Useful as a TWIC or an improvement?
Personally I would love not to have to get transit visas and crew visas for crew changes but I suspect I will be retired before that happens.
Well must be no good anyway, Norway hasn’t ratified it yet. What’s up with that?
There really isn’t a lot of info in the article. Here is a list of all the signatories. Nothing will replace the TWIC, it’ll simply be another useless document we’ll have to get in addition to it.
www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:11300:0::NO::P11300_INSTRUMENT_ID:312330
Neither. Considering that your passport and MMD attest to years of anal probing by multiple “security” offices at your expense, why would they let some foreign concept cut an American defense contractor out of the cash pipeline?
None of this has anything to do with the security of anyone or anything other than transferring money from you to a campaign contributor.
Ah so it is another TWIC card after all.
Hey, show a little respect! Remember, the same corporate-person-entity-with-constitutional-rights that brought us the TWIC also is building our next-gen multi-mission super deluxe fighter-bomber so we can spread peace and good will more effectively than ever! On-time and under-budget, as usual.
Only now it looks like Lockheed is sharing the money with the subsidiary of the French owned “security” and defense contractor Safran.
Probing your anus is big business but adding another (paid for by you) document will double your safety and ensure your ass is always open for business.
I “feel” that is true already.
It won’t be a better document. If the US decides to be a signatory state they’ll just make the MMC compliant with a chip.
It would be nice but the only first world country on the list is Spain so apparently no one wants to give free access to their countries to 3rd world seafarers.
Neither has the US or any other first world country (except Spain).
I would expect the USCG would just improve the MMC to make it a seafarers passport. The US won’t ever become a signatory though for security reasons.
I am old enough to remember when a Z-card could be used in lieu of a passport/visa. . . . but those days have been gone for some time now. . .
In 2001 I actually flew home from a shipyard in Las Palmas using that while my passport was away getting a work visa. Yep, it worked. I sent messages to the consulates along the way letting them know what I was doing. But yeah, this won’t make the TWIC go away since it’s focus is completely different. Just one more “required” document to carry around. The little I flew in the last few years, the TWIC has caused TSA’s heads to turn when trying to get through security with a TWIC. It makes some of their heads spin a bit and they then ask for a government issued ID. The supervisors usually know what they are though.
You know, I have never had any real difficulty using my TWIC at the airport and I use it for all domestic travel. I have what I thought were confused looks at it at some non-maritime airports, but I have never been questioned about it, nor has it NOT been accepted. And I travel quite a bit each year. . . . Yes, I have read posts where others have had problems with it, but that has not been my personal experience.
As far as traveling internationally on a Z card without a passport, I had that experience back in 1981. I was injured on a ship coming down the English Channel and got of with the Pilot at Brixham. After a couple of days recovery (milked by me, but finally tossed out of town. . . ) I flew back to the States to re-board. Having NO passport at the time (finally got one in 84), I had no problem with immigration in either the UK or the US. And yes, I did rejoin the ship. . . just a bit disappointed because, let’s face it, where would you rather wait for a ship, as the only 22 year old Yank in Torbay, or just another punk in New Jersey. . . . .
Strange. . I fly through MSY more times each year than I can recall with no issues with a TWIC. . . .
Heh, got one better… I use my MMC (hey, it’s a federal government ID too) when I’m feeling feisty… or hoping they punt me to the Pre-check line (which works more frequently than with the TWIC btw). Little Rock airport, no problem… O’Hare airport… two supervisors and an anal probe later even after showing my TWIC, and finally passport too, I was finally cleared through… made flying into/from Ben Gurion here look like a walk in the park.
I used my TWIC exclusively at LGA and JFK. I had one agent ask me who issued ir, I told him “you guys did” and to flip it over. Once he saw the TSA logo he was fine with it.
I insisted on using it since I had to get something g for my money.
Same here. It has been a long time since any of the guardians had a problem with it.