I.D. Nightmare (A warning)

ariesathena · July 8, 2005, 3:43pm

Ellemenope: Their greatest asset was surprise. No one would have expected hijackers to be on a suicide mission - the people on the planes (not the one that went down over PA, obviously) thought that cooperation would let them escape unscathed.

I simply cannot imagine a small group being able to successfully hijack and fly a plane now. The Pennsylvania flight is a prime example.

Our former security measures, by the way, were actually sufficient - the problem was that the people who are in charge weren’t making the right decisions. A lot of those people were on terrorist watch lists. If you see one of those people every few weeks (hypothetically), and, then one day, there are five of them on the same flight, a little mental alarm bell should go off. Unfortunately, such alarm bells (and subsequent action) cannot be legislated into existence.

FrenchBaroque · July 8, 2005, 3:48pm

A lot of good information in this last set of replies: thanks, everyone.

NJRes: Your sis may be on to something. You’ll remember that I mentioned them going particularly slowly with my D. (Not so with all the others.) That, combined with the fact that they refused to call the gate to hold the flight, combined with the fact that when we arrived at that gate (& they were calling for the last boarding), they bumped us up to Business, being sold out of coach, which we had purchased.

But this is still a crummy way to handle people, I think. I’ve been overbooked before (& also bumped up to Business for similar reasons), without being stuck in security. It does happen. Humiliation & hostility are unnecessary on the part of TSA.

Lessons learned. She’ll still bring her passport, state I.D. or no.

cangel · July 8, 2005, 3:59pm

We have Kathiep’s problem - my 6’1" son has just turned 14 this week for heavens’ sake. We flew to Houston over spring break, and I thankfully remembered to tell him a week ahead to track down his school ID (he needs it for lunch, but often “loses” it for a week at the time - part of the reason he is 6’ and weighs 120 lbs, you should see this kid!). I think they would have passed him through, but who knows. DD will be carded when she is 30, because she will look 16.

ariesathena · July 8, 2005, 4:16pm

True. Also unnecessary was the practice of touching women’s chests during pat-downs. I couldn’t hide a credit card in mine but that doesn’t deter them.

A.S.A.P · July 8, 2005, 4:23pm

My family has adjusted to the heightened security, and we come to LAX regularly prepared to stand in long lines, have our IDs checked at least three times by the various checkpoints, practically undress in front of the world, empty out contents of backpacks, suitcases, etc.

We took our daughter to the airport recently to board a plane to Peru . We expected a longer process, being an international flight. Imagine our surprise when our D walked up to the counter, showed her passport briefly to a smiling attendant, weighed her suitcase ( no baggage check - she was even allowed to keep her combo lock on the bag) and off she went.
It took all of about 5 minutes before she was up the escalator to her gate. H and I were stunned.

While we were happy for no hassels, I have to say that in my mind I was thinking, “What if one of these bags had a bomb? They sure aren’t checking things very carefully!” Funny how our perspective changes in such a short time.

bandit_TX · July 8, 2005, 4:29pm

They probably are changing to central bag screening downstairs, and don’t be surprised if the lock is cutoff. The new TSA approved locks allow for a TSA key to open them and not have to be cutoff.

A.S.A.P · July 8, 2005, 4:41pm

The lock was not cut off, as the attendant assured us that it would not be. (D has called a couple of times) This was Copa Air, not a US carrier. What concerns me a bit is if the airline is this relaxed on the return flight. I hope not. Won’t know 'till the end of the month when she comes home.

bandit_TX · July 8, 2005, 11:37pm

Your lucky, they will cut them when they want and the airlines have nothing to say about it.

TSA controls security on all flights coming into the US. Most people don’t realize that. You’ll see posters quoting US statutes in airports around the world. Countries that don’t submit, don’t get to land here.

boxmaker1917 · July 9, 2005, 1:43am

I work for TSA and can perhaps clarify some issues.

1) Those selected for special screening are picked by the airline computers at the time they book their tickets. The computer does not see who you are or what you look like. Your boarding pass comes pre-marked for TSA by the airline computer and you were not selected by a TSA agent who thought you looked suspicious.

There are certain conditions that will flag your ticket for additional screening. However, most people are selected at random and approximately 5% of passengers on each flight will be screened.

The airlines require a picture ID that is government issued. If you do not have this, you will receive extra screening. The people who examine your ID and boarding pass initially work for the airlines. That is why they are dressed differently than TSA agents and do not wear TSA uniforms. Any government-issued, picture ID is accepted. Most of the time, a high school picture ID will be allowed, even if the student is 18.

