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#21
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Wearing phot vest at Europe in June 2006
Lucas wrote: "PTravel" schreef in bericht . com... SNIP Passport should be carried some place under a shirt, not in a vest pocket. It's best not to carry the passport. It is the requirement in a lot of European countries, especially Spain that you carry your passport at all times. It's a requirement in some, but never enforced. A photocopy will do. SNIP In ALL European countries it is law that you should be able to (legally) identify yourself. For residents of most European Union countries any official ID-card (with photo) will do, sometimes a drivers licence is accepted. Foreigners (non EU-residents) on the other hand must be able to identify themselves with their passports when requested by officials (police, customs, etc..) at all times; a photocopy is NOT a legal document! When you have only a photocopy on you, you may (or may not) be asked to come to the police station in order to "establish your identity", depending on how trustworthy you are in the eyes of the official, and wether or not there is a recent terrorist threat (we have those over here as well...). In many European countries, including Italy, France and Spain, hotels must register foreign guests with the local police station, and take the passport of the guest at check-in to do so. The passport is usually returned within a few hours or, occassionally, overnight. Notwithstanding the ID requirements, carrying a passport around with you is sometimes impossible, and never a good idea. Sanctions vary in different countries; in Holland there is a fine of 30 euro's (I beleive), in neighbouring Belgium you can even get arrested for as long as it is necessary to establish your identity... this can sometimes take a while... These regulations are often used to deal with football (USA: soccer) hooliganism. We were having a discussion about an American tourist and a photo vest, not about football hooligans. On the other hand: in the over 30 years of my adult life, and visiting over a dozen european countries, I can't remember when the last time it was when anybody asked for my ID/passport, except at airports and when checking in in hotels. In over 30 years of constant international travel, which has included multiple visits to virtually every western and most central European countries, as well as Asia, Africa and India, I've never been asked for my ID/passport except at airports and when checking in to hotels. I've been asked to provide my passport number for VAT refund forms. Notwithstanding the de minimus fines that may be associated with failure to produce _adequate_ ID, i.e. showing a photocopy instead of the passport, the consequences to an American of losing a passport (or having is stolen) are so severe that I _always_ recommend leaving the passport in the hotel safe (though I have, in some circumstances when I thought the hotel a bit dodgy, locked my passport in my luggage, along with expensive electronics and my wife's expensive items of clothing). Doesn't your travel agent have this kind of information for you? I only use my travel agent for booking domestic business travel. I have more than enough experience to handle booking international travel myself. Moreover, this is exactly the kind of information for which Americans should not rely on travel agents, as travel agents in the U.S. are focused almost exclusively on business travelers, or on selling "package" tours and cruises. Lucas, Dutchman. |
#22
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Wearing phot vest at Europe in June 2006
Lucas wrote: "Derek Fountain" schreef in bericht reenews.net... In ALL European countries it is law that you should be able to (legally) identify yourself. SNIP Rubbish. You don't need to carry any identification in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Yes I do: I'm no UK-citizen. No you don't. There is no requirement under UK law for that regardless of your citizenship. If that is really the case, I was misinformed the last time I stayed in one of the better reputed international hotels in London. After checking in, my passport was returned to me with the words: "Please keep your passport on you in case anyone asks for it". That's odd. In my many visits to the U.K., I've never had a hotel clerk say anything other than, "Here's your passport. Thank you." Why should anyone ask for it, other than for identification purposes? And who is entitled to ask for it, other than officials (police etc.)? So you're simply assuming that it's required by "officials."? Anyway: better safe than sorry; as I said: in some EU-countries you can even be arrested if you have no valid ID. That I know for a fact: my stepfather was a policeman who had to deal with that kind of situation several times. In the U.S., you can be arrested for jaywalking (crossing the street against the light). However, no policeman will arrest you for that unless you've given them some other concern and they need the charge as a pretext. If your concern is "better safe than sorry," a tourist, particularly one like the OP who is wearing a photo vest, is far, far more likely to lose his passport to a pickpocket (or simply lose the passport), than to be arrested for failing to produce a passport in lieu of a photocopy on demand. Notwithstanding those posters who think a decoy wallet is necessary to mollify muggers, violent crime against tourists is simply not a problem in Europe. Pickpockets, however, are quite common in tourist areas, and specifically target tourists. I've never heard of anyone having the slightest problem with "authorities" because they didn't carry a passport with them. I have, however, heard of many, many, many instances in which people have lost passports, wallets, plane tickets and other not-easily-replaced items to pickpockets. Incidently, in my 30 years of traveling the world, I've never, not once, been pickpocketed (though I've been targetted a couple of times). There are common sense precautions that one can and should take that ensure against that kind of petty crime. Lucas |
