Being an infrequent flier, I haven't yet had this piece of carp foisted upon me. But my plan, when and if it happens, is to simply say, "I'm not at liberty to discuss it."

This is absolutely true. I work for a federal contractor, and my mandatory yearly Information Assurance training always harps on the importance of keeping travel plans and other personal information on the down-low to prevent data mining, phishing, social engineering, and other forms of intrusion, since an intrusion into the private life of a government worker or contractor can easily be a way into their professional life.

So, I am perfectly in the right, and not disseminating in any way, when I say, "I'm not at liberty to discuss..." in regards to anything personal or professional that may be asked of me by an uncleared, unvetted stranger, shiny badge notwithstanding.

Since I am self-employed I simply say, "My employer does not permit me to release that information. You have my name and destination airport."

I just ignore the questions, or flat out say "That's none of your business." in a manner that suggests I do this on a regular basis without consequences, because... I do this on a regular basis without consequences. :D^

The "just trying to be friendly" thing went out the window a long time ago when the Behavior Detection Voodoo Practitioners and wannabes that dream of being the next Good Catch™ subject on the stupid TSA Blog came on the scene.

Name Game at FNT this morning
 

I refused to play. The "document checker" TSO was flabbergasted, and called for a supervisor. After waiting about 4 minutes, an LTSO came out and said it was ok for me to not state my name.

The TSO seemed peeved, but I was allowed to undergo the groping nonsense next.

Refused to say my name, got through anyway
 

(I apologize in advance for the length of this post)

So the other day I was flying out of JFK. I arrive about 2 hours before my flight so I have plenty of time to kill.

I go to the security line and give the TDC my ID and boarding pass. TDC asks me to say my name (I hate the name game). I point to my ID and BP and say “it’s right there. Same name on both documents.” The TDC was having none of it and asks me to stand to the side and calls for a supervisor.

As I am standing to the side, the TDC makes the comment to her coworker “where are the BDO’s when you need one?” I reply, “Oh, you mean the behavioral detection officer program that has been proven to do absolutely nothing? What good do you think they’d do in this situation?” The TDC appears very surprised and annoyed that I knew what her acronym meant.

Three-striper takes his time walking over to me.

“How can I help you sir?”

“The TDC seems to be having trouble matching the names on my ID and boarding pass. Maybe you can help her out,” I reply.

He asks for my documents and I hand them to him. “She doesn’t have a problem matching them up but we’re required to ask you to say your name,” he explains.

“Oh I see. And what purpose does that serve?” I inquire.

“It’s just another layer of security. You’d be surprised how people who are up to no good would confuse their name.”

“I would be surprised,” I say. “In fact, would you mind telling me how many terrorists you have caught by asking them to say their name?”

He hums and haws for a bit before I interrupt him. “That’s ok. I know the number is zero. So my second question is - what would happen if I refused to say my name?”

“Well if you refused then I would have to bump it up a level,” he replies.

“What does that mean? I’m not saying that I’m refusing to say my name, I’m just asking what it means when you say you’d ‘bump it up a level’ if I refuse.”

More humming and hawing on his part.

“I’m just wondering what that means and if you can’t tell me, I may decide not to travel today,” I tell him.

“Ok sir, you’re refusing to say your name,” and he walks away with my boarding pass and ID.

I yell after him to return my property and he completely ignores me. At that point, I feel like I had been robbed of my property so I call the police and tell them that the TSA stole my property. The dispatcher tells me the police would be there soon. (In full disclosure, this is not the first time I have called the police on the TSA).

I stand there waiting for the three-striper to return. I can see him talking on his cell phone with my ID and BP I his hand.

While I am waiting, the TDC (the one who mentioned the BDOs) says to me “it’s really easy to be compliant, sir.” I want so badly to tell her off, but since the TSA still had my property, I resist.

Eventually, the three-striper returns and I demand my ID and BP back.

“Sure, here you go,” he says.

Shortly after he hands it to me, the FSD shows up and asks me to step aside to speak with her.

“How can I help you, sir?”

“Well what I am really concerned about is that your STSO just walked away with my boarding pass and ID without my consent and refused to return it to me, even after I yelled after him to do so,” I explain.

The STSO is hovering around us trying to look busy and official and interjects, “actually sir, I never heard you call after me.”

