Clear ceases operations [merged threads]

[xyzzy]

Originally Posted by merrickdb

You know Spiff, I'd say the majority of us, including me, really don't mind having to show our IDs. There are a lot more important things to worry about than a TSA agent shining a light on my ID before I fly. To the degree that having ID / boarding pass checks eliminates non-flyers from clogging up security lines, it's a benefit. And the terrorist name match, while certainly a problem for those whose names are close to those of people on the list, is, for most of us, added security with almost no burden on the traveller. I'm all for that.

There never really was a problem with "non-flyers" clogging up the lines. That's a pretty lame reason for the government to be enforcing the ticketing rules of the airlines. As far as name matches are concerned, once someone is screened and is found not to have weapons, what difference is it what their name is? Wasting the time of all those innocent individuals whose names bear a slight resemblance to those on some secret government watch list is quite unfair -- particularly when the government itself admits that the really bad guys are deliberately not on the list!

[Spiff]

Originally Posted by kokonutz

Spiff, your point about ID is meaningful and correct. But that ship has sailed. The stupid meaningless wall is in place and it ain't going anywhere. Now the only question is the easiest way over, under, around or through it. And the traffic-free toll tunnel just closed.

My friend, that ship has not sailed.

We can convince our elected representatives to put an end to this disgusting, un-American stupidity.

I will not give into extortion. Give me Liberty, or give me Death.

[Spiff]

Originally Posted by merrickdb

You know Spiff, I'd say the majority of us, including me, really don't mind having to show our IDs. There are a lot more important things to worry about than a TSA agent shining a light on my ID before I fly. To the degree that having ID / boarding pass checks eliminates non-flyers from clogging up security lines, it's a benefit. And the terrorist name match, while certainly a problem for those whose names are close to those of people on the list, is, for most of us, added security with almost no burden on the traveller. I'm all for that.

ID is not security. I completely object to the notion that showing an ID has anything to do with the security of an airplane or an airport.

The TSA should have been shot the moment they started this disgusting, un-American harassment. No government entity has any right to know who flies, when, where, or why.

[kokonutz]

Originally Posted by Spiff

My friend, that ship has not sailed.

We can convince our elected representatives to put an end to this disgusting, un-American stupidity.

I will not give into extortion. Give me Liberty, or give me Death.

But...I want to fly today.






Hey, I've written to my Congressman and Senators. What more can I do? You start a lobbying group to eliminate the ID rule and I'll gladly join up and even contribute to the PAC.

Til then, I've done what I can do and yet I dont anticipate any change any time soon.

And with TSA's 'competition' from Clear dead, they will only be further emboldened, I fear.

[Echo]

Originally Posted by LessO2

Really? I'm a Marriott Platinum, live in a former Clear city and did not take the offer.

Sorry you missed out.

Originally Posted by LessO2

Where does anyone claim to be special?

It's implied by thinking that someone is going to take your biometric information and use it against you.

Originally Posted by LessO2

In the U.S., it was estimated that identity theft cost $45 BILLION in 2007.

So, yeah, I guess nobody wants to use someone else's identity

Do you live on a farm? Because you seem to have an abundance of straw with which to set up these men. The fact is, no one is stealing your identity through a mathematical hash of your fingerprint or iris scan. These are useless to anyone.

Originally Posted by LessO2

There's no conspiracy concerns, it's clumsiness. Clear proved that already once.

More straw. Where did they show clumsiness?

[BillScann]

Originally Posted by chrisdeaner

Oh and I never got to use the cool retinal scanners...only the right thumbprint was ever asked for

You gave up a scan of your RETINA to Clear? That's awesome. I bet it was all cool and Star Trekky when they had you stare into the machine when you gave them a high-res scan of your most unique personal biometric feature.

Good luck getting new retinas as your current ones have been compromised. You do realize that ones retina is a truly unique identifier; and now other people can buy, sell and/or lease yours?

