Diminished mental capacity not Pre eligible
 

Question #6 of the TSA PreCheck application apparently asks if the applicant is mentally diminished in any way.

The legal guardians of a 19-year-old with diminished mental capacity have been told he'll likely get turned down.

What next? Mandatory crotch grope for all infants? Secondaries for all toddlers?

Because in TSA's eyes, diminished mental capacity = crazed psycho?

How is that quantified?

Back when I was caregiving, we used ADL's as one quantifier. Can the person dress themselves, feed themselves, toilet themselves, etc.? If otherwise physically able, does the person have mental capacity for self-care, or are they dependent? At TSA pre, that could be the ability to comprehend and follow direction from TSA staff independently, as well as comprehend the passenger's responsibilities as part of the Pre program, in exchange for potentially expedited processing. They deal with diminished mental capacity every day and apparently someone decided to make it a question for Pre.

If the guardians of the 19YO lied on the application, in real life if they're with their charge then I seriously doubt TSA on the ground would care. Push 'em through and next. Should they lie? IDK, the government seems to be going more and more sideways and I can't really say 'no' with strong conviction anymore. :(

They would be fools to lie and they know it.

The question is stupid and pointless and only disenfranchises decent people, just as it is doing here. How is it relevant to aviation safety?

Here's a link to the thread on @AskTSA where the question arose:

https://twitter.com/AskTSA/status/735217810851409920

The qualification criteria for precheck are vety questionable. I read an article the other day that a woman was denied - She is a CEO - because 25 years ago she stoled a $25 necklace.

Precheck logic:

petty theft 25 years ago = you want to commit murder/suicide

Convicted terrorist and 2nd degree murderer = Precheck (Sarah Jane Olson)

Seems like an ADA violation.

I'm not defending the application, but presumably the logic is that someone with diminished mental capacity might be vulnerable to outside influences, and persuaded to carry something nefarious onto a plane.

Right. That's the nice way to spin it and it makes perfect sense.

Or perhaps a person working part time for the government making $15 an hour who has ready access to the sterile area of an airport? Just how hard would it be to turn one of those? Not like it hasn't already happened.

OK, but by that 'logic', no infants or very young children should be allowed Pre access, because their limited mental capacities mean they might be used by someone with nefarious intent.

I wonder if this disqualifies vets who have been diagnosed with PTSD?

Especially them. They know how to build bombs and shoot people too.

How would the ADA apply?

Or anyone with dementia either.

https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/disability/ada


If a person with diminished capacity is excluded from Pre Check flat out based only on that term then I think that might be considered an unfair discrimination. Not taking into account the persons ability to meet other requirements of Pre Check limits that persons access to public transportation and government activities.

Many young minors get PreCheck LLL screening quite routinely.