flyerORD

I was referring to several people.

jtodd

Having returned from my trip, I can report that I didn't encounter any issues with presenting my passport card. I was 2 for 2. The non-TSA security person at one airport did sort of a double take at it and looked at both sides for a few seconds. But he then checked the name and uv mark with no protest in the slightest.

cbn42

Do you really think a press secretary is going to know about, or be able to discuss, internal discipline procedures? Given that the frequency of TDCs refusing valid IDs has gone down, obviously there is some procedure in place to deal with this. It's great to have direct communication with a TSA representative (similar reps on the airline forums are very useful), so how about trying to have a sensible dialog rather than acting like he is accountable for the actions of every TSA employee at every airport in the country?

RadioGirl

Funny you should bring that up today.

Just this week, as reported in this thread: TSA at MCO needs a geography lesson, it was reported that a TDC at MCO did not accept a Washington DC Driver's licence as valid.

A TSA Spokesman, who happens to our new TSA representative on this board, is quoted as saying "Officers are trained to identify fraudulent documents, which can potentially deter and detect individuals attempting to circumvent this layer of security."

It's a rather odd definition of "sensible dialog":
1) (OP of this thread): Is there still a problem with TSA recognizing passport cards?
Answer: It shouldn't be a problem because our policy says they're okay.

2) (MCO issue): Why didn't the MCO TDC recognize a valid DC licence?
Answer: Because they're trained to detect fraudulent documents.

Uh, okay.

I never said he was accountable for the actions of every TSA employee in the country; indeed, it's because he's not accountable for any actions of TSA that I think his contribution (telling us what the policy says SHOULD happen, which most of us already know) is well-meaning but not particularly enlightening.

GUWonder

It's been done before by government press secretaries (at least routinely without going into how those procedures are or are not applied in a particular individual's situation).

passportcard

To update my previous post -- which started this thread -- I went through TSA checkpoints 3 times during my travels earlier this month. My new passport card was accepted without hesitation or comment all 3 times, at airports in different parts of the country.

Going forward, I think the passport card will be my ID of choice at the checkpoint.

ubernostrum

Well, this goes straight to the problem. There can be an official rep here saying "Policy is X", and then a TSA employee at the airport can simply say "Nope, policy is Y, not X", and the only person who suffers visible negative consequences is the traveler -- if they ask for a supervisor or do anything other than submit, they can be labeled uncooperative, subjected to punitive secondary screening, delayed long enough to miss a flight, etc. etc.

In other words, this is a roundabout way of reminding everyone that there is no reliability and no accountability as a result of having an "official" presence on FT. Genuine, transparent, oversight and accountability -- including visible negative consequences to employees to violate policy -- is necessary to have effective security that retains the faith of the American people (or, failing that, pour encourager les autres -- if you see that your co-worker gets docked/suspended/fired for violations, that's a strong incentive for you to do things correctly).

König

I started using my passport card as the main identification document (instead of driving licence) back in 2009. Never had a problem at airports, but it was rejected several times in some retail and banking establishments. Sometimes when store clerks ask me what it is, I joke that it is a new US national ID card (big fan of those). Mostly, people don't care, but in some conservative parts of the country it can invoke some angry reactions. Fun, fun, fun

Airportismyadobe

I used my Global Entry Card at both SFO and LAX, and didn't have any problems. But at LAX the TSA officer started at the card for a few seconds but after shining the UV light let me through.

Never had a problem with the Passport Card at any airport so far.

Karelia

This happened to me about two months ago.

Me: (giving my Passport Card to the TSA agent)
TSA dude: oh... where are you stationed?
Me: what? stationed?
TSA dude: yes, you work at Department of State?
Me: what?(still very much confused)
TSA dude: it says "United States Department of State" on your card (pointing to the bottom of the Passport Card)
Me: oh... okay...
TSA dude: must be nice to be stationed in foreign countries on government dollars! Me I'm stuck at the airport.
Me: thanks... have a great day.

I still can't stop shaking my head just thinking about that conversation. That airport is in a city that shares a land border with Canada, so I assume many city residents have Passport Cards.

GUWonder

I've had much the same thing happen when using my US Passport Card -- with the TSA and also when using it elsewhere. Find the confusion sort of cute and ironic, given how actual State Department ID hasn't always flown as well as the US passport card. And I won't even go into what happens when people are trying to use State Department OFM-issued ID.

Karelia

also.... there appears to be something wrong with the U.S. education system.... on more then a few occasions, I've encountered college kids(from respectable top colleges) who have no idea what the Department of State does.

My favorite answer was from a UCLA junior who told me:

"yeah, that's the department that the federal government has in order to control all the 50 states so they don't get out of line and declare war on each other and that's why they had Hillary Clinton as the boss because she was the only one strong enough to confront all the states, especially big ones like Texas and New York...., also the department of state is where a newly-formed country can apply to join the US if they want to become the 51st state."

I should have heard my jaw drop to the floor, but my mind became frozen with confusion. I wonder if that kid was related to the former Miss South Carolina?

84fiero

Wow...that's bad. I wonder if they think the Department of Labor is responsible for regulating births? I don't want to know how they would describe the purpose of the Department of the Interior.

WillCAD

They pick out all of the paint, wallpaper, and curtain colors for government buildings.

König

Yeah, the response from the kid was silly, and the quality of education is on the decline in the USA. I agree with all that, but you've got to admit that the name of this agency is somewhat misleading ;-) Most agencies abroad that are performing the same functions as the Department of State are called Ministry/Department of Foreign Affairs or Foreign Office (in the UK). You should really know what the DoS does because there is no way you can deduct this from its name.