Holiday Travel: the TSA and Real ID

[ClairefromClare]

I'm seeing occasional news stories on this, and the TSA website is silent. Bottom line: if you are flying over the holidays, bring your passport!

The Real ID rules are supposed to kick in January 1. These require all states to incorporate safeguards in issuing driver's licenses, to ensure against fraud. The only problem is that no state is yet in full compliance with the rules. Applied literally, come January 1, your driver's license will not get you through airport security.

Yeah, yeah--there will have to be some sort of extension or waiver. Still, it can't hurt to bring your passport and allow even MORE time than usual to get through security.

Gotta love the government!

 

[Harry Longshanks]

I'm seeing occasional news stories on this, and the TSA website is silent. Bottom line: if you are flying over the holidays, bring your passport!

The Real ID rules are supposed to kick in January 1. These require all states to incorporate safeguards in issuing driver's licenses, to ensure against fraud. The only problem is that no state is yet in full compliance with the rules. Applied literally, come January 1, your driver's license will not get you through airport security.

Yeah, yeah--there will have to be some sort of extension or waiver. Still, it can't hurt to bring your passport and allow even MORE time than usual to get through security.

Gotta love the government!

I really hope they have SEPARATE lines for those people who come prepared.

 

[thedue]

While I completely understand all the efforts to keep us safe and stand behind their efforts, it's still such a pain to fly that I hate the whole experience. Taking my shoes, belt, jacket, hat, etc off in line. Feeling like I have to sprint through the whole thing so as not to hold up the line, I tend to be the grouchy one you see standing there, lol.

Liz and I got a chance to go to Atlantis and couple years ago during a higher than normal alert I guess. Going and returning they check our stuff two and three times on each side as we entered the country's section. They even patted us down. Pour Liz was pretty embarrassed by my lack of happiness, hehe.

 

[provisional]

There's always Greyhound...

 

[thedue]

There's always Greyhound...

Hehe... might get a little wet, Prov :sweat:

 

[C-Tech]

I'm sorry, but this is still America isn't it? I do not want to be scanned and prodded everywhere I go. I don't have, nor do I want a passport. I don't want a national ID of any form. I don't even like having an SSN. What's next, a d**n tattoo on my forearm?

This is horse pucky, pure and simple. I don't fit the profile of a terrorist, nor do 99% of the passengers on our airliners. Let's get real and start questioning the people who look and act like they might be a problem. Screening everybody so we don't hurt anyone's feelings is just too time consuming and costly.

 

[JB]

I have no issue with extra steps to measure safety. Lets face it for the extra 5 minutes of hassle it takes, if it can save hundreds of lives it is worth it.

As for the "profile" of a terrorist. Not sure I agree with that. There are many people involved with doing harm and bad things that look like everybody else. Screening a select few "because they have a look" is against everything that this country does in deed stand for.

 

[Fourputt]

I have no issue with extra steps to measure safety. Lets face it for the extra 5 minutes of hassle it takes, if it can save hundreds of lives it is worth it.

As for the "profile" of a terrorist. Not sure I agree with that. There are many people involved with doing harm and bad things that look like everybody else. Screening a select few "because they have a look" is against everything that this country does in deed stand for.

Gotta agree. I travel a fair amount, both in the US and overseas, and while it is a hassle compared to "how it used to be", it certainly makes it very difficult to repeat a 9/11 incident, and that's a measure of comfort to me. I've gotten in the habit of always carrying my passport when I travel... just eliminates any possible confusion.

I make sure that I'm ready when I get to the security station, all metal items (watch, change, phone, etc.) are in a pocket in my carry-on so it just all goes through the xray, shoes untied and easy to slip off (when traveling to the tropics I usually wear sandals). It's easy to identify experienced travelers just by how prepared they are when they get to the scanning machines.

 

[ClairefromClare]

I really hope they have SEPARATE lines for those people who come prepared.

SeaTac supposedly has separate lines for families/extra time, casual travelers, and pros. The line for pros seems never to be open.

 

[Chesnutt]

As Fourputt mentioned, I think about this stuff when getting ready to go to the airport. If my wife is with me (she doesn't travel as often as I) I remind her as well. What I do find annoying is being in line behind the people who look like they just emptied their jewellery box onto themself before heading out.

 

[C-Tech]

As for the "profile" of a terrorist. Not sure I agree with that. There are many people involved with doing harm and bad things that look like everybody else. Screening a select few "because they have a look" is against everything that this country does in deed stand for.

OK, I concede the point that not everyone of Arabic descent is a terrorist nor is every WASP clean as the driven snow....but give me a break. How many times have you stood in line behind Granny Sue and the tots while they were "screened". How many 80 yr old grannies have been caught trying to sneak a bomb onto a commercial airliner? Let's get some common sense about this. Let's not screen the people that are obviously NOT terrorists and shorten the lines to get on the aircraft.

