Originally Posted By: Arney
... Someone up to no good could create a mess for you if they stole it or found it and then used it for all kinds of identity theft uses, including getting arrested and passing himself off as YOU.


This can be said with any other document(s) in your wallet that you carry every day. In fact, if someone takes a credit card, your drivers licence, and your Social Security Number (or SIN in Canada) they do more damage with that then any passport can.


Originally Posted By: Arney

Actually, in past massive earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest, I wonder what the border control situation was like? Would Canadian authorities be reluctant to let Americans cross over after, say, Seattle is devastated, fearing an influx of American refugees/evacuees who then might become a burden on the Canadian gov't, or vice versa?


If 9/11 was any indication (I was working in Indiana at the time), they closed all the border crossings between Michigan and Ontario (not sure about others). But by the time I made it to Detroit, they just opened them (and there was no traffic whatsoever at the time - all commuters went to hotels, friends, etc). Best to call Canadian consulate and find out status (the one in Detroit is at the Ren Centre, and have views of both the tunnel and bridge).
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