So, the illiberal swine managed to pass the second reading of the Bill and I have a couple of points to make. First, Charles Clarke seems to have bought off some potential rebels by saying the cost will be capped at ₤100. Presumably any difference will be paid for by the taxpayer as opposed to the UK population, eh Charles?
Secondly I want to pick up on two comments to my post below (Pre-Schengen Nostalgia).
Christina (Mausi), a “disturbingly white” Canadian ex-pat notes:
“I have to admit that although I suppose I should have my passport with me at all times, I don’t (except for international travel, of course), and have never been asked for it. I guess I just fit in well with the local flora and fauna.”
Whereas AnP of PinayExpat, so from the Philippines, says
“A different skin color sometimes warrants a more thorough passport check. I get that every single time I enter any country in Europe and in the USA.”
Personally, not counting border controls, I’ve had my ID checked by the police three times in the nine years I’ve lived here (with one exception of circumstances*) – and always after committing some grave breach of the law, riding my bike without a bell, or crossing the road when there was no traffic, but the red man was showing, for example.
*The Exception: I had a girlfriend (no really, despite my looks and personality, I did), an English girlfriend. She was born in London; she has a British passport, but an Indian name, Indian parents (who, for the record, also have British passports). But perhaps most importantly, had “Indian” skin. In this city, we never had any problems at all, yet when we visited Bavaria we were carded every single time – picked out of a large crowd “at random” and asked to show our ID. Perhaps the authorities in Bavaria are simply more thorough, although in the 18 months that I lived in Munich before I met her, I was never checked once. Was it the colour of her skin? Well, I certainly don’t want to suggest that all members of the German police are racists, however, if even a small percentage of the force automatically view people with dark skin as suspicious, it’s not going to take very long for one to lose any remaining faith in members of the police (although to be honest, I wasn’t endeared to them following the DM10 fine for not having a bell on my bike).
The third point of course is whether it should be compulsory to carry the card, when it is introduced. I really don’t want to start blustering about “I’m a free born Englishman” or “why should I have to prove who I am, even if I have done nothing wrong”, as important as those points are. The point is it’s a database accessible with biometric information, you won’t have to carry the card, being compelled to produce your fingertips or iris will be enough.
In the late 80s/early 90s I read in the Guardian (so take this as you will) that Bavarian police were entering gay nightclubs and stamping the word ‘Homosexual’ (in English) in foreigners’ passports. [Who would have their passport with them?] It was apparently possible to have it removed on appeal (although I don’t know how). This leads me to say: “Bavaria, man - Bavaria!” (Munich being a bit of an oasis from the rest of it, I suppose.) A friend from Bamberg also informed me in 1990-91 that Bavarian police had the right to pick someone up on the street if they suspected that person of having AIDS. That’s all I heard about it though, so I can’t really comment. Maybe someone else can provide the whole/true story.
As for ID cards - they’re total nonsense, of course, but I personally have other things to do at present, and I don’t have the energy to actively oppose everything (or anything, actually, shame on me). It seems as though they’ve made up their minds. But surely ex-pats won’t have to get them?
Ummm… I normally associate that with the USA. I have been asked for my passport and identification at Bars, Medicine Shops and lets not even talk about airports. In Germany nobody ever asked me for identification, ever. Maybe because I look very Indian, while your girlfriend might be mistaken as an Arab? That happens with my SO sometimes, people mistake him for an Arab.
Plumpernickel: Nah, she looks Indian, dresses “English” and speaks German with the most brutally English accent I’ve ever heard. I should also point out it’s girlfriend in the past tense. Also that it only ever occurred in one sepecifc region of Germany, where anyone with darker skin seemed to be viewed as suspicious.
Ah well! Bigotry has no boundaries. Didn’t notice the past-tense. They always make me sad.
Yep, they’re racist. I’ve never been asked for IDl, but every time I walk through the train station, I see the police hassling non-white people. Also, when we were waiting for a train to Bonn one time and the platform had about fifty people on it, they looked at everybody and only asked the non-white people for ID. If I wasn’t white, I wouldn’t live here.