Quiet protest
 

Other than marking your freedom bag with a funny slogan, is there any other ways to protest ridiculus security screening procedures without getting denied entry into the fortress of doom?

Refuse to show my ID to anyone.

Educate the world as best I can about how stupid the policies are and, more importantly, what they actually are. The fact that the TSA still insists ID is "required" when in reality it is meerly requested is a great example of why we need to do a better job of educating others rather than just bemoaning the situation around here.

Any Canadians know if ID checking is optional at Canadian airports as well?

Edit: Nevermind Canadians DO : http://www.passengerprotect.gc.ca/identity.html. Funny, most Canucks say America is like a police state and yet we're the ones that required ID to fly and the US doesn't.

CATSA (security) do not require or demand to see your ID*, although they will probably look at it if you voluntarily give it to them as most people seem to do. For domestic and international flights, the airlines will require ID at check-in and (in most cases) boarding.

Transborder (to the US) with preclearance you have to provide ID to the US ICE (Immigration) officer before admittance even to the security check.

* they are in fact prohibited by law from doing so, and unlike the TSA do not make up the rules for themselves. Mostly.

In the US you can fly domestically without ID. In Canada you cannot according to Transport Canada regulations. Anyway the question was is there any way to make their jobs harder and still fly?

You should also add in without slowing down all of those people behind you to your pointless activity. It would be sort of ironic if you came up with ideas on how to protest about how slow security policies have made things by slowing down security policies even more.

Actually I think slowing down security is precisely what's needed. If it starts to take hours to get through security I think you'll see some changes.

Genral,

As others will point out... Slowing things down for everyone is a legit form of protest. In fact, not showing ID is actually just following the rules. Not the rules that the powers that be want you to, but following the rules to make a point. ID does not equal security.

:-: ^ :-: ^ :-: ^
Indeed, this may just be the only way change can come. Civil disobedience has to affect everyone, not just those protesting and their "oppressors" or it is actually rather ineffective. A diner sit-in affected the diner owner and its patrons, in addition to those sitting there. The march to vote in Texas earlier this year disrupted traffic on the highway, in addition to those marching. You get the idea.

I do not go out of my way to be slower above and beyond the SSSS process (though I do require clean gloves), but I will continue to make things more difficult for the TSA, consuming their resources in hopes that others are also affected and begin to demand change.

So I think one way I'll protest is by presenting the GA with my library card and my health card which are both government issued. They'll surely stop me and say I need photo ID to which I'll respond read the regs again which will surely slow down boarding.

I'll also give the CATSA guy my printed boarding card and I'll ask him or her to keep it or throw it away as I've made several copies. I'll "forget" to take out the freedom bag and I'll have the usual "this bag is keeping us all safe" written on it. All electronics will remain in my carry on.

I'll put a liter of water in my bag with a label on it saying "medicinal water" on it and see if they like that. If they don't like it I'll stand there holding up the line while drinking the water. I'll not empty my pockets, take off my shoes or anything before going through the brain wave analyzer. Being wanded will ensure my fellow passengers are safer anyway.

Yeah, they'll probably hire more TSOs! :p

That's right!

Don't occupy those lunch counter seats, you might inconvenience others with your pointless activity!

Don't take those seats in front of the bus, you might inconvenience others with your pointless activity!

Don't gather in groups of more than three when holding a protest! You might inconvenience others with your pointless activity.

I don't mind a good protest one way or the other, but what if I don't want to miss my plane in the process?

I have once seen a guy hand over two baggies of liquids just squirted into the baggies. The TSO's didn't seem to care, just shrugged there shoulders and ran the stuff through the x-ray. Not the response he was looking for I am thinking.

I'd love to see you have to stand in line for two hours while people protest. :p

Welcome to FlyerTalk!

Perzactly. So, we have to SSSS screen an extra PAX because they didn't wanna show ID. Why should we care? It's not like we get to leave early if we get everyone through really fast!

Slowing things down for the people behind you may cause one of your fellow travelers to miss their flight, but it's not going to harm or even inconvenience the TSOs personally.

Having been a lobbyist in a previous life :cool: I can tell you that change will come when elected officials believe their stance on an issue is of burning importance to their constituents, OR someone offers them bushel baskets full of money! Lacking cash, a large, orchestrated protest might attract some attention and spark a revolt, but short of that .... :td:

But it can be very effective. I end up with SSSS on my boarding pass (or do not wish to show ID). Fine I get a secondary. But I also ask for private pat down, and private search of my carry-on, and of course that means 3 TSA screeners will be busy for 15 minutes rather than 1 for 2 minutes. The TSA spends more than the $5 they charged me for the new & improved security fee.

Whatever I can do to make sure your organization is shut down, either fiscally (which is political based) or by personnel with your brethren leaving in droves.

Oh, and do initiate a SPOT conversation with me next time, I'll take photos of you and put it on my web pages (with download capability).

And I almost forgot, have a nice day.

Paul, the only person you're inconveniencing is yourself.

Those screeners are getting paid, whether they're patting you down or standing around in the break room drinking coffee. If you think you somehow "cost" the government more than it would have spent otherwise by requesting a private search, you're mistaken. If you think you're going to get droves of people to volunteer for secondaries, in order to somehow cripple the system, I think you're mistaken, although you are welcome to try!

The only effective way to fight a battle is to identify who has the power to actually change the situation at hand. Then target that person or entity! In the case of the TSA, it's Congress. To influence Congress, you need votes or cash. Lacking either, you're just wasting your time.

I will. And enjoy every moment of it. I find calling to task TSA screeners who screw-up their procedures (such as not punching my SSSS boarding pass with star cut-out like your FLL brethren did on 15 March 2008) quite effective. I get more enjoyment and satisfaction from that than any email I can send my US Representative or Senator.

