All Hail the Canadian Federal Government!

So, I am planning another trip to Vegas. I said I would. I am going with some friends, who have been planning this trip for a while. It is a stagette and it is going to be AMAZING!! Our departure date is March 12th, 2007. I am very excited about this, but apparently the Canadian Government is not. As of January 26th, 2007 (I think that is the date) Canadians are now required to carry a Canadian passport when travelling outside of Canada.

If you know anything about getting a passport here, then you know that it is easier to adopt a child from Malawi than obtain a passport. You have to take a day off work (Government hours of operation are 8-4:30) and be prepared to stand in line ALLLLLLLL day. Once you actually make it to the counter, you could be turned away for any number of reasons, including having your mascara smudged because you accidentally fell asleep on the guy in front of you, even though he smelt of curry and B.O. So, with your fingers crossed, you approach the counter, smile and hope for the best. But don't smile too much - you don't want them to think that you are up to something.

You hand over your documentation and they pick it apart. You hand over your passport photo, which I might add cost you $15 and it is the worst picture ever. Who doesn't smile in a picture!?!?!? MUG SHOT PEOPLE, THAT'S WHO!!!!! We have all seen http://www.thesmokinggun.com/, haven't we?!?!

Sorry, I digressed. So, you hand over your information, everything is checked and double checked and then you get the okay. Hopefully.

To avoid all this frustration, the Canadian Government has now made passport applications available online. This is to alleviate the work load for the people behind the counter. Yes, the same thing that you and I do everyday. Sit at a computer and type. This is too much for them. So, we can do it online and submit it, print it off to have our guarantor sign it (don't even get me started on that one), and bring it to the passport office and get moved to the front of the line. The hardworking Government employee will then type (sigh) in the bar code and after verifying the information that YOU have typed in, the process moves a lot quicker. But not too much quicker as we are still dealing with the Government.

Side note: I do also work for the Government, but it is Municipal, not Federal, so it is completely different. Well, maybe not completely different, but different none-the-less.

I came to work at 7am this morning, just so I could apply online. Oh right, now is a good time to mention that when you go online, it says to use the website during off peek hours, which according to them is 9pm to 6am. One would think off peek hours would be after 4:30pm and before 8am, but again, I digress.

So, I was here at 7am, and have been trying ever since to log onto the passport website and complete my online application. I could have had 8 Malawian babies by now!!!

I will not be deterred. I will go to Las Vegas in March. I will have a Canadian passport. I will. I will. I will.