You may be asked to show your boarding pass a second time to a TSA screener. (We do not look at your ID. Again, that is an airline requirement. We are interested only in your boarding pass.) We check for the current date, departure time and city. (For example, we want to know why you are trying to get to the gate with an outdated boarding pass which we would consider a security-related question.) We also check whether you were selected for additional screening by the air carrier. Depending on how the checkpoints are set up at each airport (space and staffing may be considerations), this can be done out front, next to the airline personnel or at the walk-through metal detector.

2) TSA is not authorized to deselect anyone from additional screening. The airlines have this authority (since they are the ones who selected you), TSA does not. .

3) TSA agents are federal employees. We do not work for the airlines. We cannot tell gate agents to hold a plane for you, as FrenchBaroque would like. Even if we could contact the gate agents, they probably wouldn’t hold a plane for passengers who arrive late.

The airlines advise passengers to arrive 1.5 hours early for domestic flights. The airlines try very hard to be on time and other passengers probably would not appreciate having their flight delayed.

While it is convenient for FrenchBaroque to blame her tardinesss on TSA, it is unlikely that her daughter’s extra screening was the reason for almost missing the flight. We average 2800 - 3000 passengers through our checkpoint in an 8 hour shift. Most airlines will begin boarding at least 20 minutes before departure. I don’t think we could screen that many passengers a day if it takes us 20 minutes a passenger. It is far more likely that FrenchBaroque was running late before arriving at the TSA checkpoint. If you almost missed your plane because your daughter was selected for additional screening, you almost missed your plane anyway.

4) You will go through security faster if you read the signs and/or follow the recommendations of the security screeners. If you “forget” a prohibited item in your carry-on bag, we WILL see it on the x-ray and we will search your bag until we find the item and remove it. If you ever have a question about items that are permitted or prohibited, you can check <a href=“http://www.tsa.gov%5B/url%5D”>www.tsa.gov</a> for further information.

5) I personally have no sympathy for FrenchBaroque’s implied belief that white, middle class folk like her family are above suspicion and that TSA should only screen practising Muslims, people with olive skin or whomever else she thinks looks like a terrorist. Next time you go to an airport, FrenchBaroque, please bring a picture of what a terrorist looks like so the rest of us will know. (Can you spell Okahoma City?)

6) Believe it or not, it is no thrill for us to search for concealed and prohibited items by patting you down. We explain the procedures and offer a private screening. We advise passengers that at any point, they may ask that the screening be stopped and resumed in a non-public area. This is NATIONAL policy and is closely monitored at every checkpoint.

7) Most of the TSA workforce is educated and professional. In former lives, I was a college professor and a business executive. I hold a Ph.d. as do several of my colleages. Many more have masters and MBA’s. Others are working part-time while pursuing their graduate degrees. Most of us get a daily chuckle out of the “airs” that passengers put on – especially the ones with the dirt-cheap tickets!

binx · July 9, 2005, 3:35am

Boxmaker – I found a lot of your statements useful and interesting. I didn’t know that about the ticket selection. I agree with you on many things – like that terrorists come in all shapes and sizes. And I do appreciate the heightened security. In fact, I get nervous when I see conversations between TSA agents who aren’t even looking at the screen as things are being scanned.

Unfortunately, you are not describing my experience, and I fly a lot. I have never been told #6, for example. Ever. The only consideration I have ever been given is that a male TSA agent will usually call a female agent over to do the search. And my pat down etc. could not have been triggered by a ticket when I was accompanying a minor, as I didn’t have a ticket. (I had a pass allowing me to go to the gate. Are they automatically chosen?)

Is TSA only responsible for the security check at the airport when boarding? Do they do the one I have to go through in Atlanta when arriving on an international flight? Atlanta is an awful, embarrassing - because I’m from there, rude introduction to the US for many foreigners. If it is at all possible to say something rudely, most of them will figure out how. (In fairness, the last time through, several people were polite.)

Perhaps “airs” might really mean that people are expecting that since they paid for a service, they might be entitled to some respect? I know, a silly concept. Imagine, us peons expecting respect from people who are Ph.Ds and masters, when maybe we’re just housewives or tourists! I didn’t know that the cheap tickets meant that the person was worth less. I also think that most people are not aware of the difference between airline employees, TSA employees, customs employees, and so on. Which one has the rudeness in their job description, so I can tell them apart?

