One Way to Protect Yourself from a Lost Passport - Expedited Passports

At RushMyPassport, people come to us to replace lost passports all the time. For one British man currently living in Australia, though, his passport is impossible to lose- it’s tattooed across his back!

According to the Sun, Richard Ashton decided to have the tattoo done in 2006, to commemorate a backpacking trip to the country he now calls home. The tattoo includes all of the information on the identification page of his passport, including his passport number. What possessed him to have all of that tattooed across his back in permanent ink? He explains:

“I wanted something to remember my holiday by, but also wanted something patriotic. My girlfriend at the time thought I was a bit daft, but eventually she found it hilarious. That seems to be the general reaction.”

Of course, the tattoo is basically useless for international travel. Customs and Border Protection made a point of debunking a Canadian citizen’s claim that he used a scanned copy of his passport stored on his iPad to crossd the border; there’s no way a copy stored in your skin would ever be considered legit.

That said, Mr. Ashton has been able to use his passport tattoo to withdraw money at the bank.   Apparently the teller figured that if he was willing to go through the cost and pain involved in getting the information tattooed on his back, the chances were good that it was actually his information.

Travelers are advised to travel with a printed copy of their passport in addition to the original, which makes it easier to replace a stolen or lost passport overseas. In theory, Mr. Ashton’s tattoo could serve the same purpose, making it so that he can always access his biographical information and passport number. Keep in mind, though, that your passport number changes every time you renew or replace it. Tattoos, on the other hand, are for life.

If you need to replace a lost passport, see Passport Replacement Services for detailed information on how to do that in the United States.  If you are overseas and you’ve lost your passport, see How to Replace a Lost Passport Overseas.

If you’re in the US and you need to replace a lost passport quickly for travel, you have two options: make an appointment on one of the country’s 24 regional passport agency offices or use a private passport agency like RushMyPassport. RushMyPassport hand carries your paperwork to the Department of State for processing in as little as 24 hours. Plus, by going through a private company you avoid the twin hassles of having to make an appointment and having to travel to a passport agency office.

To replace a lost passport in a hurry, contact us today!

Pro tip: If you’re going to commit a crime of some sort, you might want to leave your passport at home. I’ll bet Dozy Kenneth Morgan, a 48-year-old crook from the UK, wishes he had left his behind. According to The Sun, the newly released ex-con was robbing a house in London when the homeowner returned. He got away through the kitchen window, but fortunately for the homeowner, the rest of the neighborhood and society in general, the police were able to crack the case in literally seconds when a quick search of the home turned up Mr. Morgan’s lost passport.

Not just his passport, either. From the Sun’s report, he also left behind a backpack that “contained his mugshot on a prison ID card, his birth certificate and a tenancy agreement with his signature.” Elementary, my dear Watson!

According to the Sun, the cops investigating the robbery “giggled” like schoolgirls, then promptly found and arrested Mr. Morgan. His excuse went something like this: “Oh no, officers. Someone stole that backpack from me and planted at the scene of the crime.” It didn’t fly in court, and now he’s back in jail.

For a couple of seconds, I almost wanted to believe Mr. Morgan’s story. I mean, he left not just his passport, but also his prison ID card and rental agreement? REALLY? But as it turns out, he’s been robbing houses for around a quarter of a century. Sometimes, people really are that dumb, and the Sun has christened Mr. Morgan “Britain’s Dumbest Burglar.”

Assuming you didn’t lose your passport at the scene of a crime you committed, RushMyPassport.com can help you get it replaced quickly. Regular passport service from the Department of State takes about 6 weeks if everything goes smoothly, while their expedited service costs an additional $60 and still takes 3 weeks.

RushMyPassport, on the other hand, can help if you need your passport more quickly. We hand-deliver your paperwork to the Department of State, resulting in processing times as low as 24 hours with no need to travel to an appointment at a regional passport agency office.

Let us help you get your lost passport replaced today!

Every year in August, crowds of tourists and locals pour into the streets of Buñol, Spain, for La Tomatina, a festival that is otherwise known as the world’s biggest food fight. The festival takes place every year on the last Wednesday of August, but the action starts with partying and drinking the night before. When the sun comes up, the tourists who couldn’t get beds in town start to pour in for the “Ham Up a Greasy Pole” Contest, in which contestants try to climb a greased wooden pole to reach the ham on top.

To prepare for the big food fight, approximately 90,000 pounds of very ripe tomatoes are trucked into the town square, the epicenter of the combat. At precisely 11:00am, the fun begins, as locals and tourists alike begin pummeling each other with the tomatoes. Traditionally, women wear white to La Tomatina- I wonder if Clorox or another detergent/bleach company has considered a corporate sponsorship? Men have it easier, as they are traditionally shirtless.

No matter what you wear to La Tomatina, you should expect it be absolutely saturated with tomato juice and sauce by the end of the fight, which lasts for an hour. Clean up involves hoses and, if you’re staying in another town, waiting in line for the showers in the local train station.

If you’d like to attend La Tomatina, you’d be wise to apply for an expedited passport if you don’t already have one. Generally, if you apply with standard processing, you can expect to wait at least 6 weeks before receiving your passport in the mail. If you apply for the government’s expedited passport processing, you’ll still have to wait at least 3 weeks, and that’s cutting it close.

If you need to get your passport more quickly, the most convenient option is to use a private passport expediting company. An expediter, like RushMyPassport.com, can hand-deliver your application to the Department of State, resulting in processing times as low as 24 hours, without the hassle and inconvenience of making an appointment at one of the Department of State’s passport offices.

Apply for your expedited passport today!

You just can’t make this kind of stuff up, folks. A Delaware woman applied for a passport renewal, only to be turned down because she had apparently been marked as deceased, healthy vital signs notwithstanding.

According to NBC’s local Philadelphia affiliate, the incorrect death report came to light when Terri Penza was applying for a passport renewal at the passport office in Philadelphia.  Since she was scheduled to be in Jamaica for a family vacation in just a few days, she applied in person at the office instead of by mail.  Imagine her confusion when, during what was supposed to be a routine appointment, she was told that she couldn’t get a passport because the government thought she was deceased!

Ms. Penza had been turned down earlier in the year for a store credit card for the same reason, but she had believed that it was just a “crazy fluke” since she was, after all, very much alive.  Fortunately, she was able to get her passport renewal on time, though not without a visit to the Social Security administration to get a letter confirming that the death record had been issued incorrectly.

Experiences like this demonstrate why it’s a good idea to apply for your passport renewal as far in advance as possible.    You never what could happen to turn a perfectly normal renewal request into a long, drawn-out affair.

If you’re on a deadline, an expedited company like RushMyPassport can help get your passport application processed more quickly, so you get notified of any problems ASAP and can hopefully get them corrected. We personally deliver your application to the Department of State, for processing times as low as 24 hours, and you’ll get a trained, professional passport specialist to walk you through the process.

Also, you’ll notice that Ms. Penza had to travel from her home in Delaware to the Philadelphia passport office to get her passport renewed in time. That’s because passport agency offices that can issue same-day passports are scattered about the country. You may not have one near you. If you don’t, or if you just don’t want to take the time to drive down there, an expediting company offers a more convenient solution.

Let us help you apply for your passport renewal today!