Originally Posted by
mahohmei
Someone I know recently flew round-trip from TLH to BDL, both ways within two weeks of his birthday.
He presented his passport (he doesn't trust TDCs with his home address) and BP to the TDC, and at both TLH and BDL, he was asked the same question:
"Did you have a happy birthday?"
Were both TDCs trying to be nice, or have TDCs been instructed to ask this question to see if people using fake IDs are going to stumble or give weird looks?
I'm just glad it wasn't me. I would have answered a semi-verbal "hrmph" or "None of your business."
Today, in the United States of East Germany, one must assume that any interaction with a TSA employee in an airport is designed to confirm their assumed suspicion that we are all terrorists or drug dealers. In times of old, one could have assumed that the questioner was simply asking if you had a happy birthday based on your travel documentation. Anyone who trusts the government these days is asking for it.