The bigger question — which is a legitimate one — is why the dude would be carrying a passport around for something like this. You don’t hear stories of gunmen involved in mass shootings here in the U.S. carrying their passports to the scene of the crime.
Are these Muslim terrorists supposed to be geniuses?
I read stories all the time about criminal stupidity. Maybe they thought they'd kill a bunch of people and make their escape? The idea that the French, or someone, faked up passports to make Muslim refugees look bad, is typical Tyler Durden silliness.
Because when you travel and have to cross between countries frequently, you keep your passport on you. It could be just that it was in his jacket pocket where it always sits for easy access and to make sure it isn’t lost. When he grabbed his jacket to head out to the attack, he probably wasn’t thinking “Oh, I better leave my passport behind. I won’t need that!”
Throw down your passport to fake your own death.
Sometimes things are done out of habit. I always have my ID with me when I leave the house.
If someone is traveling in a foreign country, putting their passport in their pocket is an unconscious habit IMO.
A refugee's passport would be their only form of ID. It would be demanded in any circumstance where somebody in the US would be asked to show their driver's license. They would be used to carrying it around.
The guy is an amateur....being told he’ll have a chance to escape....believing the talk.
America is not Europe. I live in America. Not only do I not carry my passport with me when I’m out and about, but I don’t even know precisely where it is, or whether it’s even up to date. We don’t “check for papers” much in this country.
But my sons, who go to Europe periodically, have up to date passports. When they’re not in Europe, they generally keep them in our locked, fireproof strongbox. But when they’re traveling through Europe, they keep their passports in a little pouch, along with other ID, visas, credit cards, etc. on the inside of their shirts, next to their skin not visible to a passerby, but easily available when needed. It’s just standard to do so. Because, even a jihadist could meet a gendarme in the street on the way to a suicide bombing, and could be asked for his passport and papers, and might not want to raise suspicions from such an ordinary encounter.
Those of us who love our Country don’t need passports unless we’re going on vacation.