Oh and I almost forgot, I use Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Palm Beach (PBI) as departure airports when on the road. By any chance can I schedule a training appointment near you (usually a week at a time) so that I can use your airport as the return segment?

Quite happy to. I don't mind as I get to the airport 2 hours prior to flight anyway, as your agency suggests that I do. I'm just trying to be productive for that 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Because I'm just a tool who is unwilling to point out that what I'm doing is against all our country stands for.

"I was only doing my job"...whatever...:td:

"But it can be very effective. I end up with SSSS on my boarding pass (or do not wish to show ID). Fine I get a secondary. But I also ask for private pat down, and private search of my carry-on, and of course that means 3 TSA screeners will be busy for 15 minutes rather than 1 for 2 minutes. The TSA spends more than the $5 they charged me for the new & improved security fee."

The end result of which will be slower lines, a much slower process for you involving an invasive search. That's the sort of thing I'd imagine someone like yourself is sort of against in the first place. That's, err, rather smart. :rolleyes:

"Whatever I can do to make sure your organization is shut down, either fiscally (which is political based) or by personnel with your brethren leaving in droves."

Sadly, were your actions to accomplish anything other than annoy your fellow passengers, they'd only serve to cause the TSA to hire more screeners. This in turn would mean a higher fee and a larger TSA.

Just to put into context since you don't seem to be able to grasp what you're doing. Your actions are akin to protesting the high price of fuel by driving more.

I'm not in it to inconvenience the TSOs. I want the others in line to start missing flights and/or otherwise seeing the idiocy of the rules and their implementation. The TSOs aren't going to lobby or vote for change because they are getting paid to sit there. But should the process become so onerous that it takes even longer to make it through the screening and it becomes clear that significant parts of the show are not actual security the revolt will happen. At least that's the theory. :eek:

I think I have a fairly good idea of what I'm doing. But your opinion that I do not will be respected. In fact when I'm behind you in line and the TSA screener decides that your state driver's license is not good enough (won't scan, renewal sticker, something something) for the SOP du jour, I'll be very quiet and won't say a thing.

Do enjoy your travels. I do enjoy mine. I have a lot of satisfaction each time a TSA screener can remember me for their screw up in their own procedure.

Yet another Rosa Parks reference...:rolleyes:

You would not mind then if your state reimposed the poll tax would you? Literacy test to vote? Proof of property ownership to register? Loyalty oaths? Perhaps bringing back the Alien & Sedition act would work out well for you as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_and_Sedition_Acts

Which historical reference will you associate my analogy now?

Funny you say that when truckers protesting high diesel costs by stopping traffic in DC today. Guess what, by inconveniencing a bunch of people, it got covered in the local news.

Now will a single person going through security with no ID/etc change anything? No, but you bet if large numbers of people were organized and did something similar, or did it on an ongoing basis, there would be media attention.

Would the TSA hire more TSO's? Perhaps, but undoubtably there would at least be local media attention if the security line became super long, or it was noted that security screening procedures changed in order to cope at a local airport.

You are correct, because this translates into having one of the necessary components to effect change: people, AKA a voting bloc!

The only problem is, how many people are going to find the TSA so offensive as to be willing to participate in any sort of mass protect?

Most people probably are going to do a quick mental cost-benefit analysis and decide it isn't worth the trouble, especially if it involves risking the possibility of missing their flight.

Airline security is a minor blip on the radar screen for most people.

And, sorry, but asking for a full-body pat down in lieu of going through the metal detector isn't going to make screeners view you as some sort of rebel protester ... it's more likely we'll think you're a pervert who just likes being touched by another man! :p

By delaying people most likely your only going to get people pissed off at you and not get your point across about the TSA...
Cheers
Howie

But, if you can do it in a way in which the TSA gets the blame, it's a win.

Good luck with your "webolution". I look forward to all the changes that your selfless sacrifice brings about...I mean, inconveniencing the rest of the traveling public, that just wants to get home, as you shove your personal views down the throat of a government entity is going to work, right? The same government entity that a large portion of the public have no problem with...mainly because they understand that showing a form of I.D. at the airport is no more intrusive than showing it at the bank, grocery store (for alcohol), video store, or voting. These people understand that there are bigger things to worry about in our country right now and do not whip themselves into a "Hitler is Here!" frenzy everytime someone from the government speaks to them, but I guess everyone has to have a cause...once again, good luck.

Hmmm... tell that to the patriots that threw the tea into Boston Harbor.

I wouldn't bet the farm on that statement; the tide is turning.

Well, photo ID is now required to vote in Indiana, so we are moving that direction. :mad:

Would that suspicion require you to call a female screener for the pat-down of the male perv?

In Canada the stupidity of our version of the TSA is astounding. That's why I'm making it my mission in life to delay every security line I ever enter into. You should see these retards in action. They don't even try to pretend really.

They've got the security line right next to the exit door for arrivals at my airport. The bugger flippers and cleaning staff just swipe their passes and walk on through the exit, bypassing security. You see them walk out of the terminal have a smoke and then walk on back waving to the security people. No one could possibly claim that this is secure at all and yet we have to go through this charade. We pay $12 each way for this.

You wish, buddy! :p

LOL

The implication of your post, however, was that gay men are perverts.

Mike

Someone posted this on the TSA Blog:
"CBGB said...

A comment I just realized was no where else in here. Does anybody else have a problem with having to stand with your hands in the air? As offensive as being treated like a criminal already is, I think I am more offended by having to stand in a tube with my hands in the air like a common criminal."

Wear a T shirt with this version of the TSA motto:
You don't have to BE a criminal to be treated like one....

Superior slogan for the TSA! ^

Thanks...
It probably would get even more attention if printed in Arabic
with the English translation underneath. :rolleyes::rolleyes: