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Original poster

Is there a good reason not to take your passport on a business trip to Europe?

139 replies

lisbey · 20/09/2009 20:19

Just that really. A married man, telling his wife he has to spend 2 nights a week in main land Europe for the foreseeable future, while a troublesome job is completed.

After the first trip she realised he hadn't asked her to find his passport, and whilst he's an intelligent man she would usually do such things for him. 2nd time, she checked the drawer while he was away and the passport was still there. Trying to be positive for her, but I can't think of a decent explanation.

She doesn't want to confront him because she "trusts him", but also, I suspect because she doesn't really want to know.

OP posts:
Mybox · 20/09/2009 20:50

He needs a passport to travel - is she sure the one she's found is the current passport - perhaps it's out of date or he replaced it. WHere's he staying - ring the hotel to check he's there.

IneedacleanerIamalazyslattern · 20/09/2009 20:51

It is rational that a business man may have 2 passpots. It also may not have occured to him he ahs 2 if that makes sense.
He has one in his desk drawer at work for business trips and he has just not thought about it.

whomovedmychocolate · 20/09/2009 20:51

The UK is technically 'Europe'

Or maybe he's shagging the lead singer from the 80s rock band Europe. In which case it's the Final Countdown to divorce for your friend I'm afraid.

Original poster
lisbey · 20/09/2009 20:51

In what way different Browntrout? He's home now, but will go (somewhere) again at the end of the week.

OP posts:
RealityIsNOTDetoxing · 20/09/2009 20:55

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whomovedmychocolate · 20/09/2009 20:56

Lisbey - another thought - does he work in communications technology and not take work home with him?

StewieGriffinsMom · 20/09/2009 21:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Portofino · 20/09/2009 21:03

There was a palava when DH's passport needed replacing. There's no way he would have managed it secretly. He is intelligent too!

Does she not ask WHERE he is going? My DH is off tomorrow til Thursday, but i know his travel and hotel details. He could of course have a different woman in his hotel room every night if that was his thing, but I KNOW where he is!

Original poster
lisbey · 20/09/2009 21:06

No, not my DH (thank god)

Not communications Choc, why? And what's the relevance of taking work home - sounds interesting?

I think it's possible he's been to Israel, but as custodian of the passports (and all family finances/paperwork) she'd know if he has 2 passports, I'm sure.

OP posts:
squeaver · 20/09/2009 21:08

Well if he is up to no good, he's also quite thick isn't he? I mean that he hasn't figured out that she'll be on to him if she does look after all the passports

whomovedmychocolate · 20/09/2009 21:09

Lisbey, there are certain occupations where one would not be allowed to take work home, which are generally assumed to be 'something in IT'. For which passports are not an issue.

paisleyleaf · 20/09/2009 21:11

Hang on. What about those eye (iris) scanners they can use now?

LaurieFairyCake · 20/09/2009 21:12

he could be MI5/6/7

and undercover.

BTW if he claims this he may also be a fantasist.

AMumInScotland · 20/09/2009 21:12

ooh... sneaky people in sneaky jobs...

QuintessentialShadow · 20/09/2009 21:14

They use finger print scanners in norway. You dont even need your ticket. It is all in your thumb, so to speak....

whomovedmychocolate · 20/09/2009 21:16

does he live in Gloucestershire?

Dizzyclarebear · 20/09/2009 21:17

you say she's the organised one for home - does he have a dedicated PA/EA/Secretary at work who might have ordered a second passport? I know other PA's in our office do a lot of 'personal' work - and if a second passport was needed for work travel for one of our partners, then their PA would be expected to sort that. I'd do that for my boss...

CMOTdibbler · 20/09/2009 21:20

You still need your passport to get on the flight, even if you use IRIS or the other fast pass systems - they are on entry to the country, but the airline have to check your passport before accepting you to travel.

I have 2 UK passports, and it wasn't a huge palaver to get the second for work purposes, but DH certainly knows about it and he doesn't do my paperwork.

browntrout · 20/09/2009 21:20

if you ring Europe the ring tone is a much longer slower brrrrrrr brrrrrr tone (IYSWIM) than the UK ring ring one. So, if you take your UK mobile roaming abroad it will have the same tone as the country in which it is being used. Some even have the voice mail messaging service for the foreign network. So, if your friend phones and it just sounds exactly the same as normal chances are he isnt abroad....
there are reasons why some people in certain jobs need more than one passport. This is less common for people who tend only to go to Europe (the most likely difficulty is Arab v Israeli stamps and the US can be difficult too). However, if this is the case then I would have thought your friend would have some idea that he works in this sort of field and so would factor in that possibility.

Dizzyclarebear · 20/09/2009 21:20

eye scanners - you still need to take the hard copy of your passport in case it doesn't work.

Original poster
lisbey · 20/09/2009 21:25

She's suffering atm, but I think the suggestion that he could be a James Bond type would make her LOL.

OP posts:
whomovedmychocolate · 20/09/2009 21:27

Actually most are not James Bond types - is he quite dull?

Look the thing is this: either he's lying or he's not and she just needs to ask him. Has she tried calling someone in admin at his office and saying 'I think he's left his house keys at home, is he in' when he's not meant to be.

QuintessentialShadow · 20/09/2009 21:30

For sure his office would say "But Peter is in Italy/Finland" now?

Otherwise, how about this prison idea Fanny was mentioning earlier?

Portofino · 20/09/2009 21:33

If I was dead suspicious I'd phone the office and make some excuse - I need to get hold of him and he's not answering his mobile - could you give me his hotel details etc.

DuelingFanjo · 20/09/2009 21:34

What WMMC said. If it were me I'd call him and do the whole phone tone thing, ask him a few probing questions about where he is, what he's doing and then ask him how he managed to get there without his passport. She should do that. I personally would want to know if my DH was lying to me.