Originally Posted by
xyzzy
Oh come on -- You can't still believe that drivel, can you? Of course this has to do with revenue protection. The airlines will never admit that, but they are all too happy to let the TSA enforce this provision of their ticketing policies.
Regarding having a legitimate purpose to enter the secure area, the ID check does nothing. I could be at the airport to steal wallets yet as long as I purchase a refundable ticket or get an airline to issue me a gate pass I can enter the secure area.
Originally Posted by
eyecue
The process that you describe to go about entering the area is too much hassle for the common thief and it leaves a trail.
Hassle?! We're not talking about planning an "Ocean's 11" heist! How much of a hassle would it be to grab a few ID blanks like
these and print up something? Too much hassle for a crackhead petty thief? Okay, but too much hassle for a 'pro' laptop thief? Not at all.
Originally Posted by
United737522
So when you say, "It is none of the government's business who goes airside." it makes no sense, because all they are doing is making sure you are legit. Without ID checks Osama himself could buy a ticket, check in online and go through security.
How does a bit of laminated (if that) plastic make someone "legit"?
Suppose I pull up an old online bp (I keep PDF copies for reporting purposes), modify the date to 10/2 and change the name to "James Kirk". Then I get one of those
ID card blanks and put, say, a couple of logos from the US Dept of Interior and National Park Service along with my photo and the name "James Kirk" on the card....how then does that make me "legit"?
But the fake ID isn't even needed. Last year MrsJ and BabyJ were off on another adventure back east. Now they are fairly experienced travelers but without my sherpa services on the other side, it would have been a rather daunting undertaking for MrsJ to deal with the (then) car seat, stroller and carryons. The solution? Her sister would be the Eastern sherpa
But dealing with the airline weenies to get SIL a gate pass was a royal PIA. The story kept changing from "not possible" to "possible for a $50 fee"
Solution? SIL showed up to the checkpoint with a bp bearing her name. She sailed through security with narry a peep, met MrsJ and BabyJ at the gate (more nephew time
)
"Legit"? Just because a person shows up at the checkpoint with a slip of paper and a bit of plastic with a photo and name that matches the name on said slip of paper doesn't mean that person is getting on a plane! Even if the bp presented is for a real pax on a real flight leaving that day, there's nothing that requires that person to board the flight...how many people have used this workaround to see a loved one off at the gate? Or to greet a loved one arriving from a long trip?
But you know, doing all that--which would take all of 15 minutes, 30 tops--is moot because...
Originally Posted by
essxjay
Actually, this one is simple. ID isn't a requirement to fly; one needs only submit to an additional secondary and Bob's your uncle.
BTW, conflating the conceptual notions of identification and identity will land you in serious fallacy trouble. Identification documents come with expiration dates; one's personal identity doesn't. Valid ID does not entail security.@:-)