We've touched on this in other threads before, but since this thread is about the TSA's touted, soi-disant "document experts" specifically, I'll repeat my comments here.

There are so many problems with this, I almost don't know where to begin.

First, I'll leave the entire issue of "ID != security" aside. I think anyone with half a brain can tell how useless IDs are in terms of security, even if they are "legitmate" IDs and BPs.

Second, there are the technical problems. No amount of "expert training" is going to make someone be able to recognize a fake BP from a real one. Between Web check-in (which I really don't see going away) and the move to flimsy paper BPs issued even at the airport, all one has to do is have Photoshop and a minimal level of skill to create fakes that would pass any level of visual scrutiny. Now, unless the TSA is going to either (1) install BP scanners at the checkpoint, and force airlines to all tie their systems into them (costs the airlines $$--they will fight!) or (2) make the airlines issue "secure" BPs which can otherwise be verified and tough to copy, this is just silly on the part of the TSA.

Likewise, unless the feds somehow demand a "Universal Secure ID Card" for all citizens, there's no way any amount of training is going to make it so the screeners can verify the legitimacy of an ID. There has to be some way to mechanically scan the ID and have it validate against a central DB, and I'm not even going to start on the privacy and technical concerns entailed therein.

Third, even if you come up with secure, verifiable BPs and IDs, what is to stop someone from getting a legit, but fake/duplicate ID and using that to buy tickets? It can't be that hard to create a false identity, and even with the "Real ID" provisions on driver's licenses, etc., there is little to stop a determined person from getting real documents.

This is just so stupid, it makes my head hurt. Ignorance, thy name is TSA.