I wear my 'grasses!' (LONG)

[Retail's Bitch]

I think she was from Sucklandia.

Rapscallion

She certainly was. Winstonville, Sucklandia... Man... I still start shaking just thinking about her... Shit...

[Kusanagi]

War Story.

[SonOfSpam]

Did you get Kim Jong Il in drag?

[JustaCashier]

Hopefully, when she next flies out of the Country, she'll flip out at the security check, because of her Passport Pic being rejected, and she'll, without too much inconvenience to the other passengers, be tackled by the TSA, and hauled off to the hoosegow!

Mike

[ArenaBoy]

War Story.

I agree this is a good one. I've seen some stubborn SCs but this tops it big time.

[Becks]

I went through this same happy horsecrap when I had my senior pictures taken. I was told not to wear my glasses because they would create glare.

The solution? I had to get a pair of my frames without the lenses in them. That way I still wore my glasses, but there was no glare.

Same with me for my senior pictures. They took out the lenses for the pics (I should mention that I don't think I look good without my glasses on, but maybe that's because I'm so used to seeing myself with them?)...Anyhoo...when they put the lenses back into the frames, they switched sides, so my left lens was on the right side. Ugh...my left eye is weaker than my right.

[Pagan]

I don't get why she had to have her glasses on?! It's a passport photo, for goddess' sake. You don't have to have them on for that like you do for your driver's license, not unless you plan on flying the plane (there's horrific thought! ). And it's not as if you were making it up, it's a federal (or whatever you call it in Canada?) regulation! Of course, we never have SCs that want us to break the law for them, now do we?

[JuniorMintz]

"I no like picture! I want my grasses!"

"No! No grasses in picture!"

"My old picture-"

"NO! No grasses in picture! You go now!"

"But"

"You go now!"

"My gra-"

"You go now!"

[gundam40]

I feel for you, Retail, I really do. I don't like the new Passport Canada rules for passport application now, but I comply. I can understand why the glare creates problems. Hell, my glasses don't create glare, but the photographers ask me to remove them anyway, and I DO IT because I FREAKING WANT MY PASSPORT!

Sadly, I feel she's going to come back after the pic is rejected, and try to blame you for it

[Lace Neil Singer]

I hate having my photo taken. Which is why my passport photo is the same one I've had for years, taken when I was 14 and looking completely different to how I look now.

As for the OP... War Story.

[Pagan]

JuniorMintz, I'm glad I wasn't the only one thinking of Miss Swan!

[pbmods]

One-Liners

Two lines that I like to use on passport customers that really work:

- "It's an ID photo. You're not supposed to like it!" (customers really get a chuckle out of that, and even difficult customers become quite mild and relatively pleasant when they hear this line. You have to say it right, though; you have to sound like you're making a joke but not overmuch. Too serious, and the customer thinks you're telling him how to feel; too jokey and it just won't have the desired effect)

- "We'll take the picture without your glasses on, and if there's ever a problem at the gate, (*shrug*) you can always just take your glasses off." (to do this effectively, you have to shrug your shoulders [and look natural about it!] at the right place. By shrugging your shoulders you're sending a very effective "It's no big deal" vibe at your customer, and they usually pick up on it very quickly)

[jlk512]

In my years of passport photo-taking, I have found that making the customer tilt their head downwards will result in the flash bouncing off of the top rim of the glasses, and therefore, no glare on the lens!

The downside is that the person ends up looking considerably more evil, as they appear to be scowling.

As far as witty comments to make the customers who don't like their photos, I have inadvertently used the phrase "I can only work with what I got" a few too many times ...

JLK

[ArtDent99]

Being in the same boat (taking passport photos in Canada... joy!) a few comments:

First is.. where did you get that poster?!!!! Was it one you made, because dang if I couldn't use a poster like that!!!!

The higher angle/tilting the head trick works.. sometimes.. and sometimes you get a glare from the frames (yup... rejected for that). I have had rejections for the top of one tooth barely showing through the lips, a 18 month old who 'looked to happy' (no smiles are allowed), even a the tip of a mother thumb showing as she was holding her 6 week old child.

And I have tried the old 'if I threw my glasses across the room, would you be talking to me or the glasses', and I swear they still don't get it. You are you without glasses. You were born without them (yup, used that one too). Take 'em off, you still live. "but I'm not me without them!" arrgh!

Sad to say, some don't get it.. planes hit the WTC... security is tighter now... don't matter what was 'acceptable' in 2000.

/Vent

[Mixed Bag]

making the customer tilt their head downwards will result in...no glare on the lens!

The downside is that the person ends up looking considerably more evil

I think I'd rather tilt my head up--I'd rather look down my nose at people than be seen as menacing with skin scrunched around my jaw!