MSPeconomist

In this case, the OP's home is NYC not PIT. Moreover, if visas are required, there are a lot more consulates in NYC than PIT, so it would be reasonable to make arrangements to retrieve the passport with visas at JFK rather than PIT.

MSPeconomist

I use my passport for ID during domestic travel because I don't want to show my home address to TSA employees when they know I'll be away. For a while I tried to use key GE card, but that took too much time because most TSA employees didn't recognize it or argued that it wasn't acceptable ID.

pbarnette

You can't possibly be serious about this, can you?

GUWonder

Given the record of TSA employees being thieves or other kinds of criminals, I'm not surprised that some cautious people concerned about burglaries, "identity theft", and/or stalkers (especially at or around their home airports) would rather use ID that doesn't have a home address on it than an ID that facilitates theft/stalker opportunities.

MSPeconomist

Absolutely. I try very hard to avoid showing my home address to TSA employees. It increases my security at virtually no cost or inconvenience to me. Why should I tell random strangers where I live? Especially when they then know that I'll be out of town for a while? I wouldn't announce my future travel plans and specific home address in a bar either.

baccarat_king

Why have your address on your driver's license at all. There has to be a time when you turn it over (car rental, hotel, purchase ID) to someone to review. I found out a long time ago, if you want to be more private, best to have a PO BOX listed on any identifying materials. Also, helps when someone asks for your address, you just give the PO BOX. Luckily, my US address is a small town; so I was even able to get a two digit PO BOX #. Makes things super easy, when giving your (USA) address to someone for verification. (some prefer to also use mail box rental facilities, but I still like the US Post Office PO BOX for regular mail and identification)

MSPeconomist

AFAIK you must list your actual home address in certain legal forms and documents. MN driver license forms ask for full residence address and there doesn't seem to be an option to have another address show on the license.

I use my office address when I can, especially for anything travel related such as my address on luggage tags.

GUWonder

Short of changing state of residence, it's not necessarily an option for all to use a non-residential address when applying for a DL.

emrdoc

Do you think the TSA document checker has the smarts to memorize your address that quickly? :-)

baccarat_king

I, of course, had to check. Yep, New Hampshire allows the PO BOX on your license as the only address. It just has to be the registered (for registration purpose etc.) address on file. They do also know the "physical address," just not printed on your license.

Had to "pull up" an image of my son's license to verify.

Live Free or Die (PRIVATELY), baby!

pbarnette

To each their own, but I work from the assumption that a) most people aren't out to steal from me, and b) that anyone with the sort of photographic memory that would allow them to remember my address from among hundreds of 30 second reviews of licenses could find gainful employment that would better the risk-adjusted returns from being a residential burglar. FWIW, I haven't had anything stolen from me in decades, whether by the TSA or anyone else, so apparently something is working.

As for the inconvenience... As someone that recently lost their passport, I can confirm that replacing a passport is an annoyance that should lead me to limit the amount of time I should have it out of a safe storage location.

I am unaware of any hard evidence showing that there is any sort of significant theft problem among TSA employees that exceeds that of, for example, hotel employees or waitstaff. Moreover, I am unaware of any stories of TSA employees using information on drivers licenses to facilitate either stalking or home burglaries. What I am aware of are a few oft-repeated horror stories that lead people to dramatically overstate their risk.

pbarnette

You cannot use a PO Box in MA. I had to use my buddy's address for years when I was living abroad. They will, however, mail your license to a PO Box.

baccarat_king

Not surprised. There is something strange about New Hampshire's system, and licenses and PO BOXes.... I don't remember the details, but I had to do something when I changed everything to the PO BOX. I think they just keep a record of the "permanent" address in their system.

I had to surrender my NH drivers license for a NL drivers license; so it's not really an issue for me anymore. I mostly use a Passport Card when traveling US Domestic; but I do keep my passport on me, just in case.

No idea if a NL drivers license is a valid TSA ID; but I figure it's not really worth trying, since the Passport Card is so easy and convenient.

United747

That's a great question. I think it's because the person in the wrong never really wants to take the blame - they would look for anyone and everyone to pin the blame on. I kinda see it like the whole 787 battery problem. All of the news outlets blamed Boeing for the problem, yet Boeing never even made the battery. The blame should have been put on the battery manufacturer.

United747

Like I said in an earlier post, with this specific case, I agree, the OP probably should have been allowed onboard the domestic portion. But I think the problem is probably with a blanket Delta rule that does not allow this to take place. They should really look at it from a case by case basis. All the op would have had to do is show a drivers license with a NY address and I would have probably let them on so they could pick up their passports.