Effective January 23 new US Passport rules come into effect. I predict some rather interesting stories from people who are now in the Caribbean and Canada where they did not need a passport and then return when they do. In fact I’m confused about the Canada ones – a lot of “regular” people from Detroit and other border places go back and forth regularly. They won’t like paying $100 for the passport paperwork.
Air Travel Passport requirements have been relaxed *temporarily*. You can get to Mexico and Canada by land and sea without a passport but only until a date not yet official but appears to be January of 2008.
However if you even are considering plans to travel outside of the USA you should get a passport *now* because it tends to be a time consuming process.
Here’s an explanation of new rules
Joe Duck 
I’ve been getting email from Travelocity for several months re: a trip to Cozumel. So there are some efforts to inform travellers.
Now, what would have happened when we were nippers and went over the border via less than regulation routes? I remember once when we came back to a border stop and were asked, “what did you go up there for?” As I recall, we said a polite version of “Nothin’!” And we were told to have fun and be careful. Guess those days are gone.
It could make Brador runs a good deal less spontaneous. I rarely kept my passport handy while drinkin’.
Hehe – I’m not sure they would let Mike T back into the USA given current sensibilities.