 

[JB]

OK, I concede the point that not everyone of Arabic descent is a terrorist nor is every WASP clean as the driven snow....but give me a break. How many times have you stood in line behind Granny Sue and the tots while they were "screened". How many 80 yr old grannies have been caught trying to sneak a bomb onto a commercial airliner? Let's get some common sense about this. Let's not screen the people that are obviously NOT terrorists and shorten the lines to get on the aircraft.

Call me politically correct, which by the way I am not, but I do not believe in profiling of any sort. It only takes 1. One "grannie" to put something or be forced to put something on her persons to cause the loss of life to hundreds of passengers.

 

[TheGasman]

SeaTac supposedly has separate lines for families/extra time, casual travelers, and pros. The line for pros seems never to be open.

Most of them seem to have that now except Portland Maine. Thats the one place that really needs one. All of the Senior Citizens get so confused throughout the whole process.

 

[mchepp]

Gotta agree. I travel a fair amount, both in the US and overseas, and while it is a hassle compared to "how it used to be", it certainly makes it very difficult to repeat a 9/11 incident, and that's a measure of comfort to me. I've gotten in the habit of always carrying my passport when I travel... just eliminates any possible confusion.

I make sure that I'm ready when I get to the security station, all metal items (watch, change, phone, etc.) are in a pocket in my carry-on so it just all goes through the xray, shoes untied and easy to slip off (when traveling to the tropics I usually wear sandals). It's easy to identify experienced travelers just by how prepared they are when they get to the scanning machines.

I find that the US in general is much more strict than when I travel internationally. For example at many airports around the world I don't need to take my labtop out of the bag, or take off my shoes (provided they don't have metal) or even take my sports coat off. In the US I have to take out my computer, take off my shoes, take out any liquids, and basically disrobe to get through the line....then typically get patted down. Some times I even have to go through the air blowing machine. I am not sure why in the rest of the world it can be so easy and here it has to be so hard.

 

[JB]

Because the rest of the world was not hit with the same thing that we were during 9/11. Terrorists are not lining up to take a crack at Canada, France, or anywhere else.

 

[interlooper]

How many 80 yr old grannies have been caught trying to sneak a bomb onto a commercial airliner? Let's get some common sense about this. Let's not screen the people that are obviously NOT terrorists and shorten the lines to get on the aircraft.

C-Tech: If it is known that certain people (i.e. 80-yr older grannies) will not be screened to the extent that certain other people are screened, how long do you think it will be before a group that intends to do us harm attempts to use such knowledge to their benefit?

 

[Fourputt]

I find that the US in general is much more strict than when I travel internationally. For example at many airports around the world I don't need to take my labtop out of the bag, or take off my shoes (provided they don't have metal) or even take my sports coat off. In the US I have to take out my computer, take off my shoes, take out any liquids, and basically disrobe to get through the line....then typically get patted down. Some times I even have to go through the air blowing machine. I am not sure why in the rest of the world it can be so easy and here it has to be so hard.

I have never been patted down, and I don't think I've ever even seen an "air blowing machine"?? If I did I didn't know what it was, and I've certainly never seen one in use.

Security varies a lot around the world.

It was even stricter in London (we went through Heathrow 4 or 5 years ago) than it is in the US, and we went through there just days before the liquid restrictions were put in place (thankfully, because we brought back wine, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar from Italy). We went through at least 3 different security checks there.

In the Caribbean Islands and Mexico and Central America it tends to be pretty lax, even nonexistent, unless you are returning to the US. Italy was also pretty easy, but then there haven't been any major terrorist attacks or threats to those countries either.

 

[C-Tech]

Call me politically correct, which by the way I am not, but I do not believe in profiling of any sort. It only takes 1. One "grannie" to put something or be forced to put something on her persons to cause the loss of life to hundreds of passengers.

They are not strip searching Grannie as it is. If a terrorist wants to get something on our airliners, they are gonna do it. Look at the boxcutters, etc that were already taken on board our airliners as it is. We are never going to be 100% safe. Regardless of your position on "profiling", I saw pictures of all the 9/11 terrorists and none of them could have passed as someone's grandma. As a matter of fact, they were all of arabic descent. Most of this TSA stuff is window dressing, they might as well rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic.

