I almost always travel alone and I have never traveled (by air) with a child before so please excuse what may seem like very ignorant questions....

I am taking my sister and niece to Boston for the weekend and it will be my niece's first time flying. She is quite excited but my sister is a VERY nervous flyer and I want to make the experience as easy as possible for my niece and hope my sister's fears don't transfer over to her....

So... I am trying to prepare my niece what to expect beforehand. Since my niece is 8, I assume that she doesn't have to show ID correct? Do they ask children any questions while they they check adult ID's? She is quite shy so I hope they don't but if they do I would like to know what they will ask so I can tell her beforehand what to expect. When we get to the scanners, how do things go with younger children? Do they make the parent wait a certain distance? If someone could explain very specifically how it is normally done I would be really grateful.

As soon as we get thru security, we will hit the lounge to put some liquid courage in my sister

Given the predilections of the TSA clerks to prevaricate and fantasize, I don't believe there's anything "normal" about the process.

Sometimes nothing untoward will happen. Sometimes you'll get one of the TSA's many "bad apples" who will simply make up "regulations" out of whole cloth to do whatever it is they're trying to do - whether to separate the child from the adults so they can grope with impunity, separate the passenger from their carry-on so that stuff can be stolen by the TSA clerks at the checkpoint, or whatever else they want to do.

Best of luck.

Thanks.

They don't require any type of ID for children, correct?

Do they normally ask children anything directly when checking the adults ID's? If so, what questions are normally asked?

I'm sorry we're coming across as unhelpful. We're trying to be forthright. In the majority of cases the TSA isn't too much of a problem. If they're being reasonable when you approach the checkpoint, you'll breeze through.

If they're being unreasonable, things will get very unpleasant. Because just about everything is SSI, and the TSA changes their demands of passengers arbitrarily in order to keep terrorists on their toes , we can't tell you what they do or do not require.

You can go to their website and try to get information, but be advised that many travelers have found that if the screener and/or his/her supervisor is/are being unreasonable, expecting them to adhere to what's published in their own "regulations" or on their website tends to lead to retaliation against the traveler.

I'm sorry we can't be all smarmy and encouraging. Reality being what it is, we can't tell you what to expect. If you had asked if you should load a child onto an aircraft to go to Boston, we could have been more helpful. Since you've already made up your mind to take this course of action, there's very little in the way of help that can be offered.

Will there be a 4th adult traveling with you? One of the things that seems to come up frequently is that the TSA preys on women traveling alone or with children. If the TSA demands a "private" groping session with one of you ladies, you're entitled to an escort of your choice. (The TSA won't inform you of your right, you must be aware of this right and claim in firmly.) If this happens, who will stay with the child while you ladies deal with the "resolution pat-down?"

As for the "requirement" for ID, I have found that traveling with your own child or seeking medical treatment for your own child often means encountering an illegal demand for the child's ID or SSN. While you aren't required to surrender either, it is usually easier to comply than to resist. The illegitimate "authority" is usually imagining that you're kidnapping your child from your spouse. The illegitimate "authority" isn't authorized or entitled to investigate such issues, but this won't prevent him/her from calling police or social services and making your interactions with him/her very difficult. For this reason I usually have my children's passports and social security cards on hand. It reduces drama. You might discuss this with your sister.

At least the TSA breaks your kids in early for the abuse they later learn to accept as adults...

Correct. Leaving aside any discussion about whether or not you actually do have to have identification media at all (I'm quite expecting Phil to come swooping in at any moment about that), ID isn't a requirement if the passenger is under the age of eighteen.

Officially, no, but I know of a few TSOs who do. Mostly, it seems to be asking the child what their name is, or if they're excited about going to... wherever. Especially if it's Disney World or something.

Whatever their reasoning, it has no bearing on the screening process.

These I can't answer, given that I don't know. No experience at all with the WBI devices.

My daughter has been asked her name at the BOS checkpoint since she was about 3 or 4. Recently they started asking where she is going as well. I have not experienced that at other airports with her. She has the same last name as my wife and me, so no real reason to be suspicious of her separately.

No ID required. Also no requirement for her to answer any questions they pull out of their @$$.. Just ignore, and move along.

If they weren't epsilon morons they should be able to see the family resemblance without asking.

I remember driving across the border into the US from Vancouver a number of years ago, where a kindly old border patrol fellow looked us over quickly, looked at my docs and let us through. I asked him if he needed docs for my kids. "No, they're all blond like you folks and pretty much look like you and your wife...."

Of course, if they weren't epsilon morons (or epsilon minus semi-morons) they'd have a real job, no?

I hope your niece likes being photographed naked and having her genitals caressed by strangers. And likes getting her scalp massaged and her bare feet rubbed. And likes having the front of her pants pulled out so that the kindly TSO can peek down and see what she's got.

I have a 12 year old nephew that I tried to somewhat prepare for a trip he was thinking about taking, but being shy myself it was kind of hard for me to get to the point. I did manage to let him know that he could possibly expect his pee-pee to be touched by some guy wearing blue gloves. As his uncle I feel it is my duty to at least prepare him a little for a possible traumatic event. Especially since his father is one of those anything for security people.

A 15 y.o. daughter of a good friend of our family occasionally travels with us. Since nude-o-vision went into operation she is literally terrified of the idea that some stranger could see her naked or touch her privates just to be allowed to fly. We're planning a trip to L.A. and so we will either take Amtrak or drive I-5.

On the other hand my son of the same age has no qualms about opting-out at the checkpoint, assuming the position, and if touched inappropriately asking in a very loud voice, "Why are you touching MY penis?"

To which the TSO replies, "Because it could be used as a weapon and even bring down an aircraft. Just the threat of its use might be enough to hijack a plane." I like the fact that he stresses the "my". Too funny. As if he should be touching his own instead.

Assuming the lane you go to even has the AIT on it, since most of the lanes in the country don't have them, the child and parent will be sent through the WTMD together.

Again, I keep raising the point: TSA by instilling fear in passengers who ARE the last line of defense, TSA demoralizes and degrades them which makes security worse, not better. Don't listen to any nonsense about TSOs being the last line of defense; passengers are and this is according to TSA's own charts: