No longer using passport as ID for TSA - here's why
 

99% of my travel is international. Because I have to present my passport when I check in, I use it as my ID with TSA. I keep my passport in a leather case. Now I know that the immigration people require you to remove your passport from the case so that they can run it throuogh the scanner. But TSA does not scan the passport.

The most recent ID check by TSA resulted in the ID checker requesting that I remove my passport from the case. You can still see my name and photo just fine when the passport is in the case. When she asked me to remove it, I said really, no one else has ever requested this before. I was curious why. No response - just asked me again to remove it, I complied even though it is a pain because I keep my yellow immunization card and Bulgarian work permit and residency card behind the passport in the case so that all this information is in one place when I need it and I have to keep an eye on all those things. Then after verifying the passport against the boarding pass, she proceeded to flip through the 70-something pages of my passport, which happens to be full of visas and residence permits and lots of stamps. I have no idea why she was looking at my passport like that - there was no need.

I have decided that I will now use the minimum required ID for TSA because I am sick and tired of people nosing into my personal business (in the guise of security) for no valid reason.

yes, the tsa can ask you to remove your i/d from its case/wallet (similar to a leo) but they have absolutely no business (wash, rinse, & repeat) flipping thru your passport (or any other documents for that matter). it's w,e & i's and that's it-period and end of story-plane and simple (and they have been learning that the hahd way <boston accent>in recent court cases ^).

A TDC is not part of CIS. An immigration stamp is not a WEI. TheTDC has no reason to look at your stamp collection. :td: to this TDC.

However as others have noted, when flying domestic, using a passport makes sense. If you lose it, you still have your hidden driver license to rent a car at your destination and do your business. And if TSA gets snippy and pulls out one of their Forms to write you up, the passport does not have your home address, so less information about you gets recorded and collected.

I hate having to consider every decision with "which way makes me less likely to be a victim of identity theft?" But as we get toward RealID Land, this will become more important, and ID requirements like the following will become a way of life. :td: (DL renewal in FL wil require similar in 2010. :td: )

I recently had to complete a DHS I-9 form. Page 5 lists the ID required. Either one from List A, or one from List B PLUS one from List C. On Section 2 the info from the ID(s) used is written down. Now the I-9 already has name, DOB, and SSN. But add a DL number and home address from DL in Section 2, and an identity thief has everything needed on this one sheet of paper. :td: A passport number is far more useless than a DL number for identity theft. I used my passport.

I usually carry around my passport card as backup ID when travelling. When I'm on an international itinerary, my passport book and drivers license are secured and I use the card as ID. It is a double edged sword. Ran into a TSO who has no clue passport cards existed. Even when I told him it's a valid piece of ID, he still had to get a supervisor. Guess he needs remedial training.

After the same thing happened to me a year or so ago, I stopped showing my passport, also, and now use my driver's license. I'd rather have these monsters know where I live than where I've traveled.

Bruce

It is amusing seeing a make-work employee at the TSA scrutinize passports in the futile hope of finding a fake one. I've never had a screener flip through my passport and look at every page, but they sometimes spend an inordinate amount of time on the ID page with their blacklight and loupe.

Chances are a TSA ID checker would have no idea where any of the places you travelled are on the map anyway :D Unless of course you have squiggly lines from them arab countries, then you must be bad.

I use NEXUS as my first ID and when that's rejected I used my Passport Card and then follow up with a complaint on the other side. I also provide them with their very own copy of the TSA website-- I now carry extras in my bag.

When always show my driver's license only to the TSA. Furthermore, I ensure that they only get to see the boarding card for the flight leaving from that airport; I keep the others--along with my passport--hidden away. It's better to provide need-to-know documents only.

Remedial training? How bout fired? If they can't remember what is and isn't "acceptable" ID then how can you possibly trust them with the dog and pony show? If I were that idiot's boss he's be sitting at home today....looking for a job.

This past summer, I gave both of our passports and boarding passes to the TDC and she examined the appropriate items. When she started flipping through the rest of the passport pages, I said that I didn’t see why that was necessary (or even appropriate) to read the other pages. She stated that she wasn’t reading anything, but just looking and that she couldn’t tell me what she was looking for or the reason for looking. Not reading but only looking? :confused:

At least I received a decent answer from the TSA:

A good way to avoid this I have now found is to use a rubber band around the pages not necessary to review. This seems to throw them off in not looking further. :p

The TSA will send you to secondary if you're a foreigner and a citizen of an 'undesirable' country, even though you are in the US completely legally.

So best not to show passports if you can avoid it.

Do I need to show the passport at front of checkpoint? When I am flying out of PHX-ATL-ZRH is approximately 30 days left. I am not aware about TSA is changeable the policy. I will figure it out why TSA has lot of changes the regulations.

This is OT but are you sure the Swiss will let you in?

http://www.worldtravelguide.net/coun...itzerland.html

I still use my US Passport as ID for TSA - less likelihood of identity theft, or just plain theft, given that the TDC would have both my destination (from boarding pass) and home address if I used my DL. Ripe for burglary while I'm gone.

However, I use two large paper clips to clip all the pages except the photo page together, which also secures my yellow immunization card safely. I've never had TDC look further at all those "squiggly letter A-rab visas." (They are actually from Pakistan and Afghanistan, but never mind)