No. It isn't "just at the passport checkpoints." It's everywhere. Passports are the only form of ID most people have abroad that are recognized by foreign governments and establishments.
Good luck to the French dude trying to drink in the U.S. without a passport, or getting stopped by the police in Łodz and not having any valid identification on you.
Good luck to the French dude trying to drink in the U.S. without a passport, or getting stopped by the police in Łodz and not having any valid identification on you.