I also think that the TSA and the airline folks need to talk to each other, because each of them thinks the 2 hours wait time is for them. Atlanta still says to arrive 2 hours ahead for International flights, but if you don’t leave yourself more like 3-4, you will probably miss your flight.

It doesn’t surprise me at all that airlines are struggling. Flying is stressful for most of us, whether it is for pleasure or not. A little kindness could go a long way. I think that many non-airline employees at the airport would do well to consider that they will also be unemployed if the airlines fail.

bandit_TX · July 9, 2005, 11:24am

Arriving international flights are handled by US Customs and Immigration, as the signs clearly tell you.

FrenchBaroque · July 9, 2005, 12:29pm

boxmaker,
Some of your statements are informative; many are just plain inaccurate & uninformed; others are offensive & revealing – about you, your attitude & presumptions about others, the TSA’s attitudes about the public.

Nowhere in my post did I say or imply that I was “tardy.” I was NOT. I (we) arrived in the line 1.5 hrs. before plane departure. Your sentence starting with “it is far more likely” proves how ignorant you are about the kinds of things binx was certainly implying, if not stating. And I’ll state them upfront right here: The airlines are melting down. Travel volume, combined with security regulations, has far (already) exceeded the capacity of the airlines to manage their business without major mistakes (THEIRS, not mine). Here are some mistakes in our case:

(1) failure of airlines to notify travelers, orally or in writing, of change in ID status between time of reservation & time of flight (having been forewarned of that difference). That IN ITSELF would have prevented a host of problems.

(2) failure of airlines, at the ticket counter & when distributing boarding passes, to Special Signify my “adult”-category 18-yr-old for special screening. (Um, that was a little fact you presumed happened, or is supposedly required by regulation; it did not happen; that is the whole point. The fact that they did not do this, resulted in a major surprise, and a time-consuming return of all 3 of us to the ticket counter AFTER ALREADY IN THE SECURITY LINE, while we attempted to cut in front of other customers at the counter to plead for a change in her boarding pass, without creating a riot. Security would not let her in with the boarding pass provided initially at ticket counter; we did not give ourselves an improper boarding pass: THE AIRLINE did.)

(3) failure of airlines to service their laughably “easy check-in”/“self check-in” machines at ticket counters. There were ridiculously unnecessary delays in line after line by broken, malfunctioning, etc. machines. I remember one couple took 25 minutes to “easy” check-in. (Uh-huh.)

(4) failure of airlines to train their personnel adequately to “run-interference” with those machines when possible, or to override them when not. The employees were clueless what to do when there were problems with the machines.

(5) failure of airlines to hire enough personnel to handle the volume of travelers arriving 1.5 hrs. before domestic flights. The truth is, there are apparently only enough airline employees to handle passengers arriving 3-4 hrs. before DOMESTIC flights at certain airports on certain days. Airline personnel, on the day we were flying out, were overwhelmed, esp. at the counters. They were unsuccessfully attempting to multi-task many travelers at once, resulting in very few travelers being serviced with any kind of efficiency.

(6) failure of airlines to track properly the load on their system & inform passengers ahead. For example, apparently 6 a.m. on June 29th was THE huge get-away moment for Fourth of July “weekend.” (Who knew?) Having never experienced huge airport crowds 5 days before a holiday, & midweek in the early morning, we took the airlines at their word that 1.5 hrs. was sufficient. (It has been in the past for us.) The airlines actually know in advance of holiday periods when the bulk of people will use the system. The responsible thing to do is to inform the public of that & adjust the suggested arrival times accordingly. I had heard no publicity about that, & I esp. watch travel news carefully. It is not my responsibility, or ability, to track the volume of tickets purchased. My past experience has always been that Friday, & sometimes Thursday, is the overload day. (Um, that is why we made our reservations for Wednesday.)

As to your racial comments, I was actually “implying” quite the opposite of what you stated, but then that fact merely reinforces the prejudices you reveal you have about travelers, & the prejudices you have about me. I would have hoped that security would have spent equal time, WITHOUT regard to skin color or headdress, with each Special Security case in line. (Or such a line is meaningless, and a game.) That would have shown all of us that this was an appearance-“blind” review, & had to do, at least partly, with changes in flying circumstance, changes in tickets, etc.

