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08/27/2003 Archived Entry: "canada passports"

CANADIAN SMILE POLICE NEXT?

If you are Canadian and about to get a passport, don't smile when you get your pictures taken. According to this article, the new passport guidlines prohibit exhibiting a smiling face. Maybe the Passport Smile Police are tired of people not taking Canada seriously.

I have known some Canadians, and most of them were friendly, happy types. Why do they put up with such idiotic government pronouncements? Do the bureaucratic weenies that issue passports think it is inappropriate to smile and look like a normal person on your passport? What about driver's licenses? Must one be "neutral" for those pictures,too? Will there soon be a prohibition against smiling in public places? One never knows when smiling might offend someone.

As Jim Traficant used to say, "Beam me up".

cb

Replies: 4 comments

I am so tired of Canada these days.

Posted by Steven Martinovich @ 08/27/2003 02:42 PM EST

Is this really news? I've been warned not to smile for both of my Canadian passport photos, by both the photographer and relatives who'd heard the same. This comes easily to me, as I hate having my picture taking, and smiling makes my face hurt.

I think some bureaucrat finally got around of making something official that's been anecdotal for years.

Posted by Kathy @ 08/27/2003 04:29 PM EST

Not being Canadian, I don't know if it's really news to you all up there. The point here is that you, a real live human being, should have the choice whether to smile or not. The idiocy is having some brainless bureaucracy tell you what you can and can't do. Just what is the compelling state interest that prohibits you from smiling on your passport?

Posted by cb @ 08/28/2003 12:18 PM EST

I chuckled this morning while listening to this story on the local radio. The DJ asked, "The way Canada is going these days, what's there to smile about up there anyway?" After thinking about it, perhaps this new rule is the logical outgrowth of the legalization of pot.

Posted by Pete Vere @ 08/29/2003 01:07 AM EST