breny

Accountability? What happens if I lose or discard the squiggled boarding pass before I get on the plane? I guess the TSA just pretends they don't know that I can print as many boarding passes as I want.

The squiggles are Security Theater.

CalVol

I frequently print out 2 boarding passes just in case I misplace one. I keep one in my back pocket and one in computer bag.

So, what's to stop someone who gets the SSSS scribbled, to pull out another unscribbled on BP after passing the document checker? Do they automatically usher you into a special line?

Flaflyer

LOL. "Accountabillity" and reference to TDC functions in the same conceptual sentence. Thank you, eyecue, for the Sunday funnies.

The airlines and TSA computers have already cleared the pax against the NFL. The TDC has no real time access to the NFL. Blacklight Bob™ of the Makework TDC Function and his secret magic decoder magnifying loupe do revenue protection for the airline tickets. They do ZERO for security. The 9/11 hijackers had tickets in their real names and valid IDs in their real names. They passed security on 9/11 and eyecue would magic squiggle and OK their BPs if presented tomorrow. Nine years and $50 billion later for what?

RichardKenner

In some airports (those that don't check BP's at the WTMD), yes. At others (where they do), they can look for the scribbles.

FriendlySkies

+1^

Either way, if you are like me, or CalVol, you would just pull out the extra copy. I always print the OLCI BP, and then get one or two gold stock BPs when I get to the airport

RichardKenner

Which wouldn't have the scribble (remember: we're talking WTMD here, not the gate), so they'd ask for the one which did.

FriendlySkies

In 150K of travel this year, I have yet to see an airport where I need to present my BP at the WTMD.. Still, what about mobile BP?

InkUnderNails

I was in one airport this year that required that I show the BP to the WTMD troll and I can not for the life of me remember where it was. I do remember it was a major irritant as I had already put it away. I think the squiggle may be left over from the time that everyone had to show the BP at the WTMD. Just like the rest of SOP, they can not stop doing the squiggle as it would require a change in SOP and even if they did change SOP not everyone would get trained and some would squiggle and some would not and we would have mess of inconsistent squiggling. And we all know that inconsistent squiggling will lead to bad guys getting past the checkpoint. Because more than anything else, the bad guys would never, ever use an unsquiggled boarding pass. It's in their code or something.

As for the mobile BP that is easy. Since it was never in the SOP to squiggle the mobile BP, not squiggling it is not a violation of SOP as the SOP never said to squiggle the mobile type. If they could figure our a way to squiggle the mobile BP they would be breaking SOP by doing it. Which brings up an interesting question, has anyone ever used an immobile BP? The paper ones seem to be pretty portable to me.

A friend of mine once gave is dad a cordless screwdriver for Christmas. He looked at it strangely and the son said "It's a cordless screwdriver." Dad: "None of my old screwdrivers have cords."

FriendlySkies

haha

RadioGirl

Great, just great. Coffee all over the keyboard.



Not only that, but Ma and Pa would talk about it once they got on their (once-every-two-years) flight.
"They didn't squiggle our boarding passes, Ma!"
"I know, Pa, I just don't feel safe without a squiggle!"

flyinbob

Like your cryptic "there is a contingency for this" in another thread, this all sounds very official and top secret, but is absolutely meaningless. Hit-and-run empty answers don't help, and if you are a TSA person, you simply perpetuate the stereotype of the cop-wanna-be mentality of the average TSA person. Either a complete explanation or one must assume it is a meaningless answer.

RichardKenner

LGA. What they do at DL if you have has mobile BP is they give you a card to give to the WTMD person.

RadioGirl

Some of us have long since figured out which of those two options is most likely.

tusphotog

In the past I've seen gate/ops agents stop to verify a person with "SSSS" had their BP marked by the TSA. It used to show up on their computer screen when they scanned the BP (or at least it did on WN) and it appeared to be tied to that person's PNR.

I did offer my pen to a TSO once who couldn't get his to work. I said "it's not the super secret super secure pen you have but it should get the job done for my BP." The response was a laugh and he signed me off.

sailman

After presenting my ticket and ID which is always marked I have on two occasions used a duplicate computer printed boarding pass to present after screening, as I too was curious about the "magic" marking. The "virgin" boarding pass was never questioned.

So your quess is as good as mine.