Pogo is having a dilemma about whether to have a photo taken for an ID card before or after he’s had a haircut. I don’t know what his Passport Fiasco was but we’ve all had them haven’t we. It’s one of those things we take for granted in life - the sun will come up, Britain’s infrastructure will fail when the weather changes and your passport photo is always horrendous. Even if you’ve just had a professional makeover in preparation, once you step into that little booth and pull the curtain across, nothing will ever be the same. The resultant photo will always make you look like you’re a demented lunatic on the run or are doped up on all sorts of analgesics and sedatives. It’s guaranteed to get you pulled over when entering or leaving the country where wither the immigration officer will ask “Are you sure this is you in your photo sir?” or even worse, call their colleagues over to have a gawk and a good laugh at your picture.

Canada has started to tackle this problem.

The Canadian foreign ministry has banned people from smiling on their passport photographs. Not a glimpse of teeth, no slightly upturned corners of your mouth, nothing. You are no longer allowed to look like you might actually be enjoying life or looking forward to your trip or otherwise seem happy.

The reason for this is a quite strict intepretation of ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) guidelines designed to make it easier for security personnel to identify passport holders. Not wearing hats, wigs, fake moustaches and even glasses I can understand. But smiling? What are they thinking? And what about people who dye their hair? “I’m sorry ma’am, but the person in this photograph is a brunette but you’re a blond!”

And God help people who have a naturally cheerful demeanour and smile all the time. They’re definitely going to get stopped trying to get through customs in Canada.

I can hear the snap of the rubber gloves already.

(via the BBC)