iPad Passport Scan Allows Canadian Traveler To Enter United States

[Merritt]

Wat?

Canadian traveler Martin Reisch realized when he reached the Canada border into the United States that he had left his passport at home, lucky for the tech savvy traveler he had the next best thing, his iPad Passport or at least a scanned copy of his passport on the Apple tablet.

Upon recalling that he had scanned his passport and placed it on his iPad he produced the device and handed it over to a Customs agent who according to the Canadian Press took the gadget and returned several minutes later from the border office with an “all clear” message for Mr. Reisch.

When asked about his quick thinking which led to the iPad Passport idea Martin said:

“I figured I’d try, and in the worst case, I would have to go home.”

He does admit that the border agent looked a little annoyed when he first made the request but after a few minutes he said the experience was positive and he was allowed to travel on his way to Vermont.

While border patrol has not yet said digital copies will become a matter of policy at border crossing locations between Canada and the United States the happy traveler noted:

“I think a good part of it had to do with the fact that it was the holidays and I seem like a nice-enough person.”

Would you rather have a digital copy of your passport with you at all times such as an iPad Passport? I can see the battery failing just as you need to board a flight, forcing you to wait hours for another plane to departe.

Read more - http://w.po.st/share/entry/redir?pub...arer=copypaste

[flipstah]

I don't like it.

[AwkwardAzn]

ya hes lucky the canadian agent let him through... but the agent probably knew he would get boned by the US agent coming back...

[Nissanaddict]

Scan stolen passport
Replace picture
The terrosists win?

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by AwkwardAzn
ya hes lucky the canadian agent let him through... but the agent probably knew he would get boned by the US agent coming back...

He's Canadian, travelling TO the States. The border guy who let him through was American.

[AwkwardAzn]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok


He's Canadian, travelling TO the States. The border guy who let him through was American.

guess thats what 10days off and then having to wake up early to go work again does to you haha

[Go4Long]

and I'm sure he had no other ID on him...seems like there's some things left out of this story in order to make it newsworthy.

[rage2]

Customs at Calgary airport refused to let me through with a digital boarding pass on my iPad. Forced me to go back out to the clerk, print a paper boarding pass, and go back through the entire line. Almost missed my flight.

It all depends if the agent is a dick or not. Or if you're white.

[UndrgroundRider]

This story sounds fishy. Who the fuck scans their passport, transfers it to their iPad, and happens to leave their passport at home? I wonder if the guy did it intentionally, or if the story isn't true?

It surprises me that they let him through, especially since he would have more trouble trying to come back! When my wife had her passport stolen in Mexico it was a two day process at the consulate to get an emergency passport issued, and track down enough people that could vouch for her identity.

And another thing, if the celeb hacked phones have taught me anything it's that I don't want to keep a scan of my passport or any ID on anything digital. The last thing I want is some jackass trying to get into the country illegally with a forged passport and my passport number.

[Merritt]

You'd think it would be illegal to do something like this.

Now, only if he wasn't white or had a turban on, of course...

[403_Calgary]

Originally posted by Nissanaddict
Scan stolen passport
Replace picture
The terrosists win?

They x-ray you at the airport but let you through their border with a digital picture of yourself?

[UndrgroundRider]

Another article with more details:

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/...517/story.html

MONTREAL — A Montreal man managed to cross the U.S. border with a scanned image of his passport on his iPad.

Photographer Martin Reisch said if iPad creator Steve Jobs was still alive he would have something to say about that.

"He'd probably say: 'Here's something to work on for the future.' Maybe have some kind of digital certification or encryption to let people travel like this," Reisch said.

Although he's sure the U.S. border guard made an exception for him, Reisch is glad his story is being repeated by the likes of the BBC, the Washington Post and the Huffington Post.

"I hope the biggest thing to come out of this is that it becomes a catalyst to change the rules," he said.

On Friday, Reisch was driving down Highway 55 to visit friends in Vermont, when 30 minutes from the Stanstead crossing, he remembered that he left his passport at home.

