<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by fcrit:
As most folks around here probably remember, the only reason for an ID check at all was to allow the airlines to prevent sale of tickets between individuals, which allows them to enforce the non-refundable ticket policy. The new multiple ID-check requirement is just a multiplication of a practice that never was an element of security in the first place (and still isn't). Until the checkers actually do something with the name information, like an insta-check aginst an INS/FBI/CIA watch list, the ID check is meaningless.</font>
All passenger manifests are being checked against a government watch list, which includes names from the INS, FBI and CIA. Checking IDs is supposed to ensure that someone who's not on the watch list doesn't buy a ticket and give it to his friend who is on the watch list (and thus couldn't fly or would be arrested).
While I don't see the necessity of checking IDs at security (boarding pass should be enough - the point is to keep lollygaggers and other unecessary people from clogging the security lines), there are obvious and legitimate reasons for checking it at the ticket counter and at boarding.
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