What if you forget your ID? Is your vacation ruined? Are you going to miss your meeting? Are you going to miss the Elvis Costello show this weekend at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall? Not at all… If you simply state you forgot your ID, we will work with you to verify your ID, you may undergo some additional screening and will be permitted to fly.Because terrorists don't lie. Or have valid ID, like all the 9/11 hijackers.
On the other hand, if you do not cooperate and state that you’re not willing to show us your ID, you will not be permitted to fly.
You show your ID to test drive a car, view an apartment, buy a house, cash a check, buy cigarettes or alcohol, rent videos and so forth. The list could go on and in some of these circumstances; they hold onto your card or make a copy. We’re just asking for a few moments of your time to ensure your name matches the name on your ticket.
Security Theater at is best.
2 comments:
Now, see, I have a completely different reaction to this policy change. This is TSA exercising some discretion in letting their frontline employees use common sense based upon actual research, rather than being bound by a flat, boilerplate "no ID, no fly, period" protocol. Sure, maybe anybody can get an ID, but a) the vast majority of people are legit, and b) I guess I feel that something is better than nothing. Having been a member of the enforcement community, I know that there's a fine line between being allowed access to information which could save lives and infringing upon peoples' "freedom." It's a monumentally tough job, hamstrung with any number of restrictions and prohibitions ("Thou shalt not profile" being only one of many.)
Call me crazy, but freedom doesn't mean a whole lot to me if I'm dead. I'm all for oversight, mind you, and I know that abuse of power is a fact of life that needs to be kept in check, but in some cases, the end really does justify the means.
The problem I see is that the TSA people only check to see that the name on the ticket is the same as on the ID. The airline counter clerk looks at the ID more than that.
All it takes is a fake name and maybe fake ID to get past this.
This doesn't significantly change the existing policy except that those who refuse to show ID on the grounds of free movement in the country/privacy/'Papers please' will be prohibited.
It is safeness neutral. It's all about the appearance of doing something.
Security Theater.
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