Not gonna lie.

[gedeonm@mastodon.social]

RE: https://mastodon.social/@gedeonm/116222100347111745

Not gonna lie. This surprised me. Guess I’m just a hermit for not participating in world travel but I guess that’s what having little money will do for you.

[leebennett@mastodon.social]

@gedeonm TBH I’ve not actually USED my passport since 2009—last time I visited my former girlfriend while she was studying in England. And I think only 2-3 times before that to see her in Canada.

[chrisdejabet@mastodon.social]

@gedeonm I have a passport because I travel to Canada 1-2 times a year for work. In 15 years, I’ve never used it for personal travel yet.

[ashkendo@mastodon.social]

@gedeonm I didn’t have an active one before having to do a work trip out of the country last month. Very simple to get one.

[chancerubbage@mastodon.social]

@gedeonm I can’t afford it either, even in better times. But I had one 20 -25 years ago, immediately lost it.

I might have crossed into Canada or Mexico if visiting friends near those borders, and I have friends in England.

[harpaa01@mastodon.social]

@gedeonm also this probably isn’t a super representative sample of US citizens; I suspect Mastodon just attracts a more worldly group.

[thefwguy@techhub.social]

@gedeonm I don't think Mastodon is a good pool for this kind of inquiry.
Ask that on fb eventually.

[johnocfii@twit.social]

@gedeonm At least 90% of my international travel (and initial reason for passport way back when I was in college) was for work. I was fortunate enough to travel to customers in Europe when I was a part-time developer during college, and for the following 15 years or so. I’ve had 3 non-work trips (international or domestic) in last 20 years.

[johnwells@mastodon.social]

@thefwguy My thoughts precisely. Mastodon, especially a techy subset of it, is likely not remotely representative of the larger population.

[gedeonm@mastodon.social]

@harpaa01 Yep, no doubt about that at all.

[jpz@mastodon.social]

@gedeonm FWIW, we grew up low income, but my Mom worked in the airline industry and got buddy passes for us to use. When she'd be shipped off to another country to train people or something, we'd go travel with her and take advantage of the lodging my Mom would get from work...

[jpz@mastodon.social]

@johnwells @thefwguy ...unless you're asking this specifically of a subset of users, like the tech community

[thefwguy@techhub.social]

@JPZ @johnwells what the point to ask questions you can easily guess the result ?

[jpz@mastodon.social]

@thefwguy @johnwells Whelp, considering @gedeonm's response saying they were surprised, I'd say that answers your question.

[billyadams@okla.social]

@gedeonm I answered no because, while I technically have one, it expired in 2008 and I just have never needed to renew.

[danmorgan@vmst.io]

@gedeonm Hmmm. I used to but didn’t have a need for one the last decade. Now it is way more expensive and not coincidentally more important to have. In 1993 without a passport, I walked into Mexico at Nogales with college buddies for an afternoon of bar hopping and shopping. Can’t do that today.