Union for its lack of freedom of travel ("papers please"). You only need ID not pre-authorization. You don't have to get Idaho to authorize your vacation and Nebraska to allow you transit.
And the US is actually pretty good about not requiring you to always have Federal ID on you, compared to European countries.
> We used to make fun of the Soviet Union for its lack of freedom of travel ("papers please"). You only need ID not pre-authorization. You don't have to get Idaho to authorize your vacation and Nebraska to allow you transit.
also, "papers please" was a German thing AFAIK
Earlier quoted context omitted.
And the US is actually pretty good about not requiring you to always have Federal ID on you, compared to European countries.
I cannot remember the last time i showed my ID to anyone when traveling/flying in Europe.
Also had to show ID (passport, in my case, as a visitor from the US) to board planes in Europe.
While traveling on trains in Germany, I was also required to show ID.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
What's the difference, exactly? "Travel papers" are used to control whether or not you're allowed to travel. ID checks are also used to control whether or not you're allowed to travel. (For example, one use of ID checks for air travel is to check the traveler against the government's no-fly list.) Are you just saying that the requirements aren't currently restrictive enough to be worth complaining about? Because I on…
Permission vs. just to identify who I am. I can drive to the airport right now and fly wherever I want. I don't need it approved by government.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
And the US is actually pretty good about not requiring you to always have Federal ID on you, compared to European countries.
I cannot remember the last time i showed my ID to anyone when traveling/flying in Europe.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
And the US is actually pretty good about not requiring you to always have Federal ID on you, compared to European countries.
15 years experience with living in Europe, I've been asked for my ID only a few times, while boarding planes. Never in the streets, at cafes, being 'carded' for wanting to buy a beer, or drink a beer outside if I want to, freely .. without requiring ID. Like, if you think that Europe is all 'citizens, comrade', those days are over. Schengen is awesome!
Plus not all European countries are part of Schengen.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
As the blog states, you actually don't need an ID to fly, you just need to prove your identity (and be ready for a huge hassle).
It's been eight years, but in 2007 I was able to fly from Columbia, SC to Atlanta, GA without any personally identifying documents whatsoever - I showed up at the airport without a ticket, without a wallet, without anything. I was flying home for a funeral and as such was fairly distraught, so perhaps they cut me some slack on that account. I don't remember any specific hassles though.