TSA May Give Certain Passport Holders Extra Screening
Oct 20, 2007, 10:48 am
#16
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The "rust and PC rot" that are extremists' best friend are those who sell the new PC, the new PC which would have the public buy into the idea that bigotry is ok when directed at "muslims and brown people". Some know better than fall into that trap of impoverished thinking that advocates passport-based harassement during domestic travels.
Oct 20, 2007, 11:15 am
#17
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Actually, no. That impoverished thinking which tries to justify passport-based harassment (or bigotry against "muslims and brown people") on domestic travel is the kind of Dark Ages' thinking that was to be found in Nazi-dominated areas and under the Stalinists. To replicate such garbage in the US will not "see off the new Dark Ages"; actually what you are suggesting is to surrender to a defeated enemy by adopting their dirty ways.
Oct 20, 2007, 11:19 am
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Oct 20, 2007, 11:47 am
#19
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I am sure that some people miss the days where their racist outbursts were considered "acceptable" regardless of which minority group they were maligning. Nowadays, that same hate-filled crowd (or their legacy) welcomes the new PC tolerance for hate-filled rants and policies when directed at "muslims and brown people".
Doppy, thank you for those facts. Too bad not everyone understands that is evidence that ID is not security.
If someone showed a nostalgia souvenir passport from the mythical Republic of Bananas, most TSA checkers would be unaware that there is no such sovereign country recognized internationally.
Last edited by GUWonder; Oct 20, 2007 at 11:52 am
Oct 20, 2007, 12:04 pm
#20
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Are you admitting something about yourself? 
They probably would thank apologists for domestic ID checks, and they would probably thank them for helping to distract security resources away from the basics with which the TSA struggles (i.e., prohibited blades, guns and explosives).
The 9/11 hijackers -- Al-Qaeda that is for you -- were mostly in possession of valid government issued ID, ID issued by (domestic) government agencies in the United States in most cases whether they used it that day or not. Even if foreign passports were an invitation to additional screening for contraband on 9/11, there's still the issue that dual-use items such as the box cutters alleged to have been used were actually permitted past the security checkpoint under the restrictions then in place.
ID is not security.
They probably would thank apologists for domestic ID checks, and they would probably thank them for helping to distract security resources away from the basics with which the TSA struggles (i.e., prohibited blades, guns and explosives).
The 9/11 hijackers -- Al-Qaeda that is for you -- were mostly in possession of valid government issued ID, ID issued by (domestic) government agencies in the United States in most cases whether they used it that day or not. Even if foreign passports were an invitation to additional screening for contraband on 9/11, there's still the issue that dual-use items such as the box cutters alleged to have been used were actually permitted past the security checkpoint under the restrictions then in place.
ID is not security.
Oct 20, 2007, 3:19 pm
#22
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Other countries? Ha. I recently presented a TSA (not contract) ID checker with a US passport, and they asked if I had a DL I could use instead. They also backed down when I said "what part of a legal and valid US Passport is not a valid ID?"
Oct 20, 2007, 3:36 pm
#23
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We've just started manning the checkpoint entrance scanning IDs and BPs this week. I welcome your comments because it allows me to focus my training accordingly. You're right: a valid US passport meets the standard. And I'm not trying to excuse any deviation from that, I just think that handling DLs are so much easier that TSOs/ID checkers tend to "default" to what's ostensibly a more common form of ID. Shouldn't happen but it does. My challenge as a trainer is to make TSOs comfortable with any form of government ID.
Oct 20, 2007, 3:37 pm
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You are not the only one. I had that happen to me too and also the following variation when I came up to the TSA ID checker and handed my US passport to them while on the phone speaking a foreign language. He fiddled around and then interrupted my conversation and said he wanted to see my other passport. I got off the phone, responded in the foreign language and pointed to my passport. Clowns.
Oct 20, 2007, 4:04 pm
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(8 posts and suspended already. Now that's GOT to be some sort of FlyerTalk record!)
Oct 20, 2007, 4:54 pm
#26
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We've just started manning the checkpoint entrance scanning IDs and BPs this week. I welcome your comments because it allows me to focus my training accordingly. You're right: a valid US passport meets the standard. And I'm not trying to excuse any deviation from that, I just think that handling DLs are so much easier that TSOs/ID checkers tend to "default" to what's ostensibly a more common form of ID. Shouldn't happen but it does. My challenge as a trainer is to make TSOs comfortable with any form of government ID.
Next time that happens I'll ask the TSO if he has a copy of the 1974 Privacy Act form to fill out before he starts looking thru my passport other than the ID page. I'm curious if the TSO also looks thru wallets as well.
Bart you unfortunately work with some VERY incompetent people who where the same uniform as you do.
I will not tolerate that again. Brigands at the very least.
Oct 22, 2007, 9:23 am
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There are a ton of "1 and outs" somewhere in FT-world. A lot of spam, a few trolls.
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Oct 22, 2007, 10:06 am
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If the US is the "Land of the Free" then we should hold ourselves to a higher standard, not be in a race to sink to the lowest common dominator.
Oct 22, 2007, 11:46 am
#29
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Timothy McVeigh and his ilk were not from outside the US. Security should be security no matter where one's passport is issued from.
A flier should have reasonable security, otherwise the fetish with IDs and one's origin will get in the way of true screening.
I would hate to see the US go back to the days of WWII when patriotic Japanese Americans were rounded up and placed in concentration camps.
Oct 22, 2007, 12:25 pm
#30
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A couple of comments make me wonder, does the TSA have the right to flip past your passports identification page without your consent?