Posted on 08/07/2004 6:18:30 AM PDT by jalisco555
LONDON (Reuters) - The fight against terrorism has wiped the smile off the face of British passport holders.
The UK Passport Service (UKPS) said on Friday it would forbid open-mouthed smiles on passport pictures, one of several rules introduced to comply with strict new U.S. standards.
Smiles are forbidden -- along with sunglasses and hair slanting across the eyes -- because they may confuse security cameras used to scan faces and verify the passport is authentic.
"These new guidelines are an important step in the development of the new biometric e-passport and use of facial recognition technology that will be introduced in 2005 as part of the ongoing fight against fraud and international terrorism," UKPS Chief Executive Bernard Herdan said in a statement.
New British passports will also be fitted with a chip containing the facial image and other data, hi-tech measures introduced to help stamp out passport fraud.
Gee, I hope that the new facial recognition technology works well on the Mexican boarder.
So... if you get a sober looking picture all you have to do to defeat the cameras is smile all the time?
When I got my first passport 25 years ago, I was told not to smile in my photo. Had nothing to do with terrorism.
Passport photographs as a rule are hideous!
Would have no problem with not smiling. Don't come from a family that ever smiled a lot. Now that I have almost no teeth, have permanent frown on the face.
Nice that you aren't prejudiced
English Teeth, English Teeth!
Shining in the sun
A part of British heritage
Aye, each and every one.
English Teeth, Happy Teeth!
Always having fun
Champing down on bits of fish
And sausages half done.
English Teeth, HEROES' Teeth!
Here them click! and clack!
Let's sing a song of praise to them -
Three Cheers for the Brown Grey and Black.
-- Spike Milligan
GOOD ONE!!!
you know you have problems when Eastern Europe has better orthodontiure than you do... and they use an alloy type of STEEL for their fillings too
I love Spike Milligan. When J"F"K called the Republican protesters "goons", he must not have known about Milligan's group. Goons rule!
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