He thought of turning around when he remembered that he had a scanned copy of his passport on Dropbox, an online file storage service. It was a backup he kept in case he lost his passport while travelling.

"When I explained my story to the American guard, he looked kind of indifferent. He was a pretty serious border guy," Reisch said.

The officer took his tablet computer and went inside the border office. "I guess he looked me up in the computer and saw I'm not a criminal or a terrorist or anything.

"He didn't say much besides 'Merry Christmas.' "

Scanned copies of passports are not accepted forms of ID to cross the American border by land, according to the Canada Border Services Agency. Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, Canadians must present a passport, a NEXUS card, a Free and Secure Trade (FAST) card, an enhanced driver's licence, or a Secure Certificate of Indian Status.

When crossing back into Canada, Reisch was received with more enthusiasm.

"(The Canadian guard) was a really young guy. We had a cool chat about iPhones and technology. He was really interested and didn't make a big deal that he was letting me through," Reisch said.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by UndrgroundRider
This story sounds fishy. Who the fuck scans their passport, transfers it to their iPad, and happens to leave their passport at home?

I used to do photocopies for backup. Now I have a scan copy on my phone.

All the border agent needs is the passport number. They would have the record if he ever crossed with that passport.

Now, I don't know if picture shows up on their system. If it does, it makes PS digital copy pointless.

[davidI]

I always e-mail scans of all my important travel docs before traveling.

The guy took a huge risk though. Getting into the US is one thing, getting back into Canada is another.

He may have been a frequent traveler so the border guys recognized him...either way, they're probably in a bit of shit for this story being out there.

[rage2]

He travelled by car. They make exceptions for that all the time. Wouldn't have happened by air, passport checks from security to customs to gate.

[Ben]

Originally posted by rage2
Customs at Calgary airport refused to let me through with a digital boarding pass on my iPad. Forced me to go back out to the clerk, print a paper boarding pass, and go back through the entire line. Almost missed my flight.

It all depends if the agent is a dick or not. Or if you're white.

When I worked in the US Customs gate (C) at YYC, it was mandatory to have a printed boarding pass to go through US Customs and Immigration. Airlines were supposed to have all passengers check in physically and obtain a paper copy prior to entering for US destined flights. White or not lol. No electronic copies were EVER allowed (that I am aware of). It wasn't uncommon to refuse travelers with passports that were in rough shape either. Typically that was based on whether they were a douche-bag or not tho.

[taemo]

Originally posted by rage2
Customs at Calgary airport refused to let me through with a digital boarding pass on my iPad. Forced me to go back out to the clerk, print a paper boarding pass, and go back through the entire line. Almost missed my flight.

It all depends if the agent is a dick or not. Or if you're white.

this.

I'm accustomed to digital boarding pass on my blackberry/iphone here in Canada that in LA I told my gf she could use her iphone since I checked her in already the day before.
Security wouldn't let her through without a paper boarding pass.

You'd think that they would be more high-tech than Canada.. but then again.. Yellowknife is having LTE first here in Western Canada

[JRSC00LUDE]

One thing is likely, by going to the media to say "look what I did and what they let me do" he has made EVERY future visit to the U.S. a real hassle for himself.

[J-hop]

Originally posted by JRSC00LUDE
One thing is likely, by going to the media to say "look what I did and what they let me do" he has made EVERY future visit to the U.S. a real hassle for himself.

No doubt, and I have a feeling the employee is going to get a stern warning. Electronic boarding passes is one thing, but I don't agree with digitizing personal documents like that. The things people can do with PS scare the hell out of me, there is absolutely no way someone looking at your iPad screen or smart phone can tell if you've doctored it or not.

Plus I'm willing to bet about 90% of people on here don't employ enough security measures on their computers/phones to hold off the average hacker who wants your info for more than about 5 minutes. If everyone digitizes their important documents we might as well trade identities on eBay.

[AndyL]

Seriously? People would keep a copy of their passport on a digital device?

Not worried about hackers/id theft are ya? Not like it has ALL the info they need on it or anything...