Getting a passport - fun and games
Oct. 4th, 2017 03:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
suenicornToday I got my tax done and went to the local post office to have my passport photos taken. While I was there, I chatted with the lady at the counter and asked her some questions. See, my birth certificate - and the naturalisation certificate under my parents' names has the name Zelda on it. When I was starting kinder, or maybe school, they were told that Susan was the translation of Zelda and that they should make my life easier in those days before multiculturalism was big.
The last time I was questioned about this - when I wanted a public service job, not for a passport - I just had to sign a statutory declaration. That's what the Department of Immigration said (before it became Border Protection - yeesh, I'd love to see the politicians with weapons in hand defending us personally from all those refugees...). I assumed that was all I had to do this time, but no. The lady said that the only thing they would accept was a change of name document - what on earth is that? I don't HAVE one, never even heard of it.
And I must have that passport. They won't give me my superannuation without one. Never mind the fact that I've worked for umpteen years and paid my super contributions - without it, they might think I'm someone else, maybe Bette Davis taking her twin sister's place after murdering her...?
A bizarre situation. I tried ringing the passport office and, after a lot of automated messages, got piped music. I could have been waiting for hours on my mobile phone and I had to take Mum out for lunch. I did send an email, but it says on the web site you have to wait five days for a reply.
I know how I'm spending this evening. Sigh! And I am promising myself not to yell at whichever poor sod picks up finally. Not their fault. If I find myself getting angry I will hang up and wait for the email reply. In my email I explained and aaked, not what should I do, but what would you do if you were in my position. I hope that gets someone thinking.
The last time I was questioned about this - when I wanted a public service job, not for a passport - I just had to sign a statutory declaration. That's what the Department of Immigration said (before it became Border Protection - yeesh, I'd love to see the politicians with weapons in hand defending us personally from all those refugees...). I assumed that was all I had to do this time, but no. The lady said that the only thing they would accept was a change of name document - what on earth is that? I don't HAVE one, never even heard of it.
And I must have that passport. They won't give me my superannuation without one. Never mind the fact that I've worked for umpteen years and paid my super contributions - without it, they might think I'm someone else, maybe Bette Davis taking her twin sister's place after murdering her...?
A bizarre situation. I tried ringing the passport office and, after a lot of automated messages, got piped music. I could have been waiting for hours on my mobile phone and I had to take Mum out for lunch. I did send an email, but it says on the web site you have to wait five days for a reply.
I know how I'm spending this evening. Sigh! And I am promising myself not to yell at whichever poor sod picks up finally. Not their fault. If I find myself getting angry I will hang up and wait for the email reply. In my email I explained and aaked, not what should I do, but what would you do if you were in my position. I hope that gets someone thinking.
