FW: [Dixielandjazz] Problems for travelling musicians

[Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis]

Thanks for the story - It could save all of us a lot of time and hassle when 
we travel outside of the country.
Larry
St. Louis
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Gunter" <jazzboard at hotmail.com>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2006 1:02 PM
Subject: RE: FW: [Dixielandjazz] Problems for travelling musicians


> Hi all,
>
> Stephen Heist wrote:
>
>>About the embassy thing, I just renewed my US passport at the consulate
>>here in Montreal.  Saw a LONG line of people waiting outside in the cold 
>>to
>>get visas.  Fortunately, when the guard stopped me and asked if I was a US
>>citizen and I said yes, they let me right in!  Sort of unfair, I thought.
>>BUT the incredible thing was, I got my passport renewed and in my hands in
>>ONE week!  Try THAT in the US!!!
>
> I'd like to report on my experience with getting a passport in 
> Switzerland.
>
> On a trip to Ascona a year or so ago I lost my passport right at the 
> Zurich airport just after I cleared customs.  I stupidly left it on a 
> counter as I was getting some Swiss francs at an ATM machine.
>
> Didn't discover the loss until I was on the other side of the country down 
> on the Italian border.
>
> Now the U.S. Embassy is located in Berne - a three hour plus train ride 
> from Ascona. Anyway, early the next morning I took the train to Berne and 
> got into the Embassy at about two thirty in the afternoon. I was able to 
> bypass the long line of non-US citizens and get right in.
>
> There I was informed that I needed the following (which I didn't have):
>
> 1. A copy of a police report recording the loss.
> 2. Two specially sized photographs of me to put in my replacement passport
> 3. 50 Bucks cash (they didn't take Visa or ATM cards).
>
> That meant a bus ride back to the tran station where I found a police 
> station. Took about an hour but I finally got the police report. I also 
> found one of those automatic photo booths which took passport sized photos 
> in one minute. Next to the photo booth was an ATM machine where I was able 
> to get the equivalent of 50 American dollars.
>
> By this time it was approaching 5 pm and I just knew I'd be in Berne 
> overnight and I was starting to wonder where I was gonna spend the night.
>
> I returned to the Embassy just before 5 and had to wait another half hour 
> before I was able to see and Embassy officer. I then turned in the police 
> report, the photos and the cash and sat down to wait. At about 6 pm the 
> officer came out with my replacement passport in hand which was good for 
> (I think) about three months.  I also got instructions and a form to fill 
> out in order to get a regular passport after I returned home.
>
> I then went back to the train station and my train left at about 7 pm and 
> I arrived back in Ascona at a little after 10 pm that same night!!
>
> Did you get that - I travelled across the country and back and got a 
> temporary replacement passport in ONE DAY!!
>
> Object lesson: Always carry two passport sized photos of yourself when you 
> travel abroad and be SURE to file a police report as soon as you discover 
> your passport is missing. Also, have cash on hand (at least the equivalent 
> of fifty U.S. bucks).
>
> Respectfully submitted,
>
> Bill "I'll never lose my passport again!" Gunter
> jazzboard at hotmail.com
>
>
>
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