Carrying ID around on the playa

[jenny2hat]

Hi,

I had a quick search and couldnt find anything to answer this.

Im hopefully coming to my first burn this year from ireland.

My question is- is it okay to carry around a photocopy of my passport as ID?

Im terrified of losing my passport. I lost one last year in new york (well it was stolen) and its not something i ever want to repeat.

Thanks

[trilobyte]

Many people do, though camps may choose not to accept photocopies (just as bars and nightclubs don't in Defaultia).

[TT120]

I saw a lot of people with photocopies of their ID's taped around their cup. It seemed to be working in every bar I went to.

If you find a bar that wont accept that, go next door, they probably will.

[ygmir]

can you get an extra, or duplicate passport or I.D.? Explaining to your officials the circumstance, they may have that service?

[VultureChow]

I bring both Passport and drivers license. Passport stay locked up back at camp. License travels with me. Big fan of badge holders.

[jenny2hat]

can you get an extra, or duplicate passport or I.D.? Explaining to your officials the circumstance, they may have that service?

I could bring my student card to back it up, but i wouldnt be able to get a duplicate passport

[jenny2hat]

I bring both Passport and drivers license. Passport stay locked up back at camp. License travels with me. Big fan of badge holders.

I dont drive, unfortunately

[theCryptofishist]

Before I drove, I had a CA issued id. My license # is actually the same as that, all these years later.
Don't know if that's an option, but it might be worth checking into...

[BoyScoutGirl]

This might be a silly thing to comment to an Irish lass, but if you aren't planning on drinking in bars outside your camp, you don't really need any sort of official identification out there.

Just carry a photocopy for medical/emergency/showing police purposes.

[Elliot]

.
What happened to our manners, folks?! Jenny is new here. WELCOME TO E-PLAYA, JENNY!

One thought.... To search for something on ePlaya.... Many of us seem to have trouble with the ePlaya search function. It seems to work better to use Google, and type in "ePlaya xxxxxx". I did this with "ePlaya copy of ID", and the first hit was on this very topic -- from 2006. So there must be dozens of threads on this topic.

To clarify something: In the US -- or at least in California -- a non-driver can get a "driver license" from the Department of Motor Vehicles for general ID purposes. It looks exactly like a driver license, but says something like " Identification Card" instead of "Driver License". Perhaps you have something like that in Ireland?

I'll withdraw from this thread now, since I have not been carded in about half a century.

[Eric]

Like others have said, a photocopy should work fine for most places - as long as you're actually 21 or older. If you present ID saying are and you're not (and you're not working for the police), you are actually the one liable under Nevada law, as long as the bar asked & verified. If a bar won't accept a copy, be polite and move on, they can be fined up to $1000 for not carding, and if you look young they may not want to take the chance.

Make sure you pick up enough liquor in Reno to keep yourself happy for the week, then you always have a fall-back option if people don't accept the copy.

Welcome to ePlaya!

[Savannah]

I had a state issued State ID card for years (with no driving privileges). I don't know if they have those in Ireland, but it might be worth an inquiry at your end.

If I were in your position, I'd make a photocopy of my passport and fix it to my water bottle or camping cup with overlapping layers of clear packing tape. It's worth a shot. Even better: simply fuel up at your camp, and/or carry a flask or a bottle in your knapsack. (If you're 21+, you're allowed to walk down the street with a drink in your hand in Nevada.)

Lots of passports and ID are lost on the playa every year, and it's particularly unpleasant for those who have to fly.

[TT120]

.
I'll withdraw from this thread now, since I have not been carded in about half a century.

Where would you carry an ID anyway Elliot???

END thread drift

[FlyingMonkey]

Someone may have already mentioned this but I keep my expired drivers Licenses (not sure why). They aren’t any good if you get pulled over by a cop but should suffice as proof of age on the playa. And if you happen to lose it, it’s not a big deal. I may even punch a hole in mine for a lanyard.

Elliot probably has a secret pocket in his magician’s cape.

[Savannah]

Ah, yes! Excellent idea. Probably even better than a photocopy, if one still looks very much like the picture.

I actually found my temporary (paper) ID a few months ago--the one they issue you while you're waiting for your driver's license. It's even still valid.

[Sham]

Someone may have already mentioned this but I keep my expired drivers Licenses (not sure why). They aren’t any good if you get pulled over by a cop but should suffice as proof of age on the playa. And if you happen to lose it, it’s not a big deal. I may even punch a hole in mine for a lanyard.

An expired ID should be good for that, but I have seen some bartenders and TSA not accept it. They should understand it's not good for renting a car or driving, but the person did not expire and it should always be good for proving an age.

[^Rhino!]

Two things are musts on-playa, IDs are the first.

I carry my ID in my 'necessary bag', that contains a cup, a couple of bottles of water, and my camera (in a waterproof bag - more for the dust than anything else). In 2013, I made it a point to be nice to everyone I met. because on the first night, I got carded for the first time in over 20 years. I thanked the young lady behind the bar, and told her I was old enough to be her father.

Her response: "Well, I've got this Dad thing going on right now, so lean over here and gimme a kiss."

Who was I to argue? Nice girl.

