As a postscript to my last blog, last night's incident with the Italian police reminded me to look at the wording inside the passports we all carry abroad. As you may be able to read, it states the bearer should be allowed to 'pass freely without let or hindrance'. Perhaps it's fair enough to have to carry that authority with you in documentary form outside the UK, but at home those words should be implicit.
Excuse the picture above- I don't usually blog holiday snaps but it's the only one I have on my phone here at the moment. On a break in Venice, my partner and I were tonight waiting for a taxi by the train station when we were approached by two armed policemen who asked if we were English. They then demanded to see our passports, which we explained were back at our hotel. There then followed questions about which hotel we were staying in and when we arrived in Italy. We asked if there was a problem, and were told we must travel with our papers in future. They let us off with a warning and went about their business, stopping pedestrians and cars to inspect their papers too. Yes, I know- as my friend in the Home Office always tells me- there is no question of carrying ID cards being made compulsory at all times. But I had a glimpse of the future tonight, and I didn't like it one bit.
