Why I Don’t Have a Passport
‘Whaaa….. You don’t have a Passport???’ is one question I face from time to time. People are totally surprised and look at me like I am some alien who doesn’t know what a passport is.
When I say I didn’t need one until now, they tell me ‘You might need it anytime . . . why don’t you take one immediately?’
Then I tell them I won’t not need one suddenly. When I do, I will take one then. They are flabbergasted.
‘You should have taken a passport for attempting GRE/GMAT?’
‘No, I didn’t attempt those exams.’
‘You should have needed one for Onsite?’
‘No, I don’t get Onsite opportunities in my line of work.’
‘But you could take it for ID/Address proof no?’
‘No, I have other documents for ID proofs.’
‘You are very different. You are . . . (Insert: Strange, Non-conformist, Rebellious, etc. that they want to add, but don’t for politeness sake.)
Then they tell me – ‘Don’t you want to go abroad for a tour sometime?’
‘Maybe in the future, I’ll take a passport then. But first I want to see India.’
They stare at me thinking, ‘What’s going on with this guy, why is he so insane?’.
Then they ask, ‘Are you not interested to work abroad and settle down there?’
I just say, ‘No.’ Needless to say, they are open-mouthed.
After my interactions with people on this topic, I realize that there is a new slogan that people follow nowadays: ‘Roti, Kapda, Makaan, Bandwidth, aur Passport.’ 😛
I love to be different from others. This is just another opportunity for me to establish being different and relish at that. Also, I love to irritate people with my casual I-am-not-interested-to-take-passport-or-go-abroad attitude 🙂
But seriously, I don’t want to take a passport because I don’t want to go abroad now. And I don’t fancy traveling around the world for tourism, or working abroad and settling down there. I love to live in India in spite of all its fallacies, and sometimes because of it.
I am not against people going abroad. Just that I don’t prefer that for myself.
Why?
I don’t know, I am like that! 🙂
Destination Infinity
So, do you guys have a passport? Do you like to travel abroad for touring (or) to work and settle down there?
I am 100% with you. People think having a passport is a status symbol. Unless there is a “need” there is no reason to apply and get a passport.
I just remembered a funny incident that happened in the past. We came from California to Delhi and stayed there for a week. And then came to Chennai. We had reservations at a nice hotel. The desk clerk looked all 4 of us up and down and asked “where are you coming from Sir”. I said we are coming from Delhi. (Technically that is correct.). Then he asked “Can I see your passport?”. I asked “do you need a passport to come from Delhi to Chennai? I thought both cities are in India”. The desk clerk never said anything. (He should have asked where do you live. I would have told him I live in California. Then he should have asked for the passports.)
The desk clerk seems to have guessed that you are coming from outside India. But yes, he should have asked where are you based at/where do you stay!
Destination Infinity
Roti, Kapda, Makaan, Bandwidth, aur Passport.’
Dialogue like a Bollywood Movie or movie name
Passport just a personal choice
Ha ha. I borrowed the slogan from some yester-year politician who coined it. The original was: Roti, Kapda, aur Makaan. The other things were added recently 🙂
Destination Infinity
I got my passport in engineering fourth year. I had no plans of going for MS, but i got campus placement and i was asked to get it.
🙂
Though i never got onsite opportunity, it became simpler for me to come to US now.
🙂
Of course, you never know when a passport might be required. But, I don’t consider passport to be a must-have/social status, etc.
Destination Infinity
I too don’t have a passport and have no idea about travelling abroad in near future. If we aren’t sure about the opportunity there isn’t an urgent to get passport. I think many take a passport (just like my bro, who got it in tatkal) to create an image in others that they would have been abroad when they really haven’t.
I am sort of the reverse in these matters. Even if I had a passport and have gone abroad, I will maintain I have never been outside India 🙂
Destination Infinity
It is good that you have got firm idea of what to have and what not. Passport is not needed for ID inside India and it is very easy to get one nowadays whenever you want.
Be different, which is interesting too!
Yeah, I don’t like stereotypes. At least not for myself.
Destination Infinity
I didn’t get one, til I was destined to unite with my now hubby through the marital tie. It is just another ‘ID’ proof isn’t it? And it is easy to get one now a days :).
Yeah we can get it in Tatkal if we want. But I am trying not to get one for as long as possible 🙂
Destination Infinity
If it is a ziddi mindset bothering you; then break it now. And get a passport.
I’ll have to find out if it is ‘ziddi’ mindset!! 😉
Destination Infinity
I think having a passport is a personal choice. But people take it as a status symbol (which is weird actually), that’s why your not having it amazes them!
I wonder how it can be a status symbol any longer when everyone around you has one!
Destination Infinity
Making passport a social status oh my my!!!
Even i don’t have one and that doesn’t make me any less Indian.
Yes it’s a personal choice…loved reading the article…
I feel it’s also a need-based choice. Why take one unnecessarily?
Destination Infinity
I agree with you. If you dont have a reason to take one, then there is no need to take one. It’s not mandatory that one needs to have a passport even if they dont use it. I got mine because IT companies make it mandatory, though I’ve travelled a lot for personal reasons. Love how such small things can be used to irritate people 🙂
Kudos to you for standing by what you believe in. I have had a passport from the time I was three. And I used to love opening and seeing it whenever my mom took it out to photocopy it for some proof and would tell her that some day all these empty pages would be filled with “stamps”. It is interesting because my parents have never been abroad or even on a plane till now. But I always knew I wanted to MS and even joined engineering for the 16 yrs education requirement. After reading your post I am wondering what made them get me one though they knew they couldn’t travel. Did looking at that document (in a way) make me dream? Interesting read.. it put in into some nostalgia.
I guess it can also be an aspiration/inspiration-sorta thing!
Destination Infinity