[Echo]

Originally Posted by Spiff

Considering Clear just went bust, why would anyone else want to follow them down the path to financial ruin?

Right. Because Circuit City went bust, why would anyone shop at Best Buy?

[C17PSGR]

Clear was one of the few entities trying to stand up to the TSA. Sure it was based on profit and sure they received plenty of personal information but they were there standing for the proposition that taking our shoes off and other TSA garbage wasn't necessary for every person. Clear lobbied Congress and kept pressure on the TSA to back off on some level. Some members of Congress listened to them.

While unfortunate, the practical issue is our elected representatives will not pay much attention to a constitutent complaining about matching ID's to tickets.

[LessO2]

Originally Posted by Echo

Sorry you missed out.

I made it through faster without, but thanks for your concern.

Originally Posted by Echo

It's implied by thinking that someone is going to take your biometric information and use it against you.

First, "implied thinking" is simply a synonym of "assuming." I don't think I need to say anything further on that.

Originally Posted by Echo

Do you live on a farm? Because you seem to have an abundance of straw with which to set up these men. The fact is, no one is stealing your identity through a mathematical hash of your fingerprint or iris scan. These are useless to anyone.

You do realize they get your full name and Social Security Number as well, right? No identity theft potential there at all, right?

Originally Posted by Echo

More straw. Where did they show clumsiness?

Clear lost a laptop for a time being. Sorry you were busy thinking of clever one-liners at the time.

[DCATravel]

Originally Posted by LessO2

You do realize they get your full name and Social Security Number as well, right? No identity theft potential there at all, right?

You don't even have to give your SSN or full name to steal an identity. Happens every day and the information was never given.

[Echo]

Originally Posted by Buster CT1K

I am totally with GUWonder and Spiff. We should demand easy, safe, clean and quick security as a matter of right in this country, and not have to pay good, hard-earned US dollars to privatized contractors for a bare facsimile of such civil liberties.

Civil liberties such as the right to fast and easy security lines at the airport. Quick, someone call MLK and the ACLU and let them know there is a cause they are ignoring.

I love this thread. The wackos are really out in force in this one.

[jfulcher]

Originally Posted by TerryK

They did for some locations already. I have never heard of FLO until today. Were they formed recently and waited for the demise of CLEAR?

They've been around for a bit. They operated locations in Virginia I think and JAX maybe? Hopefully they'll give clear members a free year!

[ijgordon]

Originally Posted by Spiff

The reason that I've slammed Clear so hard in this case is because I object to having to show ID at all.

I'm not sure why you feel this way. The airlines themselves have the right to request ID because the ticket they sold you is not transferable, and so they would like to know that the person they sold the ticket to is the one using the ticket. They've essentially farmed out the ID check to the TSA at the security checkpoint, where, shocker, they can do this more efficiently. Would you really rather have the GA's doing ID checks at the time of boarding, like they did for a while right after 9/11?

[jfulcher]

Originally Posted by Spiff

The reason that I've slammed Clear so hard in this case is because I object to having to show ID at all.

Paying for ID convenience does nothing to address the root of the problem: the TSA requiring that passengers show ID. This requirement should be abolished immediately, along with the Shoe Carnival, Liquids Idiocy, and other disgusting, un-American forms of harassment that we face at the hands of this scummy agency. In fact, the TSA itself should be permanently destroyed.

People who paid tribute to Clear in the form of money and personal infomation did damage to this nation: they tacitly approved of the requirement of ID for travel by commercial aircraft. That's what's really reprehensible about Clear and those who allowed themselves to be extorted.

I was never extorted - I got it for free since I joined in 4/08 and my membership wasn't set to expire until 10/10. All without a dime out of my pocket.

[BillScann]

Originally Posted by Echo

Civil liberties such as the right to fast and easy security lines at the airport.

No, civil liberties such as:

-The right to freely travel in ones own country without 'papers'.
-The right to demand our tax dollars be spent on sane, effective security.