#23
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Wearing phot vest at Europe in June 2006
irwell wrote: On Mon, 10 Apr 2006 04:51:40 GMT, "PTravel" wrote: "irwell" wrote in message .. . On Sun, 9 Apr 2006 19:31:56 -0700, "PTravel" wrote: "Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message .com... "zxcvbnm2bg" wrote in message oups.com... Greetings! I am thinking of wearing a photo vest which has many pockets to store passport, small digital camera and batteries etc. I shall be traveling to London, Paris and Rome in late May and June 2006. One bad point I can think - It will immediately mark me as tourist. Will it be too hot to wear photo vest in June in London, Paris and Rome? I just spent 10 days in Italy. I carried my small camera in my shirt pocket. Spare batteries can fit in a pocket easily too. The rest of the batteries and charger will be back at the hotel. Passport should be carried some place under a shirt, not in a vest pocket. It's best not to carry the passport. It is the requirement in a lot of European countries, especially Spain that you carry your passport at all times. It's a requirement in some, but never enforced. A photocopy will do. It is enforced in Spain. In all the times I've been to Spain, I've never been asked to show my passport, except at hotel check-in and at the airport. Even if it is enforced, as you claim (and contrary to my personal experience), are you aware of any instance in which an American tourist was arrested,detained or fined solely for failure to show a passport in lieu of a photocopy? I've never heard of any such instance anywhere in Europe, and I've been travelling there extensively for 30 years. Have you ever tried to replace a passport overseas? It's not an easy, quick or pleasant process. No, I believe you. Getting stranded overseas for a period of time that can range up to week is not fun, particularly since checking into a hotel without a passport is problematic. Even if the hotel isn't an issue while waiting for a new passport, plane tickets certainly are. Unless you're travelling on unrestricted fares (and few leisure travellers do), you'll incur significant fees for changing your tickets, even assuming there are seats available on the day you finally receive your replacement passport. Even if planes and hotels aren't a concern, who wants to spend their vacation time dealing with rude and disinterested Americans at the U.S. consulate? And, of course, that assumes that you're somewhere near a U.S. consulate -- what if you have to travel to a major city to find one? A passport is far too critical a document to carry around. It can be stolen, lost, or simply mutilated or damaged. Keep it somewhere safe, i.e. _inside_ a safe. Your passport is safer on your body than ina hotel safe. Nonsense. Nonsense to you too!. Hotel safes, the bedroom type are not that safe, not for things like passports (for which there is a thriving market) and your airline tickets, though these days e-tickets are safer anyway. Hotel safes are far safer than carrying a passport and airline tickets on your person. Though e-tickets are in common use in the U.S. and Europe, they are not in common use in Asia. The few instances in which I've heard of people having things stolen from hotel safes were either dodgy hotels to begin with, or resulted from carelessness on the part of the guest. Notwithstanding, if you're concerned with in-room safes, then use the hotel's primary safe and leave the passport (and any other valuables) with the hotel desk. A money belt or other pocket that you keep under your shirt is the safest way to carry your passport and credit cards. I use a wallet that links to my belt and is kept underneath my pants, against my thigh. However, I only use it for my credit cards and larger amounts of cash (pocket money I simply keep in my pocket). |
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Wearing phot vest at Europe in June 2006
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#27
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Wearing phot vest at Europe in June 2006
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#28
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Wearing phot vest at Europe in June 2006
Rome will be very hot then- you might be better of with cargo shorts.
Plenty of people wear those vests in Europe anyway so you will be ok. garry www.rugbyphoto.com |
#29
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Wearing phot vest at Europe in June 2006
"Lucas" wrote in message l.nl... In ALL European countries it is law that you should be able to (legally) identify yourself. For residents of most European Union countries any Not in free UK. We haven't yet got the sort of police state mentality which requires us to carry identification. Not even for a foreigner. |
#30
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Wearing phot vest at Europe in June 2006
"Al Dykes" wrote in message ... carrying expensive airline tickets, they go there, too. Maybe a space credit card, also. I bet they ask for ID when you travel in space? No? |
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