cb1111

Incorrect. History has shown us that the people we are dealing with don't build appropriate cover stories. In addition, there are things that you can't hide that will give everyone but the trained professional away - and those aren't the guys we're dealing with.

There is of course the question if the TDC can actually detect those indicators, but those indicators are there - just like when you can tell if your 16 year old isn't quite telling the truth.

You'd be surprised at the amount of people referred to law enforcement by the TDCs. Did they all intend to cause harm? Of course not, but some certainly did.

cb1111

Sure. The "bad guys" in this scenario wouldn't have hit on her if her name wasn't Cindy.

They would have hit on her for other reasons and probably would have followed her to the gate in any case.

I'm sure an alcoholic beverage was involved but hearing her name had nothing to do with it.

jtodd

Yes, more details please.

Pesky Monkey

Really? Which ones?

NotaCriminal

Okay, so now I'm not even "halfway intelligent" and I have something to hide because I don't wish to speak to someone, make eye contact or freely provide information???? Seriously???? I don't have to talk 99% of the time should I not wish to do so. It's as simple as that. It doesn't make me less than intelligent nor does it mean I have something to hide. I'm not quite sure where you get off passing such a rude and intolerant and insensitive judgement as to the intelligence, habits and safety concerns of other posters.

Further, my name IS PII. I am the only one with this name in the United States. According to U.S. regulations and U.S. Government agency material definitions, my name alone, because of its unique character, IS PII and I don't have to share that with an entire line of passengers and a TDC is NOT to be sharing that with the crowd in line. Combining my name with my DOB, as has happened to some of us here, DEFINITELY meets the definition of PII. Get off your high horse and go do the legal and agency research as to PII already, before you declare what is and isn't PII.

cb1111

Which ones what? Wanted to cause us harm?

The 3rd and 8thones referred to LE on Tuesdays, and the 4th and 23rd referred on Wednesday.

A foolish question deserves a foolish answer.

If you truly believe that the bad guys aren't testing security (and are getting caught,) then you're living in a drea, world.

Boggie Dog

Please show evidence that "bad guys" are testing security and/or getting caught.

FliesWay2Much

If one broadens one's definition of "bad guy" to include these categories of people interacting with Blacklight Bob:

1. Underage college kid with fake ID
2. Individual carrying a lot of cash on a domestic flight
3. Deadbeat dad skipping out on child support
4. Common criminal engaging in identity theft
5. Drugging waiting for the clerk on the take to get them through the checkpoint
6. Women accused of planning a divorce
7. Other sorts of common criminals; then,

the latest TSA body count is quite impressive:

.

This is the definition of "bad guy" the TSA has used since it crawled out of the swamp.

If a trained real terrorist whose mission is to commit some act of martyrdom against civil aviation security approached your ID check station, I guarantee you would never know it. All of this fake ID stuff has to do is to fool you for 20-30 seconds. The fake ID doesn't have to be that good if its only purpose is to get past the ID checker and a gate rapers.

As others and I have said many times before; and, which was proven most recently in Buffalo, the easiest way past your checkpoint is simply to bribe a clerk or two.

StanSimmons

They might have hit on her, true... but they would not have had her name, and with it the ability to try to social engineer her into thinking they knew her from a previous meeting.

There are plenty of good reasons (other than big brother) not want your name and destination broadcast for all to hear... and no good reasons for the TSA to be doing said broadcasting.

Perhaps you should be laying off the alcoholic beverages, it has impaired your ability to think rationally.

exbayern

You really cannot be that oblivous of the cultural differences, can you? Seriously?

Making eye contact, engaging in random chit chat with strangers, and smiling are all things considered rude in many cultures around the world.

doober

Sociopaths do the above as well. Think Ted Bundy. Terrorists are sociopaths.

Extremely introverted or shy persons, as well as people with autism, don't want to engage in conversation, make eye contact or "freely provide" information.

Do some research before you post drivel.

InkUnderNails

For the hearing impaired, me for instance, making small talk in a noisy environment like an airport is impossible at times and tortuous at others. I guess that makes me suspicious. I barely can communicate what is needed, much less any silly games they want to play. I have had them ask me where I am going today and could not understand the question. I asked them to repeat it twice and finally understood. I said "Home."

This silly game falls into the TSA Triage Level 1 every time.

Global_Hi_Flyer

Wrongo. Putting aside the "nothing to hide" card (which is nonsense) a bad guy may very well be willing to engage in a discussion. A lie detector CAN be beat - all it takes is someone who has rehearsed & believes firmly in what they're doing. The government continues to believe in lie detectors for security clearances even though they've been proven to be unreliable.

Apparently you've never had your identity stolen & had to deal with the aftermath. I have. Twice. Where hotel clerks took identity data & used it to establish credit.

In one case they demanded and photocopied a driver license (learned my lesson with that one...) & gave it (along with credit card data) to crooks that rang up $25,000 worth of charges before I learned about the ruse from a snail-mailed receipt from Dell that arrived at my home address about a week later. Dell managed to stop the shipment - but the crooks had quite a time in Miami. AmEx ate about $25,000 in the deal, the crooks in Miami were caught but not prosecuted. Months later I had a collection agency on my *** because same crooks set up a landline account with Verizon & never paid. I cleared that up, only to have it rear it's head again 6 years later when collection agency #1 sold the debt to collection agency #2 but failed to send the full files including the determination of identity theft. I ended up having to get a State's Attorney office involved in that one. Verizon was no help, and I later learned that the crooks took advantage of the fact that I was traveling to pull off their heists... speed is everything.

In the other case, the hotel clerk took my name, address, and credit card data along with the knowledge of my length of stay to steal identity & ring up numerous charges. Fortunately, AmEx canceled the account immediately & replaced the card within 24 hours so I could continue my trip.

So, yeah, I am highly reluctant to allow someone to demand I pronounce my name out loud in an airport line, along with my destination and itinerary.

It ain't a matter of "having nothing to hide", it's a matter of the Government employee having "no need to know".

The end does not justify the means. You delay me because of some wild goose chase or some false suspicion and you have infringed on my rights - and caused me harm if it causes me monetary or other loss (such as missing my flight or losing my carefully-selected seat).

Of course, we do have a country where government actors try to take advantage of the ignorant, and it's fully in the interest of the government actors to try and keep the people ignorant. The ONLY one looking out for my interest is me.

TDCs are not there to find law violaters. They are there for one function only: to check the boarding pass against the ID presented. That's it, even if the head of the TSA - as a former FBI leader - sees the perfect opportunity to expand scope into a dragnet.

TheGolfWidow

I can fake either one, easily, at the drop of a tin foil hat. It is painfully easy to manipulate the situation at the checkpoint in these kinds of ways. In my case, it's because I want to avoid a hassle; in the case of nefarious individuals who might manipulate the checkpoint screeners, maybe not so much.

exbayern

One reason why Walmart failed in Germany is because they train their checkout staff to smile and make small talk. It made customers uncomfortable.