Passport

Passport paranoia is a common experience for many travelers. The fear of losing one's passport begins at the departure gate and continues throughout the flight. Various strategies are employed to keep the passport safe, such as storing it in pockets, seat pockets, or overhead compartments. The narrator shares their own approach, keeping the passport in the seat pocket for short flights and in their carry-on for long-haul flights. Ultimately, the narrator finds their passport in their laptop bag. Despite the anxiety, the narrator concludes that putting the passport in a bag and enjoying the flight is the best course of action. Where is your passport right now? Passport paranoia in the plane. I think mine is in the top drawer of the cabinet on my side of the bed. My passport has had to shed its shell and like me you find a new home every few months. And while that means she's gaining some exceptional life experience, she's also at high risk of being lost. Well before a new destination or home, even before baggage collection or the arrivals hall, my acute passport paranoia begins at the departure gate prior to boarding the flight. Is this just me? Surely we all share some level of passport dysphoria. Now boarding all Zone 2 passengers, the call arrives. That's the sign folks. Cue relentless fidgeting, a quadrupled pocket check, countless outside pocket taps to assert the texture and dimensions of a typical passport. In the last 2.5 seconds since the last assurance check, did my passport manage to walk itself out of my trouser pockets? It would have had to grow some sort of ability to clutch items, then it would undo the zipper of my pocket and then make an escape. Unlikely, but possible. Okay, made it into the plane. Where is your passport in flight? In your pocket? Hey, it could fall out while you're asleep. Worse yet, it could land in the crevice between your seat and the one next to you. Catastrophically, it could even fall under your chair, kicked around by the passenger behind you, and now it's been dragged under another seat before making its way to the aisle. Doom. Okay, pocket plan doesn't work. Next. What about that dodgy fish in that seat pocket in front of you? Clear line of sight, easily accessible, won't get bent or put out of shape, and best of all, no chance of getting to the elephant graveyard, the aisle. Hold up. What if you're in the middle seat? What if, you ask? Maybe I've watched Born one too many times, but the thought of having my passport in plain public sight is unnerving. The dispositions of the person on either side of me are none of my business, and so I'll maintain a safety first predisposition. Moreover, it's now exposed to the elements, aka the food tray. With counterclass getting smaller and smaller, I vividly see a situation where my vino has found its way to generously colour page two. All those priceless European immigration stamps, gone. Surely there's a better option. Only one real option left now. It goes in the above-seat storage compartment. Advantages. Your passport is stored in your personal belongings. Your passport is secure. There are layers on top of layers of defence ensuring your passport doesn't escape. Sleep like a king or a queen, knowing the above. Hey, go nuts with that pinot, because a little spillage here and there will only add character to that emergency procedure card. No passport in sight. Intrusive thoughts. It's not in your immediate line of sight, so is it really safe to sleep? Make sure the passport is at the very bottom of your bag, on the side that isn't facing the aisle, just in case the compartment door somehow flings open mid-flight. All right, real talk. Is this all a little whack? Of course it is. Despite this, I think I've worked out a winning formula for myself, and maybe for you. On domestic flights, international and Europe, I keep my passport in the seat pocket in front of me, in my direct line of sight. A short flight means most losing, and most importantly, no food and beverage threat. For long-haul flights, it goes into my carry-on and into cabin storage. There just isn't another way. The best I can do is have it stored directly above me. Years of travelling and ensuring passport placement madness have led me to believe this is actually just normal. That is, putting your passport in your bag and enjoying the bloody flight. Anyway, back to my first question. Did you find your passport? Mine was actually in my laptop bag.