Today as we (myself + 2 coworkers) were having our IDs checked with our boarding passes at TUS, the lady next to us realized that she forgot her Drivers License. She then presented a Sam's Club membership card and she was allowed to pass! After screening, I asked for a supervisor and there was none to be found so I asked an agent about this and he said that it was OK because a Sam's Club membership has a picture on it and he said she probably had a Credit Card with her name on it. According to the TSA.gov website, a "Sam's Club Membership Card" is not an acceptable form. To make things even worse, they didn't even make this women go through secondary screening. I believe she was flying on United, because she said she was flying to DEN and continuing on to SFO. This is unacceptable! There were two other witness' in my party that will verify everything. By the way, we are not your average passengers. All 3 of us are former airline employees and myself GSC qualified.

What is unacceptable is that the TSA is checking IDs to begin with. It does nothing for security and just wastes more tax dollars.

Because government issued IDs can be lost, there are several ways to "verify" them.

1. 2 forms of any kind of ID, one that has to have your picture on it.

2. BDOs have you fill out a form to include address and such that is verified along with other questions.

In the first case the TSO should have checked both forms and, in both cases the individual should have been marked for additional screening.

I'll check the news in a few hours to see if the TUS-DEN or DEN-SFO flight was attacked by a woman who claims to shop at Sam's.

Really, checking IDs is just part of the performance to keep the sheeple amused. At worst you should claim you didn't get your money's worth from the smurfs at TUS.

I'm worried that the whole planeload of people would OD on wraps and little quiches!

100% agree. I don't care if Osama is on the plane if he has no weapons he is no threat to aviation .

Nor do they have a legal right to do so.

So, you're mad because a TSO used their brains and allowed this woman to pass instead of completely enforcing an illegal ID verification policy.

The rules were actually followed in this case. According to tsa.gov:

Note that it says "may" and not "must" with respect to additional security screening. That SSSS for forgotten ID's is no longer mandatory was further confirmed on this blog by credible posters who are TSO's. In this case, the TSO accepted as credible her verbal assurance that she had forgotten her DL and verified an alternate form of identification. Based on his/her assessment, the TSO did not believe the passenger was a credible threat and, in accordance with the TSA rules, did not see fit to screen her further. What's your problem?

You can debate the ID ≠ security issue all you want with others on this board, but the fact is that this TSO followed the rules.

Where is the Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act disclosures related to such TSA demands for information to be recorded on those forms and otherwise?

March 25th, 2009 in the a.m. I was heading out of SFO. The woman in front of me presented her Costco card in the security line. Scary to think that the TSA has accepted such a form of ID more than once.

And just how does doing any of these things make anyone safer when all that is required is to screen for WEI?

I think we are on all in agreement that TSA is all for show, but whats going to stop the next Mohammed Atta from going to Sam's Club and getting a membership with the name of RadioGirl or coachrosey? I knew the dingbat who forgot her ID was not a threat, my point is that the whole system is a joke and if they are going to set standards they better follow them. If this happens all the time as well as all the other crap TSA pulls, we might as well just forget airport security as a whole. And I do care if Osama sits next to me, he probably smells like he has been living in a cave for years and I don't like sitting next to terrorists.

Maybe you already have been sitting next to terrorists.

Najibullah Zazi (NYC terror plot) is allegedly the worst terrorist to set foot on US soil since 9/11/01. He was under surveillance by the FBI for trying to make explosives, yet was allowed to fly from NYC to Denver. So, he either:

1. Flew using his real name and ID and is not on any terrorist watch list.
2. Used an assumed name and fake ID, meaning TSA failed at detecting a fake ID.
3. Did not have any ID and was allowed to fly.

No matter which is true, a suspected terrorist was allowed to fly on a commercial aircraft. Pretty much proves the whole ID thing is useless.

http://www.fbi.gov/page2/sept09/zazi-detention-memo.pdf

News flash!!
There is nothing to stop the next 'Atta' from showing up at the checkpoint today with their passport, US drivers license (legitimate) or US drivers license (bought identity).

The ID check does nothing - and I mean nothing - to stop someone who spends 10 minutes of thought on how to bypass this process successfully.

SecureFlight made it even easier for someone on the watch list to bypass the check - all they need to do is alter their name, sex and birthdate and the automated system will let them through. With a ticket and ID, and no means to check against a list, the screener will just look at a reasonable match between the two items and let this so-called next 'Atta' on board.

Seriously - are you really concerned about another 'Atta'? How concerned are you that NONE of the cargo sitting under your feet on the flight has been thoroughly (or often even passively) screened? Are you OK with a bomb blowing up your flight while the TSA works diligently to make sure terrorists need to coordinate how they bring their "explosive" liquids and gels through the checkpoint?