“He is lying,” I say. “Ask anyone who was around here and they will verify. How is the supervisor going to be reprimanded for this? What if I had decided to leave the airport and not travel? He still had my property and walked away without my consent, so what was I supposed to do?”

“I am going to have a conversation with him,” she assures me. “He should not have walked away with your property.”

“I hope you do have a conversation with him and that he is reprimanded in a meaningful way, but I’m honestly not holding my breath.”

She then asks me, “What was the problem in the first place?”

“The problem was that the TDC couldn’t match up my name with the name on my BP.”

“We are required to ask passengers their name,” she responds.

“Why? What purpose does it serve? How many terrorists have you caught asking them to say their name?” I question her.

“It is another layer of security that we have in place. I can’t tell you how many terrorists have been caught by asking them to say their name.”

“Whatever. What If I don’t want others to hear my name?” I ask.

“Well then you can ask the TDC to step to the side and you can say your name quietly to her,” she responds.

“Ok, fine. That’s what I’ll do.”

At that point, I approach the TDC and hand over my ID and BP. It was not the same TDC who originally asked me to step aside… this one was busy at the checkpoint dealing with another passenger and didn’t see that I was speaking to the FSD. She looks and my documents, marks my BP and sends me on my way.

I turn to the FSD and say, “She didn’t ask me to say my name! What happened to that layer of security? I am feeling a lot less safe now.”

The FSD remains calm and says, “She should have asked you. I will have a conversation with her.”

“I hope you do. What kind of shabby operation are you running here?”

The FSD whispers something to the TDC, who says “Oh sorry, I forgot.” The FSD then follows me through the checkpoint.

Only the nude-o-scopes are in operation, so I tell the FSD that I can’t lift my arms above my head and that I’ll need to go through the WTMD. She says that won’t be a problem and speaks to the guy manning the roped-off WTMD to let me through.

I pass through the WTMD with ease and the cops are on the other side, speaking to the FSD.

“I was the one who called you guys,” I tell them. I get my belongings and proceed to tell the cops that I called them because the STSO walked away with my property without my consent and ignored my repeated demands to return it to me and therefore, I considered it theft.

The officers were great and very understanding. They explain that they understood why I called but that since the property was eventually returned to me, it did not constitute theft. They tell me that if I want to make a complaint, I should visit the TSA website. I give them a look that basically says “are you serious?” and I express to them my appreciation for their professionalism and for responding quickly to my call. They wish me a happy thanksgiving and leave.

The FSD - who to her credit remained calm, courteous and professional the entire time - then asks to see my ID and boarding pass “for my report.”

I tell her she had plenty of opportunities to get my info, including when her STSO stole my property, and that I would not be giving her anything else. She concedes and wishes me as pleasant day and I then proceed to the lounge.

So, in the end, I got through the checkpoint without saying my name, without going through the NOS, and no planes fell out of the sky… imagine that!

^^

There is no reason to play the name game.

How did you call the police?

Did this person identify themselves as the FSD?

Yes

911

I'm glad they weren't pissed.

I'm really surprised that you would ever see the FSD at an airport the size of JFK. Should have asked for a business card.

At JFK (T8=AA), on the TSA Pre-Check line they don't play the name game (at least in several months:)).
I wonder how they would react if in response to "what is your name", you made it clear when you answered that you were reading your name from the bp (or drivers license)?
[My bp's from AA, usually squash the my middle initial with my first name. So if you first name is TUR mi D and last name MANN, you would respond to "what is your name": TURD MAN.]

Why do you people have a need to pick fights with people who do simple things like ask for your frigging name?

How about sometimes actually standing on the barricades for something that matters like election reforms or corruption charges or whatever. Instead all you do is fight people over which questions the TSA asks you. Asking to see if you actually keep track of which documents you just handed over is a reasonable request.

These threads are pathetic. Neither passport nor driver's license is your property.

I can barely recall what I said exactly to my spouse this morning.

That you apparently have no trouble recalling the exact words that you and several others said at least two weeks ago is astounding. :rolleyes:

The bottom line with the name game is that a passenger is not required to state their name. All that is required is that a valid government issues I/D has a name, d.o.b, gender and expiration date on it and that the name on the I/D presented matches to the name on the boarding pass. Period and end if story!