I was on my way home from a NGO MR last week and had to pass thru DFW where my UA flight left me off and I had to switch terminals to get an AA flight.
After checking in with their electronic "self-serve" kiosk, I get a boarding pass with SSSS on it. I go to wait in the 'special passenger' dock, get my up close and personal treatment and am ready to go. Just when I thought all the fun and games were over I am informed that my carry-on caused an alarm to go off, so every article is taken out one by one and carefully examined. I've got a variety of souvenirs, some leftover foodstuffs I had taken with me in case of emergency (read expensive food) in Japan, my camera with extra batteries, etc. Several articles are indivdually re-sent thru the machine. Anyhow nothing shows up so I'm free to go, EXCEPT, now the guy has my driver's license out of my wallet (he took it out, not me) and is making out a detailed report with all my biographical data.
An interesting detail of all of this is that in that same day I passed thru security two times, in NGO and SFO, with the exact same contents and no alarm went off. What I am wondering now is if I have been deemed 'worthy' to be included in a national database for suspicious characters and if I'll be treated to special consideration every time I fly in the coming months. Does the hiccup of the machine in DFW portend more than the usual grief for me in the future? Any thoughts or comments?

I learned long ago that DFW doesn't give a crap about privacy or the TSA SOP. That's why I never travel through the checkpoint with my driver's license. It's in an inconvenient place in my checked luggage or FedEx'd to my next destination.

If they want ID, they can have my passport which contains no personal information.

Calling Bart: Is this really OK? Is the screener allowed to open the traveler's wallet and take out whatever is needed?

First, I would have called over the supervisor immediately if a TSA agent rifled through my wallet. That's definitely not cool. And it opens them up to all kinds of troubles - you could say that the TSA operative took money, etc.

The SOP if you set off the explosives detection alarm is to collect your biographical data. The TSA (possibly in violation of federal law) refuses to say what is done with the information so there's no way of knowing what will happen. So far it doesn't seem to have been a problem for the couple people here on FT who reported having it happen to them.

If it were me, I'd write several letters in response to this. First to the FSD of the airport and whomever the TSA's customer service contacts and ombudsperson are asking what's going to happen with this data. Second to my congressional reps asking them to look into whether the TSA is required to comply with the Privacy Act and any other federal legislation in this area, and, if not, demanding that new legislation be introduced post haste to protect your privacy.

Failure to disclose what the information what will be used for is a violation of the Privacy Act of 1974. TSA is bound by this. They have been, supposedly, educated about this.

I would DEFINITELY suggest contacting the folks Doppy suggests.

I've already looked into this one and...surprise surprise...the TSA exempted itself from most all of the Privacy Act, at least in this context.

To be fair, this is perhaps not so much a poor reflection on the TSA, but on the poor excuse for privacy legislation that is the PA of 1974. Government will take whatever we give it. The Privacy Act gives quite a bit.

I had a very similar experience at DFW last summer.

They thought that I had a gun in my carry on (ha ha ha!) and called the Police. Of course I didn't and they walked away with my passport, broke a lot of their own rules etc etc. All normal TSA stuff. They threatened that if I did not give them my address they would detain me so that I would miss my flight. Remember - I had done NOTHING wrong.

Complaints - phone, email and letter to the TSA Ombudsman all gone unanswered.

Now I avoid DFW and tell everyone I know outside the US about my experience with the TSA.

Personally I cannot wait until they are toast.

Then the TSA goes through pretty great lengths to train its employees on how they are exempt from it.

Bart has mentioned in the past that the PA is in effect with the TSA.

Either the TSA is exempt or the TSA just doesn't care about the Privacy Act. Either way it's a problem that I think frequent travelers should be working to resolve.

On a recent freebie ticket I scored the dreaded SSSS TWICE - both xAsia and returning from EWR. The xAsia search was done with a minimum of fuss and, dare I say it - respect

Coming back through EWR, though, I got the whole business - the dreaded full pat down etc etc - I even had to open up a bag of chips I had with me!

Then, as I approach the departure gate, I am offered a free sample of food - on a skewer that makes a spear gun look benign! (well, it WAS an easy 3.5" long and sharpened...and I cant fly with nailscissors!!!???!!)

Wow...did I feel safe!

(As an aside, on my arrival in EWR I was apparently the only pax that this D of I N agent had seen roll their finger across the scanner (yes, even though I had a biometric passport, and was from a country well affiliated with the US I still have to undergo this humiliating proceedure - more power to the Brazillians!!! I can't imagine what would happen if we were to scan all the US visitors arriving here...) On seeing me roll my fingers rather than jab them, a discussion ensured

"Have you been arrested" asked the agent

"What????"

"Have you ever been arrested" the agent repeated

"No, I haven't!!!" (OK I was a little irritrated afetr some 36 hours of travel)

(and this is the kicker...) "Only criminals know to roll their fingers..." she said...

... !!!???!!

"Ok" I said "let me stop you there - I have worked for the ** government which requires fingerprint and security checks, I did forensics as a part of one of my undergrad studies...AND there was a continuous loop on the way over of CSI on the IFE - for FIFTEEN HOURS!!!"

That last line cracked her up and I was on my way...

The TSA refuses to say what is done with the information? That's terrible! Why do they need to do that?


And Funkymonkey, that experience of yours made me chuckle. Especially your explanation as to how you knew how to roll your finger. LOL.

Anastassia Florine...welcome to FlyerTalk and the Travel safety/Security Forum!!

I've been wondering -- what do they do if you refuse to provide your name/address? What if I carry my ID on my person and do not consent to removing it for their perusal? Can I just turn around, get my stuff, and leave the secure area? I assume that other than threatening to miss my flight that they'd call a LEO. But what could that officer do if I've done nothing wrong and have no contraband?

There's several issues here.

First, remember that only certain individuals are allowed past the checkpoint. Therefore, TSA (or the airport cops for that matter) are entitled to see your boarding pass at any time...and along with that a gov't issued photo ID to "prove" that you are the person who belongs to the boarding pass. So, refusal to show photo ID in connection with your BP *could* be grounds to deny you access to the sterile area.

Now the ol' "can't I just leave?" question. Several of the federal circuit courts of appeals have held (back in the 1970s and early 1980s) that once a person begins the screening process--by walking through the WTMD or placing bags on the belt--they must continue the screening process until it is completed. This presents a grey area depending on the factual circumstances.

As for the local LEO, it depends on state and local laws. As other threads and the recent SCOTUS Hiibel case have shown, different areas have different laws for when you must provide identity (verbally or with tangible ID) to law enforcement. And there are always law enforcement's favorite fallback charges such as "disorderly conduct" or "failure to comply with demands of an officer" or similar equivalents depending on the state.

I'll also take this opportunity to point out that the passport is probably not as much of a "foil" as some on this board present it to be. Remember you gave State your SSN, address, and other info when you applied for that passport. Even if you've moved since you got that passport...between your SSN, your DOB, the address on your tax returns, and post office forwarding records...that's plenty to go on ;-)

Oh...and don't forget the old standby "interference with the screening process."

I thought Hibbel stated that you NEVER have to present picture ID to a LEO (unless driving a car -- then you need to show a DL). I thought the law said IF you were under investigation, then you had to truthfully state your name.

Of course, in an airport you'd have to show your BP but even then, I thought ID was only an airline requirement and they'd overlook that if the person was SSSScreened.

It'd be an interesting test case on "interference with the screening process" since presenting ID is not part of a valid screening process anyway. But for this to happen, somebody would have to be willing to be the test case, which would involve missing thier flight and numerous other hassels .