Now that's being American ;)
I had to bribe my brother to serve Beam and Woodford at his wedding over Wild Turkey.

I'm going to print out a card for when I travel and just use it to get through things.

Good choices for special occasions, but don't overlook Rare Breed just because it is Wild Turkey. Buffalo Trace is good, too. Try the Buffalo Trace White Dog if available in your area, but it is definitely NOT something you would want to serve at a wedding.

For everyday use, WT 101 is good enough for me.

Bourbon
 

Knob Creek?

;)

yum

<edit to add in valiant attempt to veer on topic>

Name pronouncing might not matter so much in the end, but bourbon would definitely improve the s-l-o-w SSSS experience!

howzat

<sip>

:cool:

I've never had a CBP agent demand that I pronounce my name and it's arguable they do in fact have the authority to do so.

The TSA does not (see the CFRs posted above); they have just usurped the authority like so many other things. But the basic objection is that it is simply absurd and has zero (none, nada) 'security' implications.

Google 'Noibi" for background on this nonsense.

You may be prepared to engage in any little charade the TSA performs; others are not. It's just SILLY.

Haven't gotten the "pronounce your name" nonsense yet, but have gotten the "where are you traveling to" nonsense before from the TDC. After replying, "Home, I wish," I was pointedly told, "You need to tell me where your flying today." I pushed back and refused, which resulted in a side conversation with a 3-striper, who told me that they like to "engage in conversation," as well as a secondary. Great.

I asked at SFO (I know not TSA) and was told that it was to find people who did not match the boarding pass. Wouldn't you know it but they caught a lady 2 people behind me in line who was given the wrong boarding pass by the agent at check in.

Point 1. Couldn't they see that the name on the BP and ID did not match?

Point 2 Why do they care if she was screened properly.

Point 3 Why does the TSA even care? It should be the airlines problem to take care of their revenue protection..

:confused: Since when are passengers required to do - well, anything - simply because the Blue Ones "like to"? It's not the responsibility of the passengers to amuse or satisfy the personal whims of checkpoint staff.

Are these adults, or four-year-olds? (No insult to 4-year-olds intended...)

I posted my Name Game experience in another thread. I escalated to a suit, who said that "he doesn't know my ID isn't fake unless I can say my name".

I asked "So if I can say my name, you'll know my ID isn't fake?"

"Do you want me to get a police officer?"

"Yes, please do."

He did. Police officer looked bored while I discussed the situation with the suit.

I didn't want to keep my gf waiting (she had already cleared security), so I gave the silliest foreign pronunciation I could come up with and got the magic squiggle.

Security indeed. :rolleyes:

1) A number of people here have declined to answer questions at US customs / passport control. Maybe not a good idea for a non-citizen, but a US citizen who presents a valid US passport and whose citizenship is not in question is not required to answer any questions from passport control or customs beyond the written customs declaration form.

2) It's different because we shouldn't have to answer to government interrogations as a condition of exercising our right to travel freely within the country. What's next after conditioning us to answering questions about name? At BOS, TSA is already asking passengers about the purpose of their traveler, and a passenger just recently reported on FT being harassed and retaliated against for answering that he didn't like Boston.

It really has to be frustrating for the law enforcement professionals who have to deal with TSA security theatre on a regular basis.

The one at Austin couldn't care less. "Whatever the TSA says".

I'm thinking a note to the mayor of Austin is in order.... 'cause I have no desire to go back until this crapola stops.

Austin newspaper(s) a possibility?

As to stating your name to a TSO, please read the linked Federal Regulations from my earlier post (#9 above). All that is required is that I provide identification as stated in the regs-name pronunciation is not part of that and as such, The TSA cannot ask for that information nor is one required to give it. As to Customs, that is an entirely different story as Customs is not the TSA and the TSA is not Customs and Customs can ask those questions.

Did the cop witness the assault on you? If so, why didn't he arrest the perp in blue?

I too have been karate chopped in the groin, and now every time I go thru the "search" my hands are balled into fists... ready to fend off the next assault. I fully expect to get arrested when it happens.

I'd Request A LEO Observe Search!
 

:mad:
That was an obvious and blatant grope in retaliation for not answering the obnoxious tsa agent.:mad:
IF you are planning on continuing to not speak, and I hope you do, I would request a LEO to observe because you expect a painful, retalitory search!:mad