Is this true? only 5% of americans have passports?

[RossMAN]

I've had a U.S. Passport since I was 2.

Had to get it renewed last year when I travelled to vacation/get married in Australia.

 

[dude]

I have one but I don't think it's incredibably important to have one. Plus, you can have one done in 2 weeks if you should need it that quiclky. It only cost about 420 or $25 more.

Plus, even those that don't have US Passports, you can get a Visa to go abroad. I keep a passport because if anything should arise, I am ready! Nah... I had surprise vacations before and that's when it comes in handy!

 

[BlueApple]

Originally posted by: kt
i've travelled to Europe numerous of times.. but i've never had a US passport and still don't.

Care to explain?

 

[kLezViruS]

I have one.

 

[bizmark]

I have one, but I just got it last year when I went to Germany. My parents (in their 40s) don't have passports, and they've never been anywhere outside of the U.S./Caribbean.

It's funny... I think it's a difference in societal emphasis. Europeans drive tiny cars and live efficiently. They also have month-long vacations when they can travel with all the money they've saved from being efficient in their lifestyle. Americans drive SUVs and have big houses, and they never leave the country, because vacations are so short and they have no money to do so anyway. It's in our society. It's not that it's a US-centric thing or whatever. My parents would LOVE to go to Europe (or anyplace for that matter), but they've never thought of the fact that they could go yearly if they didn't have a big house and two new SUVs. There are random Americans who are able to think this way, but they're few and far between.

 

[shopbruin]

i had to get mine rushed because their usual turnaround time, i wouldn't have received it in time to travel to thailand.

and because i was stupid and took my picture at the post office, it cost me $115 bucks for the regular fee, rush fee, and the picture.

i wish i had gotten it earlier.

i would love to travel more but sometimes i loathe flying and it's expensive.

 

[nater]

this gives some insight as to why so many americans are...you complete the sentence,

I have one, and I'm 17. There's a whole world out there that most Americans are too lazy to go experience. Their loss

 

[reitz]

I don't have one, and I've never travelled outside the US or Canada, so I've never had the need for one. That 5% number doesn't surprise me...anyone know what the percentage for Canadians is? I'm guessing it's not that different.

Forgive my obvious ignorance, but how does one go about actually getting a passport? How much does it cost? How long does it take to get it?

 

[Mookow]

I have one, but I got it to go to Ireland when I was 17. Before then, I never had one, since I never went where I would need one (I've been to Canada and Mexico, but never outside that prior to going to Ireland).

 

[Pliablemoose]

Don't really need one unless you're traveling outside of US/Canada/Mexico, that covers a whole freaking continent...

Hell, Texas is larger than a lot of European countries, it's exotic for us to go to Oklahoma

 

[Aquaman]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
Don't really need one unless you're traveling outside of US/Canada/Mexico, that covers a whole freaking continent...

Hell, Texas is larger than a lot of European countries, it's exotic for us to go to Oklahoma

LOL.......... Don't drink the water

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Hossenfeffer]

Never had one, myself

 

[flavio]

I'll get one soon but in the meantime I've been to 40 of the 50 states, Canada, and Mexico.

 

[Lucky]

Originally posted by: dude
I have one but I don't think it's incredibably important to have one. Plus, you can have one done in 2 weeks if you should need it that quiclky. It only cost about 420 or $25 more.

Yeah you can get them same-day too I think. At least I got mine same-day at an embassy in costa rica when it got stolen...so I imagine in a pinch you can get similar service here.

 

[kgraeme]

I know that a certain generation of Americans take extreme pride in the ability to travel cross country and never hear the phrase, "Papers please". To many it is one of the things that defines the U.S.

 

[vi edit]

Don't have a need for them. I want to see the ocean? I have two coasts that span about 1,000 miles on each side of the country. I want beaches? We got that too. I want to go mountain climbing? Got it, with three different ranges. I want to see exotic geological formations, gorgeous scenery, and cool wildlife? I'll head to yellowstone. I want to see the desert? I'll head to Arizona.

Ect. ect. ect.

Face it. Outside of "cultural stuff", most of which ohhh...95% of americans could give a rats ass about the US already has. We can just hop in a car and drive basically a max of 20 hours to get to it.

Everybody speaks English(Unless you go to Miami) I don't get charged $4 a minute to make a phone call to my relatives, and I don't have to pay for $1000 in legal documents(for a family of 4) to get there. That doesn't even include the hastle and price of flying across the Atlantic, the problems of getting around the other countries ect. ect. ect.

For a majority of Americans, and their nominal 2 weeks of paid vacation, international vacations are unrealistic. When you are in the middle class bracket, which a majority of americans are in, they are pretty much unobtainable.

 

[jreel]

I'm going to be flying to Toronto in less than a month. I was told that I wouldn't need a passport for Canada. Can I get there with just a drivers license?

 

[reitz]

Can I get there with just a drivers license?

Yes, but with the tightened security since 9/11, it's not a bad idea to have a second or third form of ID (Social Security card, birth certificate, college ID, etc.).

 

[FoBoT]

i have one, my wife has one and my oldest daughter has one, although i think it expires this year

why would people have one unless they planned on traveling outside US/Canada?

 

[aphex]

I have one....

 

[WW]

(2nd paragraph) More than 45 million Americans travel abroad each year

population is currently around 287 million...

so

45/287 = 15.7%

Anne, you are the weakest link GOODBYE

link to weakest link

 

[bigalt]

(2nd paragraph) More than 45 million Americans travel abroad each year

I'm not so sure that that's unique travellers, I bet a good portion of people that go abroad once do so more than once, though 5% may be low.

But even 15% is a pretty measly number, anyway. I'm sure a lot of people agree with vi_edit entirely, and their minds wouldn't be changed until they're standing in a 400 year old castle in england or at the foot of the pyramids in egypt. Jerusalem is breathtaking, but I don't know that I'd make that your next vacation spot. (not that there's anything wrong with that!)

I think that travelling does amazing things to your perspective. We so readily judge so many other people without having any clue about them at all.


Unrelated, I wonder what percent of Australians have their passports? For a country of like 25 million or however many, they seem to be everywhere.

 

[b0mbrman]

Here's a question...do you think Americans travel to places outside of the US more often than Europeans travel to places outside of Europe (not just outside their home country)?

 

[308nato]

Not all of us have the funds to go globe trotting which is what it is when you go abroad from here. I live in Illinois. Its not a short hop to another country like it is in Europe.

 

[Mill]

I have one. I was planning to go to Israel but that sort of fell through here as of late.