 

[JB]

They are not strip searching Grannie as it is. If a terrorist wants to get something on our airliners, they are gonna do it. Look at the boxcutters, etc that were already taken on board our airliners as it is. We are never going to be 100% safe. Regardless of your position on "profiling", I saw pictures of all the 9/11 terrorists and none of them could have passed as someone's grandma. As a matter of fact, they were all of arabic descent. Most of this TSA stuff is window dressing, they might as well rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Yes, if you want to base it on that, than yes, the 9/11 attacks were done by just one group. But profiling overall is a horrible thing and form of hatred. Should one sector be punished for a few bad apples that do the wrong thing? Of course not. If it means a small inconvenience to make everybody safer, than what is the freaking problem? Nobody likes standing in line. Nobody, but if only one sector had to be checked, how long before they use someone outside their "look" to be screened.

Profiling is bad in every way and is something that more people should care about. According to your logic, and forgive me if I am wrong, you want to only pull people aside that look similar to that of the people that hurt our country? If that is not racism, I do not know what is. I am assuming that I am getting your message wrong.

 

[Diane]

I find that the US in general is much more strict than when I travel internationally. For example at many airports around the world I don't need to take my labtop out of the bag, or take off my shoes (provided they don't have metal) or even take my sports coat off. In the US I have to take out my computer, take off my shoes, take out any liquids, and basically disrobe to get through the line....then typically get patted down. Some times I even have to go through the air blowing machine. I am not sure why in the rest of the world it can be so easy and here it has to be so hard.

I think that's a very broad generalization. I've had my entire suitcase emptied in Tokyo with men pawing through my panties while I missed a connecting flight. I've been stuck in line in Frankfurt because some woman bought a cuckoo clock and they dismantled the clock while we all waited. I was pulled aside in Seoul because I had what they deemed to be too many batteries in my bag.

 

[mchepp]

I have never been patted down, and I don't think I've ever even seen an "air blowing machine"?? If I did I didn't know what it was, and I've certainly never seen one in use.

Security varies a lot around the world.

It was even stricter in London (we went through Heathrow 4 or 5 years ago) than it is in the US, and we went through there just days before the liquid restrictions were put in place (thankfully, because we brought back wine, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar from Italy). We went through at least 3 different security checks there.

In the Caribbean Islands and Mexico and Central America it tends to be pretty lax, even nonexistent, unless you are returning to the US. Italy was also pretty easy, but then there haven't been any major terrorist attacks or threats to those countries either.

We have one of these machines at SFO. It blows a quick (2-3 seconds) burst of air and then checks the air to see if you have any airborne particles that might be used to make bombs. They don't use it that much, but occasionally they do.

I agree that Heathrow is the worst. They take the #1 spot for sure. To make a connection at LHR you need at minimum 3 hours between flights or you aren't going to make it. You can scream at them that you are going to miss your flight, and they won't even bother to help you because 30 other people in line have the same problem.

I think Asia is the best for getting through security. Japan, Taiwan, China are all pretty easy to get through.

 

[mchepp]

I think that's a very broad generalization. I've had my entire suitcase emptied in Tokyo with men pawing through my panties while I missed a connecting flight. I've been stuck in line in Frankfurt because some woman bought a cuckoo clock and they dismantled the clock while we all waited. I was pulled aside in Seoul because I had what they deemed to be too many batteries in my bag.

Fair enough. Each has their own experiences.

Too many batteries? I had not heard that before.

 

[Fourputt]

They are not strip searching Grannie as it is. If a terrorist wants to get something on our airliners, they are gonna do it. Look at the boxcutters, etc that were already taken on board our airliners as it is. We are never going to be 100% safe. Regardless of your position on "profiling", I saw pictures of all the 9/11 terrorists and none of them could have passed as someone's grandma. As a matter of fact, they were all of arabic descent. Most of this TSA stuff is window dressing, they might as well rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic.

I guess we should all just bury our heads in the sand with you and do nothing at all. Good grief! You do what you can. Nobody says that there are any guarantees, but you still make the effort. If that eliminates even 50% of the potential threats, then it's doing the job. And I'm of the sincere opinion that it's accomplishing more than that. It's discouraging most potential hijackers from even making the attempt, and still catching a few violators now and then, whether terrorists or just stupid people.

And by the way, no jackass with a box cutter is going to stop me from bull rushing him and putting him out action. I may get cut, but it takes a lot to deliver a killing cut with such a small blade, especially when you're being bowled over by two or three men bent on doing you harm. After all what is there to lose if they are going to kill you anyway?

 

[TheGasman]

We have one of these machines at SFO. It blows a quick (2-3 seconds) burst of air and then checks the air to see if you have any airborne particles that might be used to make bombs. They don't use it that much, but occasionally they do.
.

I always take the line with the machine because its shorter. People seem to be scared of it.

 

[ClairefromClare]

I always take the line with the machine because its shorter. People seem to be scared of it.

My kids love that machine and are disappointed when it's NOT there.