The person who is prejudiced is you, not me. What you do not know about me is that perhaps what troubled me most about the security searches was that the Muslim woman in the head scarf had her BABY STROLLER with the baby IN it examined carefully. As a mother myself I find that insulting. (So far, anyway, I haven’t heard about suicide-bombers deliberately sacrificing their OWN BABIES on a mission.) Yes, I know you’re going to give me a song-&-dance about things that could be hidden in the stroller, or that she could have removed her baby while leaving the stroller on board. (What, in flight? She would parachute out with all 3 of her young children who were with her? I don’t think so.)

As to the Calling the Gate issue, I have 2 responses to that:
(1) Well, then, Someone knows Someone in security lines. I’ll repeat: It’s happened to me before, while on planes awaiting departure. And the people being held in security were not First Class passengers, Business Class passengers, or VIPs of any sort. Regardless of what you say about “regulations,” apparently those regulations are routinely broken.
(2) If what you say about not calling the gate is actually the norm, then the professional (not to mention courteous – oh, whoops, I forgot – courtesy is not in the TSA handbook you were given) way to handle it is not to laugh uproariously at the traveler, but to state in a respectful voice that security agents are forbidden and/or unable to call the gate. No less than five TSA agents acted surprised that we would should actually need to meet our flight on time; a second agent also laughed.

Binx said it best in paragraph 4 of a post above. You might want to re-read that. That, and the attitudes that you have revealed about yourself in this thread, certainly support the exasperation that the public has with the manner of the searches, the facial expressions, comments, body language, etc., of many TSA personnel in certain airports employed by certain airlines.

I have no doubt that you have a Ph.D. It’s a degree in Arrogance, Cum Laude.

binx · July 9, 2005, 12:57pm

Bandit, I appreciate your taking the time to answer. Do you have knowledge of the Atlanta airport, or are you just guessing? After long flights, big crowds, and much luggage, reading the multiple and often cryptic signs at the airport is often not real easy or productive. Although it’s usually the first thing any employee there will snap at you, if you ask for help. Since I have to go through the lines, who runs them usually doesn’t matter much to me – Not like I get a choice. But since the distinctions were being made in this thread, I thought I’d ask.

I know that, upon arrival, we are funnelled to counters where we show our passports and declarations forms. Then we pick up our luggage and go through customs. Then we check our bags through to the baggage claim area, and must again go through security. (This is to make sure we didn’t take something out of our checked baggage, since some passengers may reboard another plane after going through customs). It is this security I am asking about. Since this security seems just like the one at the other end of the airport – the one for departures – same procedures, etc, I assumed it would also be TSA. I’ve looked on the Hartsfield website, and can’t find it one way or another. Seems funny that they’d have US Customs and Immigration people doing it.

boxmaker1917 · July 9, 2005, 1:36pm

Any TSA screener is REQUIRED to explain the screening procedure to you and offer you a private screening. If this does not happen, please speak to the Lead Screener or Supervisor immediately. (Every checkpoint has someone in charge at all times on-site at the checkpoint.)

You may request a private screening at any time. However, please be advised that two screeners are required to be present (for your protection and for ours). When we are busy, you may have to wait for for that second screener. (In addition to screening passengers and their carry-on bags, sometimes we need to escort passengers out of the checkpoint or confer with others such as Airport Police. Sometimes, staff is moved to a different checkpoint that might be even busier than the one you are at). We will accommodate your private screening as soon as we can but we cannot rush through the screening process of another passenger.

Airlines typically advise that you come early for a flight. Common sense dictates that the lines will be longer on Monday morning than on Saturday night, etc.) Also, common sense dictates that it will take more time to wait in line at the airline counter and check bags than printing your own boarding pass and going directly to a checkpoint. My own experience is that what really screws up passenger schedules is traffic getting to the airport. Obviously, we have no more control over that than you. As the corporate saying goes, “Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.” If you start out late, we cannot guarantee you will make your flight. Nor will the airlines hold a plane for you (even if we could ask) – they are penalized for late flights. Summary: Come early and bring a good book.

TSA is a federal agency and we do not work for the airlines. (We also get no airline perks such as free travel. For that matter, we get no TSA perks . When we travel, we wait in line at the checkpoint, just like everyone else.) We have no control over the lines at the airline ticket counters. We, too, have to wait in those lines when we travel. TSA (rightfully) does not count the time you spend waiting at airline counters as time spent in our screening process.

