U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in May that Canadians — and Americans for that matter — had better get their passports if they want to continue crossing the border.
Since my wife, Ravin, and I live in Eastport, we figured we’d better follow his advice, and we obtained application forms. We found that, in order to get a passport, we need to fill out an incredibly complicated form (I’m 71, but they still want to know my mother’s maiden name), and we need to provide “proof of U.S. citizenship, proof of identity, two recent color photographs,” and “fees.”
That’s when the sticker shock kicked in. The total cost for getting a passport turns out to be $97. That breaks down to a processing fee of $55, an application execution fee of $30, and a security surcharge fee of $12. Since I generally travel with Ravin, make that total $194.
All this just to have lunch on Campobello Island from time to time. All this despite the fact that Ravin and I carry perfectly valid, tamper-proof Maine driver’s licenses.
So, the sad conclusion is that I’m really going to miss those Campobello fish cakes with chow chow and those pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Come to think of it, I’ll miss those Deer Island French fries, too.
-Bob Gustafson, Eastport