The strange progress of the roll-out of the UK’s National ID card scheme continues, ably tracked by The Register, with the latest wheeze being to target young people whose passports have expired with the promise that the ID card will help them to buy cigarettes and alcohol (which, of course, are otherwise considered as major social problems by New Labour…). However the ID cards don’t seem to be working as promised in many cases – for example, it was revealed a few days ago that many travel companies were refusing to accept the new cards in place of passports as they were supposed to. Of course, time may be running out for the scheme in any case with national elections due by the end of May…
ubisurv 
I’d take what the Register says with a massive pinch of salt. More credible sources reported that it was one guy trying to use his ID card as a travel document on a ferry and being turned away. The ferry company said they did accept ID cards as travel documents but that the staff at the port hadn’t seen one before (because they are new)and didn’t recognise it. The company admitted they were in the wrong and offered the customer a free mini cruise in recompense. All in all, one minor instance of frontline staff not recognising a new travel document the first time they see it is hardly ‘wonky deployment’ now is it?
You’re probably right – however, the key question is: do you think the UK ID cards scheme will last the ye\ar?