I also want to add an explanation about TSA’s shoe policy which seems to be a matter of confusion. There are several styles of shoes that meet profiles of shoes we want to see on the x-ray. (Viewing on the x-ray is the fastest way for us to clear most items.) Shoes may/may not have metal shanks. That is, some shoes do not set off a metal detector and this no longer is our sole criterion for requesting you send your shoes through the x-ray. (However, shoes that alarm the metal detector will eventually be x-rayed.)

Our guideline is the thickness of the soles and clearly, there is some individual screener discretion on this point. (We have specific guidelines but we’re not our there with a tape measure.) That is why you might be advised to take off your shoes in Atlanta but not in Tucson.

You do NOT have to remove your shoes. We understand that it is difficult for some people and/or not everyone wants to walk barefoot on icky airport floors. Again, you are not required to remove your shoes – but you will go through additional screening if you decide not to send them through the x-ray. If you are in a hurry, slip off your shoes, slip on a pair of sox and send your shoes through x-ray.

When I speak about “airs” that some passengers put on, I merely want to point out the condescending manner in which some passengers behave. Most of you know exactly what I mean and take no offense. My point is that you are being screened by individuals who generally are intelligent and well-educated. We are a professional workforce and take our jobs – and your security – seriously.

While we try to treat every passenger with respect and consideration – and we apologize if you are not treated in this way. However, our job is not to make sure you are happy with our service. Sorry, but the customer is NOT always right. ) If you think you were treated rudely or unfairly, speak to a Supervisor.

By the way, it’s pretty easy to tell who works for TSA airline employees. We’re the ones in the uniforms that say “TSA” on the back of our shirts. (We all have the same uniform, wherever you travel.)

Northstarmom · July 9, 2005, 1:48pm

"The person who is prejudiced is you, not me. What you do not know about me is that perhaps what troubled me most about the security searches was that the Muslim woman in the head scarf had her BABY STROLLER with the baby IN it examined carefully. As a mother myself I find that insulting. (So far, anyway, I haven’t heard about suicide-bombers deliberately sacrificing their OWN BABIES on a mission.) Yes, I know you’re going to give me a song-&-dance about things that could be hidden in the stroller, or that she could have removed her baby while leaving the stroller on board. (What, in flight? She would parachute out with all 3 of her young children who were with her? I don’t think so.)
"

Myself, I prefer that security staff take no chances with anyone. I fully remember, for example, that the Lockerbe bombing happened after a man gave his pregnant fiancee a radio that happened to contain a bomb set to go off when the unsuspecting woman was in flight.

mmaah · July 9, 2005, 1:53pm

Having ID when away from home (under 18 or over) is relevant for general safety, not just boarding a plane or only when not with a parent. If for any reason someone is rendered unconscious or unable to speak, first responders want an ID for many good reasons. We’ve had young joggers or bike riders in our county go down without any ID and medics had no expedient way to find the family.

Passports, we discovered, are ALWAYs worth having when crossing a border. We had been told we didn’t need them going into Canada, but found that without them for our kids (then under 12) we were challenged as their parents (dental appointment slips and baby photos in wallet didn’t prove parental status) and they took the 9 year old in to be interrogated about whether we were really his parents! Fortunately, he decided to claim us.

FrenchBaroque · July 9, 2005, 4:09pm

The customer is not always right, but neither is the TSA agent (or, in our case, a group of them) always right. Sometimes they are, in the least, lacking in common sense & discernment – Ph.D.'s, Master’s, or any degree of formal education aside. The fact that TSA agents are “trained” and are (supposed to be) courteous, does not mean that all of them always (or ever) are. The fact that you seem to believe they always are shows you to be the confirmed bureaucrat that you are. We experienced a significant difference at 2 other airports – when going through security – than we did at the first airport going through security. In each of those 3 cases we allowed the same amount of time for the entire process. While in one case the process took almost as long as in the first case, the manner in which we were treated was decidedly different. (Time-consuming, but normal & polite.)

“Common sense” does NOT “dictate” that the traveler should be clairvoyant (or should be a computer hacker) regarding the travel volume on a given (esp. unusual) day. We were not traveling on a “Monday.” (I swear some of the adults on this board have major vision or reading-comprehension problems. And when you can’t win the current debate, start another one.) Ironically, the airlines ESPECIALLY recommend mid-week departures, yet one would have sworn this mid-week day was the day before Thanksgiving. I find actually that the airports themselves are far more responsible about warning the public than the airlines are. Some airports make it their business to inquire of the airlines about volume, significantly before a holiday, yet in this case – & despite following the travel news closely – I saw no advance publicity from either the airlines or the airport.

