LONDON (Reuters) - The fight against terrorism has wiped the smile off the face of British passport holders. The UK Passport Service (UKPS) said on Friday it would forbid open-mouthed smiles on passport pictures, one of several rules introduced to comply with strict new U.S. standards. Smiles are forbidden -- along with sunglasses and hair slanting across the eyes -- because they may confuse security cameras used to scan faces and verify the passport is authentic. - source (http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=560573&section=news)

Damn those terrorists and their pesky smilies... :rant:

In true government (don't-panic-but-read-this) style, I've taken the liberty to make my own guide to the new regulations using graphics that should break down any race and language barriers:

:| = :nod:
:D = :nono:

(PS. Did someone mention it was Friday afternoon and too hot to work?)

I think it's a very very good idea.

Have you ever seen a terrorist smiling?

Originally posted by Tony
Have you ever seen a terrorist smiling?
Or even just a terrorist for that matter? :o

That man is smiling at an airport! ARREST HIM!!!

(because we all know how dull-a-place airports are)

As far as I know this is typical for most countries. Considering the value of a British passport they are not very secure....10 yr passports yikes.

Originally posted by Tony
I think it's a very very good idea.

Have you ever seen a terrorist smiling?

I've got a great idea: why don't they make it compulsory to smile? Terrorists would look so out of place.

I look like a criminal in mine! :P

Alex

You're SUPPOSED to look dodgy in passport, driving license and security pass photos. They have a special camera lens....

Smiling at those facial recognition scanners is also a bad move because it confuses the little darlings.

Technology....ain't it great!

Joe

My passport photo is about 5 years old, in fact so is my drivers license photo. I look nothing like them now and the passport officer always gives me a funny look when he sees it:cool:

On my Karate license photo I look like a refugee from a 1960s Star Trek episode.

Originally posted by Rich
On my Karate license photo I look like a refugee from a 1960s Star Trek episode.

Karate license? Well I bet no one makes any comments on the photo then:D

Originally posted by Beastieboy
Karate license? Well I bet no one makes any comments on the photo then:D

Oi!

*Karate kicks Beastieboy*

For those that are interested the press release from UKPA is here

http://www.ukpa.gov.uk/press_050804.asp

and the page that describes how to take your photo is here

http://www.ukpa.gov.uk/_2_howtoapply/2_photographs.asp

Love the bit that says it must be "of you on your own (no toys, dummies or other people visible)" - so no Friday night photo booth pictures then :P

At my local post office there's a poster showing what type of photos are acceptable for passports: too much light, not enough light, not facing forward, hair in your eyes etc. For every example, there's a photo of a person to illustrate what's allowed and what isn't.

The funniest is a woman with full Muslim head covering (hijab?), with just her eyes visible through a one inch slit. Underneath the photo it reads: this is not acceptable. Well, hello!

Even more scary than the government stating the bleeding obvious is the thought that someone may have actually thought such a photo was OK and sent it in with their passport application!

Originally posted by Geoff

:| = :nod:
:D = :nono:


Lol,very good :)

I'm going to be getting a new pasport soon,lost my old one a while back.:( Heard a rumour that next year the price is going up to £90 for a 10 year passport, and i don't really fancy paying that!

Not only am i smiling on mine, but it was taken when i was 18, and i look NOTHING like i do now. Fortunatly it's a British passport and i'm white, so people never really look at it anyway.

Hmmmm Ive been having passport probs recently, getting quite annoying this is 3rd attempt because the guys as Post Office Check and Send keep finding things wrong :(

Last one was because my countersignatory had spelt friend "freind" which happens to us all at some point, so he altered it slightly (made the "e" a big thick "I" and turned the "I" into an "e") now apparantly thats not allowed, no mistake of any sort is allowed on the countersignatory part of the form, but the person applying can make as many mistakes as they please!!!

Does the slight spelling error on the part of my countersignatory imply some sort of secret terrorist code?

...Aha he cannot spell friend this means they will bomb our country...

Also had to get new pictures taken because I was not looking directly at the camera (was at a slight angle because was trying not to fall of ridiculous rickety stool in photo booth) and they need to be able to see your eyes because as we all know lack of eye contact makes an untrustworthy person :roll:

It would be easier to take a photo with a digital camera and then resize it to passport size in photoshop or some other image editing app.

That's what I do anyway, beats paying 2 quid for crappy photo booth prints :D

Originally posted by Snook
Not only am i smiling on mine, but it was taken when i was 18, and i look NOTHING like i do now. Fortunatly it's a British passport and i'm white, so people never really look at it anyway.

lol yeah, im smiling on mine, really dorkily actually but nobody has said anything