fife

What an odd exercise.

I wonder how they deal with people whose name is pronounced differently to how its spelt - for example, TV's Mrs. Bucket, whose surname is of course pronounced bouquet.

My surname is spelt Hill, but what if it's pronounced "Wankalot". TSA couldn't prove it either way. If that's how I pronounce my name, then that's how I pronounce my name.

How do they cope with such incidents?

halls120

The only place I've found the security lines to be as long and slow as in the US is at LHR terminal 3. The lines can be very long at CPH and FRA, but they move quickly - much faster than at IAD, for example.

Our customs and immigration experience is an embarrassing joke. The only places I've routinely waited in US-type long lines is in Moscow and Bogota.

dlflyer2

Welcome to the Terrified States of America. It is often important to demonstrate that you are doing something. It matters little or not that what you are doing has an effect on the outcome.

It is equally necessary to keep the cadre of enforcers motivated, involved and believing their efforts are worthwhile.

FLgrr

Ari, please explain how the TSA has been changed by ways that were non stupid stunts? This goes for common local laws in your community. They will always be justified for some reason. I have had police here in Tampa tell me it is not there job to give out parking tickets. That is the job of the parking authority that I can not call. Then when you call about the car that is blocking the fire hydrant... wait wait wait for the response........

I have had dispatchers refuse to send people out since there is no fire. And yes, I had one officer drive away and not ticket a car after lecturing me about wasting her time since there was no fire.

I can agree that some ways to make things more secure is to constantly change it, but but you have to factor the cost of the change. Asking for my name does what? Makes sure the person looking at the boarding pass sees the same spelling on the driver's licence? Make sure they know how to read and let them take their time to compare it letter for letter.

4nsicdoc

It seems they're already guessing about security procedures. The idea is to keep them guessing on their way to workabout what insults they will endure that day.

BubbaLoop

My last name is a long string of consonants of eastern European origin, an inheritance from my great-grandfather, who's native language neither I nor my father speak. We have our own pronunciation of our name, which I have been sternly told by native speakers is incorrect.

How about I answer: "I don't know, I don't speak XXX either"?

Truthful.

But obviously, when paired with a foreign passport of a different country (with a language I speak, but where I don't live, so never the destination on my boarding pass), certainly indicative of a terrorist.

Or maybe it is easier to pretend I don't speak English.

Which begs the question of how they deal with non-native speakers on this new feature. I am pretty sure most will hesitate when asked this, probably not sure they understood (since it is so ridiculous).

sylvia hennesy

"Which begs the question of how they deal with non-native speakers on this new feature."

Here is one resident TSA "officer's" take on non-English speaking:

Heck, this story reminds me of the passenger who started to speak Russian to me when I gave him the advisement before the pat down; he was trying to make a point. "Sir, is that French?" He then says something else in Russian. "German?" He's became more upset, insulted me in Russian. "I know that's not Spanish." Finally he spoke in English, answering my questions throughout the advisement. He must have left wondering just how stupid I was. You have to wonder if this is what happened here... (Yes, I took Russian in college, can still speak it a very small bit.)

bajajoes

One person(a tsa?) said that you would still be allowed to fly if you do not say your name. IF that is the case then it would seem that name saying may be tsa's first attempts at a mini interview possibly being observed by another person for evaluation of these supposed "micro expressions" that they say can not be masked.
I hope someone that has access to NR tickets will go to the airport and try it out, not carring if they fly. (NR=nonrev)

Global_Hi_Flyer

"A**hole. That's what my ex- calls me...."

n4zhg

Name one that has actually worked.

FAr as I'm concerned, if they don't want to be annoyed, there are plenty of service/agricultural jobs in Georgia gone wanting.

NotaCriminal

This. I've said it at least 6 different times in different threads that I do not wish to say my name out loud if there is no system in place to provide me with privacy.

I too am one with a unique name; I'm the only one with this name in the U.S. I value my privacy greatly when travelling (and most other aspects of life) and I'm not going to play this stupid name game with the TSA employees if it means my privacy is compromised. If I am allowed to step elsewhere to state my name so that I may board my flight, what the heck is it to you or any other passenger in line behind me? It's not antagonism to wish to protect yourself, even if it's a simple as not stating my name with passengers immediately behind me. I'm not compromising my safety and privacy just to make everyone else happy.

clrankin

My answer to your question: Because we can. Because our country's laws provide us with the ability to refuse to do certain things if we wish to not do them. Because while others may feel that surrendering rights at a moment's notice to blueshirt thugs is acceptable, some of us do not. Because it adds yet another "requirement" to the process that adds nothing to security.

Why does TSA need to come up with new ideas to make the security screening process even less effective and more annoying?

stifle

Will one of our resident TSA posters please kindly tell us what action would be taken if a passenger was to respond to the prompt "Say your last name" with "Ní thuigim Bearla"? (Transliterated, that's nee higim bare-la, if you care.)

Other kibitzers are welcome to respond as well

mikemey

Ari:

I respect you and your comments, as they usually make sense.

However, and I still might be in the minority here, but IMO the "Being Nice" bus has left the terminal.

It's been tried. It hasn't worked. It's time to become confrontational. I'm not talking about giving a TSO a well deserved punch in the mouth (As much as I'd like to...), but by doing the little things to make the TSOs day rotten. If that means giving grief about saying your name, I'm all for it. Lie, stall, pause, etc.

Opt out and make the resistance point. I so plan on doing that at RDU in a couple of weeks when I fly out, much to my wife's chagrin.

But the letter writing hasn't worked. Boycotts haven't worked. The next natural step is resistance. (pardon the pun). If we have to be loud and obnoxious for the sheeple to see, and maybe understand, well, so be it.

The next step is revolution, of course.

doober

^^!