ORIGINAL prescription containers are the other. I normally have my 'scrips in plastic boxes separated out by date, Sunday through Saturday, of everything my doc tells me I need. I normally keep everything locked up and hidden, but on the way home, I put it in the front seat of the truck for easy access on the way home, since by then I'm normally nearly out of everything. They say there's no profiling going on. Baloney.

I got pulled over in 2012 by a state trooper in Nebraska coming home from the event. He saw my pill container out, and he had me show him every single pill and the original container it came from. He finally got to the last one.

'What's that purple horse tranquilizer-looking one?"

Busted. Profiling me.

I turned it over, and it said on the back in big bold letters: CENTRUM.

He looked sheepish, and let me go on my way, not even bothering to write me a ticket for doing 81 in a 75.

Guess I'm not that much of a lawbreaker.

[Jackass]

My driver's license is the last thing I'll carry around with me in the desert. I usually keep some form of drink handy and close by. If I do get served then I do, if I don't that's fine too. I've got a couple of half warm beers or "beer-aide-ka" on my bike or in my pack that will do...no big

[maladroit]

half warm beers or "beer-aide-ka"

At Burning Man, King's Cup is no game...it's a way of life.

[Jackass]

"beer-aide-ka"

Did a little research and it's actually called Bodka-aid, and damn tasty and refreshing, just in case anyone's curious...

[unjonharley]

I have an envelope with I.C.E. printed on it.. It is taped to the dash oard of the van.. It can be seen through the wind shield just above the vin #..

I know this don't help on the playa.. But it give the EMTs a leg up if I'm in a crash.

This is suggested by our fire/EMT..

[BoyScoutGirl]

I have an envelope with I.C.E. printed on it.. It is taped to the dash oard of the van.. It can be seen through the wind shield just above the vin #..

I know this don't help on the playa.. But it give the EMTs a leg up if I'm in a crash.

This is suggested by our fire/EMT..

That is a really good idea!

[Canoe]

Carry a photocopy of passport, driver's licence, medical insurance.
Some do the same for credit cards. To be able to call to cancel if necessary.
If you end up unconscious in medical, or medevaced to Reno, you'll want some id on you.

With a photocopy of your id on your cup, there's less chance you're taking out your id.
But you can lose your cup, so keep another photocopy on your person (and not with your ID if you're carrying it).

Where possible, I take a photo of my driver's license into the internal memory on my camera & phone.

followed by a photo of:

• passport, if you're from out of country,
• your vehicle (with plate),
• your car keys,
• your camp,
• your camp address or nearest street signs at intersection

anything else?

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=65876&hilit=+passport

[^Rhino!]

How about adding medical alert information to the list?

I've practically got all my information in a business-card size case I keep in my wallet, that's red and printed with big white letters "FILE OF LIFE" given to me by some hospital PR people. It's handy, because I keep all my med notes updated in there...prescriptions, vitamins and doses of each, plus my vaccination records. With that, it took all of 5 minutes to prepare a list of the vaccinations I needed for overseas travel a few years ago, and I give it to the docs if there's any questions.

"Medic Alert" tags or bracelets for chronic conditions are a must! Things like diabetes, heart patient, or stuff printed on them tells first responders the necessary information that they'll need in the event of an emergency, also any allergies you might have.

[Ratty]

If the bars are worried about getting a fine they will NOT accept expired IDs. They aren't valid and they are most often use by a younger sibling or friend whom is underage. Of course a photocopy isn't valid either and that is widely accepted on playa. I would carry both and depend on the kindness of others to sort it out. A copy of your ID in a tiny ziplock is perfect in most cases.

[tahiti_treat]

My driver's license is the last thing I'll carry around with me in the desert. I usually keep some form of drink handy and close by. If I do get served then I do, if I don't that's fine too. I've got a couple of half warm beers or "beer-aide-ka" on my bike or in my pack that will do...no big

Ditto. Mine stays in the glove box all week. Being denied a drink is preferable to worrying about losing my license or passport out there. I'm too old to get ID'd very often anyway.

[BBadger]

A photocopy is just fine; just remember to black out your drivers license and/or passport # for safety. ID checking on the playa is performed in good faith. It's not like camps have UV light flashlights or bar-code scanners to verify the authenticity of IDs; nor are bartenders going to be able to identify every personal ID variant issued across the world.

Law enforcement just doesn't want bars serving up to minors who can't present some form of ID that shows their age sourced from some "official" source. Bars even get the benefit of the doubt if the person asking for a drink looks way too old to be a minor. Anyway, if a bar is being too paranoid and doesn't serve you, go to another, or bring your own booze.

Just don't be one of those idiots who lose their passports on the playa. Make a photocopy and leave the real passport in your vehicle.

[Roberto Dobbisano]

and keep in mind, that if you find any passports, i'm paying way more than the Org. for them...

just sayin.

[unjonharley]

If you find some ones ID ,Passport on anything else..

Take it to Playa information Immediately..

Do not fuck around with some ones stress.. Be the right kind of Burner

[Savannah]

If you find some ones ID ,Passport on anything else..

Take it to Playa information Immediately..

Do not fuck around with some ones stress.. Be the right kind of Burner

Hear, hear.

Playa Info is in Center Camp, hours are usually 9am-6pm, and they do reunite people with their things all week in addition to post-playa.

Don't wait the whole week to turn something in; you can save someone whole days of panic and worry.