I didn’t say that TSA agents were employed by the airlines, paid by the airlines, or “controlled” by the airlines. I listed 6 faults of the airlines because you (naturally) blamed me for the delays that the airlines could have prevented at several points in the process, as I illustrated. I’m holding these specific TSA agents accountable for exactly what TSA agents did & did not do, not for what the airline did and did not do (& what the airline should have done). As to the “speaking to the supervisor” aspect, that doesn’t work when one has a choice to try to run through the airport for a plane that is starting engines in 10 minutes, versus searching for a supervisor – with the certainty that the plane will leave without you. At some point, the doors to the airplane actually close in real time.

I rarely see travelers treat TSA agents in a superior manner (as if the agents are “stupid”), but I’ve often seen agents at particular airports treat travelers in a patronizing, impatient, & dismissive manner (definitely implying superiority to the travelers). In response to such TSA treatment, I’ve occasionally seen travelers become angry – although that was NOT the case for us: our reaction at the time to the patronizing attitude was merely to plead politely. I’ve also seen TSA agents at other airports not react in kind to surly travelers, which I find admirable. (And I complemented them about that when going through a DIFFERENT security line at a DIFFERENT airport on this same trip.)

This particular TSA group at this particular airport has been brought to public notice recently, more than once, for its “attitude.” They have the same patronizing attitude toward travelers that you show to me. (“Most of you know exactly what I mean & take no offense.” Oh, please!)

Finally, we did try to “print our own passes…and go directly to the checkpoint” as I expressly discussed, & in some detail, in my previous post. (Evelyn Wood to the rescue! Where are you, Eveyln?) We also arrived at the time the airline itself suggested. We were not guilty of “poor planning.” And yes, we brought plenty of “good books.” (Rolls eyes.)

As to those of you here who have expressed that you’d rather be “safe than sorry” (type of thing), I understand that. The problem is, NO AIRLINES SHOULD BE RECOMMENDING A 90 MINUTE pre-arrival if indeed everyone is going to be treated like a convicted criminal/terrorist in that security line for that particular airline. They should be recommending, at minimum, a 2.5 hour pre-arrival for DOMESTIC flights. If they did so, they could screen everyone to the public’s & their satisfaction without compromising flight schedules.

epiphany · July 9, 2005, 4:30pm

FB,
I totally sympathize. This is why, when it comes to in-State trips, all of my relatives, and I, have decided to drive rather than fly. If a trip is going to take only 1-2 hours more driving than flying (given the approximate 4-hrs required to get to the airport, find the blankety-blank parking, get to the terminal, stand in agonizingly long “security” lines after obtaining a boarding pass from a --yes, often poorly working – machine), it is frankly not worth the hassle or the expense to fly. The airlines don’t deserve our money if this is what’s involved. They don’t seem interested in hiring more employees for peak times or popular flights, so the heck with them. I get to my destination with my own car & a lot less expense. Yes, it takes a little more time, but I – & my relatives – will continue to do this until in-State flight becomes more efficient.

I’ll bet I know which airline & airport you’re referring to. If the same combination I’m thinking of, those TSA workers in that security line are extremely rude. (PM me.)

boxmaker1917 · July 9, 2005, 6:30pm

FrenchBaroque, almost all of your issues are with the airline, although you seem to like the idea of TSA as a whipping boy. I am sorry that the airline did not inform you that it (not TSA) selected your child for additional screening. I don’t know how to make clearer that TSA does not select passengers for screening; nor can we deselect passengers whom the airlines want screened.

I’m sorry that your family was inconvenienced. Frankly, it’s difficult for me to imagine my 18 year old not carrying a drivers license or school ID. But frankly, I don’t think the crime of the century was committed or that your outrage is justified.

I also think it says something about you that you feel offended that no one called the gate and told them to hold the plane because you were running late. Even if TSA could call the gate (which we cannot since checkpoint phone lines are internal only), I don’t think your troubles justify making several hundred other passengers late.

Sorry but at least 5% of the passengers on your plane also were screened. They all made it to the gate on time. I don’t believe that the extra minutes it took to handwand your kid was the real reason why all those other passengers were able to get to the gate on time and you could not. Again, it takes a lot of hubris to expect the airline to hold the plane for you when their other passengers arrived on time.

bandit_TX · July 9, 2005, 9:57pm

Yes, re-screening after customs is again TSA. I didn’t catch the hint that your were continuing your travel.

I.D. Nightmare (A warning)

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