Are random ID checks while boarding the plane a new thing?

[CPT Tripss]

Security (airport or otherwise) can be more easily circumvented if it is consistent. Introducing random changes in procedures makes it harder for the bad guys to figure out ways around safeguards.

In addition to the security you see there is much going on that you don't see. While your bag is being searched again at the gate, there is likely somebody nearby watching you carefully for signs that something might not be right. The extra check provides an opportunity for scrutiny.

A Jedi , perhaps Kreskin, observing us standing around waiting? Those who calmly accept anything for security get a pass. Those who are anxious flyers get further scrutiny. The bad guys with good "poker faces" also get a pass.

Sometimes when you see nothing, there is nothing to see.

 

[gmeh1]

A Jedi , perhaps Kreskin, observing us standing around waiting? Those who calmly accept anything for security get a pass. Those who are anxious flyers get further scrutiny. The bad guys with good "poker faces" also get a pass.

Sometimes when you see nothing, there is nothing to see.

They do have random agents in plain clothes roaming the airport watching people. I am sorry you feel that it is a waste of time, but, not all of us feel that way and know if we have an issue with this, we have the option NOT TO FLY. None of us knows what goes on day to day regarding security in an airport (or anywhere else for that matter). Unless you have direct information regarding security matters, I would think it wise to stop complaining about what you perceive as "theatre" or a "waste of time". Has it occurred to you that we have not had another incident like 911 because of the heightened security, plain clothes people, dogs, etc? Do you have information about how many people don't make it past security? You make a lot of assumptions based on nothing.

 

[gmeh1]

I haven't see this but I am not surprised. Honestly, all this really does is keep good honest people scared unnecessarily. How many real bombers has all of this extra screening stopped? (none) How many terrorists have been caught since TSA started getting all crazy? (none) And then....there have been people that have made it through security with weapons unnoticed. (you read the news, you know) It is a joke to make people think they are safe while picking on innocent people, frisking kids and grannies and controlling the American people one freedom at a time.

What freedom are you losing by agreeing, in order to fly, that you obey the rules? It is your choice. They don't pick on anyone, it is random, they don't frisk children or grannies and happily, they don't profile. I am a good honest person and I am not in the least bit scared to fly. You don't know how many have been stopped. I read the news and I do understand that people do manage to pass through, and that is why I think random checks are good, I think the plain clothes agents and dogs are good. If, God forbid, another incident like 911 happened, you (and your fellow detractors) would probably be yelling about lax security.

 

[goofy4tink]

A Jedi , perhaps Kreskin, observing us standing around waiting? Those who calmly accept anything for security get a pass. Those who are anxious flyers get further scrutiny. The bad guys with good "poker faces" also get a pass.

Sometimes when you see nothing, there is nothing to see.

This is America...we all get to pretty much say what we want. But, here's the thing. I get tired of people running around yelling 'the sky is falliing, the sky is falling' or, in this case 'the TSA is theatre, the TSA is theatre...we are no safer!!!'.
You don't have to fly if you don't like the security procceedures. If you feel that your constitutional rights are being taken away, find the appropriate agency and start a campaign. But, here on the DIS? The vast majority of people have no issue with airport security. Sure, a lot of us wish we could bring full size toiletries in our carryon bag. But that's really about it.

You seem to have a lot of 'insider' information. I have to imagine that there is a lot that goes on in the airport that I am not privy to. And that's a good thing. I don't think there are TSA people standing around, waiting for a chance to subject the unwary traveler to pat downs and addtl ID checks. There are plenty of plain-clothes security people walking around, watching.
People just going about their business....but, sadly you seem to think that the TSA is out there, doing anything they can do to slow down travelers....taking away 'rights'!!!

As I've said before....no, I don't think that a lot of what happens at security is making me a lot safer. BUT...I do think there is stuff going on, that I don't see, while I'm slowly going through that security line....people watching what is going on in that line. So, I'm okay with it. I don't, for a minute, think my rights are being taken away or messed with.

 

[gmeh1]

Again, revenue protection for the airline. And the airlines all have their own ID checks before giving boarding passes. The airlines stopped doing gate checks of ID years ago.

As much as I dislike the worthless Disney bag checks, they aren't a waste of my tax money.

Really? I print my boarding pass at home. Where is the ID check there?
Nope, the bag checks the parks are not your tax money. We pay for that via increased ticket fees. We pay the security fees when we fly. Have you missed that? We pay a security fee for each segment of our flights.

 

[gmeh1]

This is America...we all get to pretty much say what we want. But, here's the thing. I get tired of people running around yelling 'the sky is falliing, the sky is falling' or, in this case 'the TSA is theatre, the TSA is theatre...we are no safer!!!'.
You don't have to fly if you don't like the security procceedures. If you feel that your constitutional rights are being taken away, find the appropriate agency and start a campaign. But, here on the DIS? The vast majority of people have no issue with airport security. Sure, a lot of us wish we could bring full size toiletries in our carryon bag. But that's really about it.

You seem to have a lot of 'insider' information. I have to imagine that there is a lot that goes on in the airport that I am not privy to. And that's a good thing. I don't think there are TSA people standing around, waiting for a chance to subject the unwary traveler to pat downs and addtl ID checks. There are plenty of plain-clothes security people walking around, watching.
People just going about their business....but, sadly you seem to think that the TSA is out there, doing anything they can do to slow down travelers....taking away 'rights'!!!

As I've said before....no, I don't think that a lot of what happens at security is making me a lot safer. BUT...I do think there is stuff going on, that I don't see, while I'm slowly going through that security line....people watching what is going on in that line. So, I'm okay with it. I don't, for a minute, think my rights are being taken away or messed with.

Great post!!! BTW, there is no Constitutional right to fly. And, any right that anyone thinks has been taken away, needs to realize they gave up that right when they agreed to the terms of their ticket to fly.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Here is some of what goes on at airports that is hidden from you.

An exclusive NBC 5 investigation uncovered police reports showing workers at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport abusing their security badges, even using them to help family and friends skip the checkpoints to board flights.

Government officials and a top airline executive were among those caught.

http://www.nbcdfw.com/investigation...Caught-Abusing-Security-Badges-205288061.html

Feel safer now?

 

[CPT Tripss]

Great post!!! BTW, there is no Constitutional right to fly. And, any right that anyone thinks has been taken away, needs to realize they gave up that right when they agreed to the terms of their ticket to fly.

Perhaps not in the Constitution (smart as the Founders were, they didn't know an airplane from an amusement park) but flying is our right . . . http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/uscode/49/VII/A/I/401/40103.

ETA - the terms of carriage are agreed to between the passenger and the airline. The government is not a party.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Really? I print my boarding pass at home. Where is the ID check there?
Nope, the bag checks the parks are not your tax money. We pay for that via increased ticket fees. We pay the security fees when we fly. Have you missed that? We pay a security fee for each segment of our flights.

OK, your tax dollars ARE used to protect airline revenue.

 

[Waddler]

I flew last week, and I thought TSA was a little more invasive than normal.

I had two sealed cans of powdered formula in my baby's diaper bag, so they decided to do a complete pat down and explosives test on me. Not fun when you're baby's crying but you can't get near him, plus you're trying to keep track of two bags, a stroller, and a carseat.

The lady was very nice about it... maybe a little too nice (she even called me "sweetheart".) She told me that I should always remove the cans of formula from the carry-on before sending them through the x-ray. I felt pretty stupid about it until I did a search of TSA's website and realized that they offer no direct guidance on the issue anyway.

Sometimes, you just have to submit to their whims if you want to fly.

 

[klmall]

Happened to me twice while trying to board going from Dulles (IAD) to Orlando last June. Going through security I somehow ended up being full body scanned and patted down.

Then at the gate people were randomly stopped and checked for id while waiting for the flight announcements for boarding. Of course I was lucky and selected again.

Then just before presenting my boarding pass I was pulled aside and had to dig out my ID again and have my bag searched!

Of course, returning from Orlando I was ready to surrender multiple times but I just zoomed through with barely a glance at my id.

I still can't figure out why an 60+ year old woman is so suspicious!

And we're traveling through Dulles again in a few weeks so I have something to look forward to!

 

[Chirple]

My DH and I flew out of Newark today. I only had electronic boarding passes. The TSA was asking for boarding passes from all passengers upon entering the body scan. I explained to the agent that my ticket was on my phone, which was in my bag going through the scanner. Unfortunately, my husband got separated from me in line for the scan. He uses a prescription fluoride rinse that is usually checked separately by the TSA. When asked for his boarding pass, he told the agent it was on my cell phone; I had already exited and was putting on my shoes.

The agent came and asked me about the electronic ticket so I had to take out my phone and show it to her. She then asked if we had been checked in the security line. She didn't ask for ID.

My point here is that had an announcement been made prior to entering the security line that a paper boarding pass would be checked/required, I would have walked to the kiosk and printed them out. Some communication from them, especially since it was being asked of all passengers and not a random check, would have been helpful.

A friend of mine flew home from Miami last week. She said that there were 4 bomb-sniffing dogs checking bags at her gate.

 

[Fire14]

Really? I print my boarding pass at home. Where is the ID check there?

Can't speak for your airline but I've always been asked to show id when checking my bags and at TSA checkpoint along with my boarding pass.

 

[gmeh1]

Here is some of what goes on at airports that is hidden from you.

http://www.nbcdfw.com/investigation...Caught-Abusing-Security-Badges-205288061.html

Feel safer now?

And, you have just answered your own argument against random checks, haven't you?

 

[gmeh1]

Perhaps not in the Constitution (smart as the Founders were, they didn't know an airplane from an amusement park) but flying is our right . . . http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/uscode/49/VII/A/I/401/40103.

ETA - the terms of carriage are agreed to between the passenger and the airline. The government is not a party.

The issue of freedom of movement has received new attention in the United States as of 2004, particularly concerning the methods and practices of the Transportation Security Administration. On August 5, 1974, the Air Transportation Security and Anti-Hijacking Acts of 1974 (P.L. 93-366) were signed. Among many important provisions, this landmark aviation security law directed that regulations be prescribed requiring weapons-detecting screening of all passengers and carry-on property. The law is located in Title 49, United States Code (U.S.C.), sections 44901 (Screening passengers and property) and 44902 (Refusal to transport passengers and property). For many decades an airline ticket's fine print has contained an agreement by the purchaser to submit to a search for unlawful dangerous weapons, explosives or other destructive substances. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is responsible for such screening prior to departures from commercial airports within the United States since the signing of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (P.L. 107-71) on November 19, 2001. Freedom of movement is not denied unless a passenger refuses to submit to a search required by law. There are, however, a number of other safety and homeland-security-related issues covered in 49 U.S.C. Chapter 449 and Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations in the 1540 series that could impede movement, such as a passenger's name appearing on a "no fly" or "selectee" list.

 

[gmeh1]

OK, your tax dollars ARE used to protect airline revenue.

How so?

 

[gmeh1]

Can't speak for your airline but I've always been asked to show id when checking my bags and at TSA checkpoint along with my boarding pass.

I was responding to Tripps comment: And the airlines all have their own ID checks before giving boarding passes. I responded that I print mine at home. You are correct, they do ask for ID and boarding pass (or reservation confirmation) before you check your luggage and when you pass through the TSA checkpoint.

 

[gmeh1]

Happened to me twice while trying to board going from Dulles (IAD) to Orlando last June. Going through security I somehow ended up being full body scanned and patted down.

Then at the gate people were randomly stopped and checked for id while waiting for the flight announcements for boarding. Of course I was lucky and selected again.

Then just before presenting my boarding pass I was pulled aside and had to dig out my ID again and have my bag searched!

Of course, returning from Orlando I was ready to surrender multiple times but I just zoomed through with barely a glance at my id.

I still can't figure out why an 60+ year old woman is so suspicious!

And we're traveling through Dulles again in a few weeks so I have something to look forward to!

You are not any more suspicious than anyone else, regardless of your age, these checks are random, just that.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Can't speak for your airline but I've always been asked to show id when checking my bags and at TSA checkpoint along with my boarding pass.

Not everybody checks luggage. Passengers with just a carry-on and a personal item who print their boarding pass at home (or use an electronic boarding pass) have thus checked in online and don't need to present themselves at the airline counter.

 

[goofy4tink]

Here is some of what goes on at airports that is hidden from you.

http://www.nbcdfw.com/investigation...Caught-Abusing-Security-Badges-205288061.html

Feel safer now?

Feel just as safe as I did prior to reading that. I've known what happens 'behind the scenes' for a long time. Have you seen what goes on in restaurant kitchens? In hospitals? Every single place has it's own issues, and it's fair share of rule-benders/breakers.
So yeah, I'm not so upset about having my bag rechecked at the gate. That article just proved why it happens!!

Happened to me twice while trying to board going from Dulles (IAD) to Orlando last June. Going through security I somehow ended up being full body scanned and patted down.

Then at the gate people were randomly stopped and checked for id while waiting for the flight announcements for boarding. Of course I was lucky and selected again.

Then just before presenting my boarding pass I was pulled aside and had to dig out my ID again and have my bag searched!

Of course, returning from Orlando I was ready to surrender multiple times but I just zoomed through with barely a glance at my id.

I still can't figure out why an 60+ year old woman is so suspicious!

And we're traveling through Dulles again in a few weeks so I have something to look forward to!

Well, I'm a 60+ woman as well. What would make anyone think I'm not capable of doing something nasty?? This is the issue with this country. We tend to think that terrorists have curly dark hair, very dark eyes and darkish skin...they 'look' foreign. So, white, redhaired 63 y/o women aren't going to be looked at...and that's kind of wrong. The same way that children need to be looked at..it is not only men that are capable of doing these awful things.

IF someone has been brought into the terminal area, wrongfully, then yes, I want every bag at every gate to be double checked. I want ID's checked. Most times it is going to be no big deal. But that one time it is a big deal, I want them stopped before they get on a plane!!! Those 'loopholes' need to be closed up. In the meantime, check all you want!!