ntouk.com - Jerry Fishenden's technology policy blog

This story has no end of pun potential, so I apologise in advance. Take a look at Ian Brown's Blogzilla blog about the problems Simon Davies - of Privacy International and London School of Economics fame - is having renewing his passport.

Now, this is no trivial matter - Simon is due to speak at the United Nations event in Athens next week. I was looking forward to debating and discussing with him, since we are in the same workshop looking at identity, security and privacy and I was expecting it to create quite a buzz.

But as Ian reports:

Simon went to the Passport Office in London yesterday to renew his passport. As he approached the interview counter a huge wasp appeared from nowhere, hovering over his head and dive-bombing staff. Interview officers scrambled for cover and retreated to the back of the room. Overheard was the comment "Where the hell did THAT come from?" followed closely by an accusatory glance at Simon and the remark "It came in with HIM!"

And when the mysterious rogue insect is duly dealt with:

... Davies had with him a dozen identity documents, including his LSE card, bankcards, bank statements and utility bills and a three-inch thick pile of newspaper stories with his photo including articles in the Daily Mail which showed his passport photograph and others from the Sunday Times and the Guardian with his current photo. It was to no avail. He was told that these were all unacceptable as a means of establishing that he was who he said he was. His current passport was not an acceptable form of identity either.

Well, I'm sure several former Home Secretaries could have readily vouched for Simon - even if the debate around the LSE report on ID cards did become a little waspish at times in the heat of the moment. It'll be a great disappointment if Simon is not in Athens.

Let's hope the Passport Agency will be stung into action - and show us what it's truly made of by ensuring Simon gets his new passport in time and is able to wing his way to the conference after all.

Technorati tags: security privacy technology wasps