I CLEARED SECURITY WITHOUT A PHOTO ID CHECK
 

As hard as it may be to believe, I find it embarassing. Returning from MCO monday on US 334 (MCO-PHL) I was clearing security and the Argenbright agent simply told me and about 15-20 other people pass through before being reprimanded by her supervisor. I have written letters to Argenbright, US Airways and the Orlando International Airport and honestly it is incidents like these which make me fearful about another 9/11 type incident. Anyone else have this happen to them?

The only time an ID is needed is at the gate... I never show the guys at the metal detectors my ID. (If this is what you are referring to)

Interesting because at PHL I am always asked for ID, and at most airports I usually have it readily avaliable. But i wasn't aware

I was under the impression that an ID is needed to obtain a boarding pass. A boarding pass is needed to clear security. And both are needed to board the plane.

You've got it down pat.

First time I used the elite security line at PHL, US agent did not check my ID, BP or even my US card...or those of anyone else behind me. We were all stunned. He may have known some of the others by sight, but definitely not me.

Actually, you're wrong on both counts -

(1) ID isn't needed to obtain a boarding pass, you can get one at a kiosk or print one off the Web, depending on your airline, neither of which requires ID.

(2) A boarding pass is acceptable to get through security, but you could also get past security with a print-out of your itinerary.

My understanding is the TSA isn't going to require ID at security, just at boarding. For security you need a boarding pass, club membership card with ID, or itinerary print-out.

d

Wonder how many definitions there are for security.

You can get a boarding pass without an ID, either at the kiosks, or some airlines let you print it out at home before you leave.

A boarding pass is not necessary to clear security, there are several other things that are acceptable, including an itinenary, etc. People check in at the gate all the time if they don't have luggage.

You do need the ID and boarding pass to get on the plane, so unless that was skipped I really don't see the harm in them not checking at security. It's a fairly useless thing anyway, anybody can obtain a fake id for under $10 good enough to get you through airport security.

If you are a member of an airline club (Admirals Club, Red Carpet Club etc.) you can get past security by showing your membership card. Often, when the line for either the ticket counter or the check-in kiosks are too long and I don't have a print out of my e-ticket (an itinerary is not [b]supposed[b] to be sufficient), I will show my membership card and check in at the club.

As always, security is still a joke.

I experienced both sides.
Between DFW and TUS i had to show my ID three times before boarding and I was patted down before passing the security check in Tucson. I guess I just looked suspicious being a 5' 4" 125 lb girl.
I then realized when I got home that my carryon/overnight bag containing my toothbrush and magazines also contained tweezers and razors that I had purchased during my trip. Id hate to see what people could sneak on if they tried.

It's obvious security has a lot of leaks, when I do long hauls between the us and europe I have to show my passport at check-in, then I don't have to at security and then I do once more at boarding. What happens if I pass my boarding card to someone else? Do you think the boarding staff are trained to determine whether a passport is real or not?

It's all so badly orchestrated it's pathetic. If I want to leave the country in Holland I need to pass a dedicated customs agent or do an iris scan but if I leave London I just pass security without needing any ID. Until all the worlds airports get their act together and make sure they know who their passengers are I am afraid the chance of a repeat of last years disasters can't be ruled out. They check you for every single sharp object but don't have safeguards in place to make sure you are who you say you are...

brookerin80,

Tweezers and safety razors are specifically permitted by the TSA -- and have been since October -- even though many of the security nitwits don't seem to realize it! No one is going to hijack a plane with them, anyway.

Regarding your getting picked for extra frisking, the nitwits like to pick on pretty girls. It has nothing to do with security and lots to do with their own personal inadequacies.

Bruce

Yes, it seems only a ticket for day travel is needed to pass security. Again, I never showed my ID until the gate because I used e-ticket kiosk check-in and had no luggage to check. My ticket was one way and ticketed the day before. Wouldn't that fit the profile of suspicion? My concern of fear is more about what are the doing to scan and check baggage. I have only seen the big x-ray machines at DCA but nowhere else.

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They were reading your magazines through the machine... hahah [Sadly, there are ways to befuddle the X-ray machines pretty effectively.]