Caused a bit of a disruption this morning in IAH terminal E. ID checker looked at my boarding pass and ID and asked me to say my name. I replied, "It's very clear, right there on my passport!" "No," she said, "I need you to say it out loud. " No" I replied, "I will not speak my name, I have a right to remain silent."
She calls a 2 stripper and then some 3 strippers come over and discuss the situation. Sorry for the sheep behind me and my wife who are now waiting but so be it. So they ask my wife her name and she says the same thing.
Someone goes and gets a 3 stripper who was back on the perch behind the screening area, and they also take our IDs and BPs. She comes over and says, "So what's up folks? They tell me you won't speak your name." I proceed to tell her that I have spoken with the TSA CS support and was told there is no official policy on a TSO asking my name and until I see the policy in writing I will not speak my name.
She looks real puzzled and walks away with our IDs and BPs again. We are asked to step to the side so other sheep can pass. We got snide looks from several as they proudly spoke their names. She comes back and lectures us on how this is for OUR security and how the TSA does not have to post any rules or official policies and how things change every day in an effort to protect our travel and keep us safe. My wife argues more details with her and even says it is a security risk for her to say her name in public which the 3 stripper just sarcastically rolls her eyes over.
She finally relents and tells us that she is letting us pass THIS TIME but that the official unwritten new policy is for all passengers to speak their names so we better get used to it.
We head to the converyor belt where we opt out and had to wait just inside the secured area. I got a nice 2 stripper to do my grope and my wife gets the 3 stripper who we just dealt with. I can only imagine what she was thinking as she realized we were now opting out! Real troublemakers, I guess!
In a few minutes we were on our way with the satisfication that we had challenged their authority and won in this skirmish!
