Originally Posted by GradGirl
Okay, Robodeer. Even taking your assumptions, that registered traveler is the only way for FF's to avoid being SSSS'ed for now, that's still by far not big enough of a carrot. Remember, nothing in the government's agreement sets in stone these procedures for the future. They might sign up 80% of the public, and then change their minds about letting people avoid SSSS, or change the procedures for searching registered travelers to be more invasive than the current SSSS deal. But people who sign up have given their blanket okay for the government to continue to investigate them for years and years and keep those records in perpetuity. Registered travelers have zero bargaining chips left after they sign those papers, so what's to guarantee the government holds up its end of the deal?
Look, there's a reason, a very good reason, that CAPPSII got killed. There is, maybe a minority of people, but a very serious percentage of people who think government surveillance and investigation of law-abiding citizens is dangerous and un-American. The registered traveller program is obviously a repackaging of CAPPSII, but it makes no sense in current form. It only makes sense as part of a plan to eventually force everyone into this program.
If you really care, you can rearrange your travel plans to avoid one-ways, get a credit card, et cetera, to avoid the SSSS usually. Or you can just manipulate a BP in photoshop or buy a fully-refundable ticket to the same terminal.
we could speculate about what program might come in the future, neither of us know. i understand the concern once you sign those papers-but it seems that the registered travel program was a voluntary way to avoid extra screening, nothing more. born out of many complaints from FF's and congress representatives alike. ill-conceived or not, it seems to be a way to appease the FF folks complaining about the SSSS's. like i stated previously, its my hypothesis that they won't drop such a system. thus the resulting registered traveller program.
i agree partially with the second paragraph, although i reference the previous assumption about having to "check." the registered travellers program being that check in lieu of the SSSS's. whether it was a bait-and-switch to get those wary of such a system to join i can't tell either way.
document forgery aside though, thats one option.
