LA TImes - Lost Passport Article.

Interesting article. My thought as I was reading is was, of course, why the heck would he stick it in the seat back pocket?

It was our experience when a friend lost her passport in Paris, that the Canadian Embassy did not issue her a new passport but a "lassez-passer" for her return flight to Montreal. Will a US Embassy actually provide you with a new passport?

Thanks, Rocket. That's why my passport is always strapped to my body when traveling, except for the brief time it's in my purse/carryon bag while I'm going through security.

I'm confused about how the bloke was able to get out of the detention cell, make it to a photographer, and then to the consulate for the temporary passport, all without his original passport??? Did the local police escort him through all this?

"Will a US Embassy actually provide you with a new passport?"

I lost my passport just prior to arriving in Paris, by train, on a weekend in 2014. I did not leave it in the seat pocket...sheesh! I went to the Embassy first thing Monday and was able to get a temporary passport only. I was in and out in two hours. I straightened the then President's photo while I was there. It was quite an interesting experience-security personnel out front welcomed me "home", and that was the best part.

Good information there, Rocket. Thank you. Interesting point about putting your carryon in the bin across from your seat. To me, that makes better sense than putting it over your own seat. Also a good idea- carrying extra passport style photos. I remember needing one for a transit pass somewhere (maybe Paris) and have carried extras ever since. DIdn't think about needing one for a replacement passport, if necessary!

customs denied him entry, there is me thinking that it would be immigration.
me I always carry a copy of my passport,certainly would make life easier if it was lost.

I got a temporary passport at the US Consulate in Napoli in less than an hour; they also took the photos. I don't know that having a copy of your passport helps at all with getting it replaced - your passport record is accessed electronically by consulate/embassy officials. And no government that I know of recognizes a copy as valid identification.

Frankly, the traveler's "wits" went out the window when he put the passport in the seat pocket.

I don't see anything wrong with placing your passport in a seat back pocket while you are settling into your seat and placing all your other stuff in the overhead or wherever. The issue instead is not remembering to retrieve it immediately before sitting down and not placing it in a secure pocket within your clothes.

There are a couple things that bother me about the story. First, how did he return to London without the passport? Second, as pointed out by others, how did he get photos taken, copies of the paperwork to fill out, and all the other stuff to show up for an appointment to get his replacement? Also, are photos actually needed for a modern US passport replacement anyway? The passport you get has your photo printed on it, not glued to the page, meaning it was electronically stored anyway. Couldn't that photo be used when they print you a new passport?

Mark,

I'm not sure if it's a general commercial aviation rule or country specific but if if one is denied entry into a country the airline that flew you in is responsible for returning you. This is why your passport is checked at the gate right before you board the plane. The airline is on the hook for cost involved in repatriation.

Yes the article brings up many questions and leaves me scratching my head a bit.

The article is definitely "journalism light", imho.

L.A. Times = Journalism Light. Day in, day out. There's been so many head scratchers reading that paper (not sure it's a newspaper) that I'm amazed that I still have some hair.

If it's still cool enough in the summer to wear a light jacket, I stash the passport in a plastic cover, like those given out by banks when bank books were still in use, in a tailor made zipped up inside breast pocket on the jacket's right side, where on the outside my right arm is covering it. The fanny/waist belt is used for other purposes.

This brought up some memories. Many, many years ago I traveled to Europe for three months, the summer I graduated from High School. For some ridiculous reason I stashed the return portion of my ticket and passport in the seat pocket ahead of me and forgot all about it! They wouldn't let me back on the plane but I lucked out as one of the stewardess retrieved it and had it sent to our hotel in London. International travel was entirely different in 1978.

"International travel was entirely different in 1978." How true! Those were the days in the 1970s traveling in Germany and Europe.