On my list of things to do today – SF Passport office and rescue my new passport. Considering that I turned in the paperwork on Monday, I thought it was a pretty good deal, even with the $60 expedited fee.
After clearing security, taking the elevator upstair, checking in at one desk, being directed to another, followed by heading to “Window #1” I discovered that they had not printed the correct passport book. You see, the books come in two sizes: regular and large. The regular size is exactly that which most people get. It was the size to which I wound up adding 80 pages to in 2013. This time, since the price was exactly the same, I had checked the box for the larger size since the US Department of State has decided that they will no longer add pages to passports.
Correct, they no longer are willing to take books apart, sew in 40/80 new pages. The result is that if you run out of pages, you have to get a new passport. Travel frequently and a 10 year passport will no longer last 10 years. This includes taking into account that the US rarely, if almost never stamps its own passports entering the US.
The gentleman at the window checks the envelope; it contains a regular passport. He goes and checks the order form. It specifies large. I have a choice, I can take the passport. Or I can come back at the end of the day/tomorrow and have the correct size (page numbers) provided. It doesn’t cost more (other than a second BART fare) to get the correct one and it will save me money in a few years. Since I have to come into the city on Monday (exam time again), I will head back.
Not that I have anything else to do….
