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Pay the TSA $100 and Bypass Airport Security
An anonymous reader writes "Catching a flight in the U.S. isn't a great experience anymore due to the security checks involved. You have to remove your shoes, your belt, get your laptop out, be scanned and subjected to radiation in the process. Hundreds of other people are doing the same thing, meaning it takes 40 minutes instead of four. Now, the TSA has come up with a clever, money-making alternative. Instead of scaling back security or speeding it up, you can instead pay $100 and bypass it completely!"
But I'd pay double to just be shot out of a cannon at the target landing zone or something - anything instead of having to spend the rest of the 6 hour journey with the same people I had to stand in line with.
Secuity theater has been on the decline from comedy to tragedy for a while. Now it is simply a farce. It is about control and money and the illusion of security.
Silence is a state of mime.
Now only terrorists who can afford the $100 can take a bomb on your plane.
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
...but I didn't expect it to be just cash money, and I certainly didn't expect it to be so low.
Reading the summary it seems all a terrorist would need is a 100 dollars extra and security would be piece of cakw. Off course it didn't mention that according to the article you need to be qualified first.
You could do the same thing, but cheaper. Seriously, how is this fundamentally different from legalized bribery?
-- Two men say they're Jesus. One of them must be wrong. - Dire Straits
The TSA's new program, Precheck, is free (right now it's by invitation only though). The $100 is for Global Entry, the program that lets you skip the lines for immigration. If you have Global Entry you automatically get Precheck, but Global Entry is not necessary for Precheck.
I hate the TSA as much as the next guy (probably more than most since I'm an international student and have to put up with their stupid security theater often), but get your facts straight.
In other countries, they call this Bribery and Corruption. In certain quarters of the US, it is worshipped as the "Free Market". Right up there with "campaign contributions".
Or they feel so secure in their position that they're comfortable dropping the pretext that what they do is anything other than a huge scam. "We can reduce the size of the haystack when we are looking for that one-in-a-billion terrorist," said TSA Administrator John Pistole." That would mean that the TSA believes there's approximately six or seven terrorists in the world, so why is all of this necessary again?
The TSA is going to do an opt in background check on everyone that flies and if you do it you can go through a fast line.
And it will be free...
Really... if they make this reasonable it might solve the problem.
Have to hand it to the TSA. They were getting very close to getting terminated.
I've decided to stop wasting my time responding to AC trolls/sockpuppets... so if you want a response from me... login.
Have gnu, will travel.
Because terrorists don't have PDF417 scanners. Or PDF417 generators. I would be somewhat surprised if they actually did a proper DB lookup based on a boarding pass barcode.
this is a joke right?
Never say never. Ah!! I did it again!
It's not exactly like that, and it's not exactly new. First you have to pass a rigorous background check, the same one I passed to work for an airline.
Indeed! WTF?! What the fuck took them so long?
Unless... oh dear... don't tell me they ever actually thought they were making us safer. I mean, I know the gate jockeys who feel you up or bark at you to stand still while they look through your clothes are actually convinced they're standing between terrorists and our safety, but I guess I just assumed that the guys at the top, the ones who completed high school, were smart enough to realize they were scamming us.
FTA:
I hate it when people thoughtlessly mention large numbers in conversation when they clearly have no concept whatsoever of scale.
There are approximately 7 billion people in the world... so by the above gentleman's assessment, there would be only 7 terrorists, worldwide.
Seriously?
Sorry... pet peeve of mine.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
A full blown investigation takes a lot more resources than the 2 minute check on line at the airport. For those who travel often enough where it becomes a serious issue, I can see offering this rather expensive option, while also removing these frequent fliers from the everyday security traffic. If they're turning a profit on this, using this to generate revenue for the TSA, then we have the right to be angry.
The article mentioned a couple things that have profoundly disturbing implications when considered together:
1) This expedited screening program is by invitation only.
2) The TSA agents staffing the expedited checkpoints are smiling and extra-friendly.
So now, air travel has a caste system. VIPs (everybody who might possibly have a chance to successfully reform/dismantle the TSA) get kid glove treatment, and the filthy plebes get the rude assholes who steal stuff from your luggage and molest your children with complete impunity.
Joy.
To do this, you go through a background check and TSA interview, plus pay $100. It's an outgrowth of the SENTRI and Global Entry programs, which let you avoid the long immigration lines when returning to the US. And yes, it's worth every penny if you fly a lot.
I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
"What could possibly go wrong?!?"
... wait, what?
People who have already been screened and approved for the Global Entry ($100) or NEXUS ($50) program are automatically eligible for pre-check. The TSA isn't making (or receiving) any money on this. The money is to pay for the background check and screening done to get into the trusted traveler programs run by customs and immigration.
The TSA is actually being *smart* here. If you've already been checked and interviewed for expedited entry into the country, why *wouldn't* you be trusted for expedited security screening at an airport?
Neil
So you can bypass them now for a payment. If anything doesn't justify removing them completely? as you can bypass their soul purpose for a little bit of cash. If the "bad guys" can afford plan tickets, i'm quite sure they won't worry about an extra $100, even more so if they don't expect to land...
To quote the philosophers, Sam and Max,
Sam: Cash. Never leave home without it.
Max: Yeah. We may need it to bribe slippery government officials.
Slow Down Cowboy! It's been 1 hour, 47 minutes since you last successfully posted a comment
The article makes it seem as though the offer will only be extended to those who, due to flying frequently, are invited to the program by air lines. So really it is for CEOs, celebrities, and politicians that fly frequently to avoid those few run-ins that they have had in the past. Maybe it is just cynicism, but I am feeling like this is just "we are trying to be better" posturing masking an attempt hopefully prevent accidentally groping someone that can use their social position to have their voice easily heard by a large number of people.
I just need to not have a history of not being a suicide bomber?
Is it as rigorous as the background check needed to be hired as a TSA employee?
Do you even lift?
These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.
I got Global Entry. My interview was touch-and-go. I got grilled pretty heavily and finally the agent said "Why are you nervous? Are you nervous?" and I was like "I wasn't nervous until now" and then he asked "are you on any medication?" I thought for sure I was going to get denied, but I passed.
We make fun of TSA a lot but they do do a background check on you, the interview is looking for certain tells, and even with the pre-check you never know when you'll go through the expedited line or express. I'm betting the agent that scans the BP can also look for tells and push you through the normal line even if the BP says you can go through the quick one.
Also, Global Entry really delivers on re-entry into the country, especially if you're sitting up front. I'm in my car 10 minutes after the door opens (I know where to park right outside the arrivals hall, which helps too)
How exactly is it a rigorous background check for only $100? Before hiring employees, most large financial services firms spend thousands on background checks. In fact it cost an old company I worked at nearly $20k to anal probe, urine test, and strip search me when they went to hire me.
It isn't about security and the TSA just sucks.
"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
Now we know what they were really after: Make a system so excruciatingly unbearable that you'll want to pay anything to skip it. Bunch of scumbags!
Bypass everything in the US touched by the government. Dump the dollars, don't go to the US. Nothing, as it becomes overrun with orwellian BO (Bushie-Obamite statists etc devolving parallel to the UK example) . Hitler and Mussolini could only dream of the coercive powers being developed in the US.
It's ALMOST worth it... except for the fact that you have to pay the $100 every year, if I recall correctly.
Yeah- you have be able to order pizza (and read the ad on the box) or pump gas (and read the ad on the pump).
Yes- the TSA hires from ads on Pizza boxes and gas pumps.
http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=97&sid=2000678
That sounds a bit excessive.
So the choice is rigorous background check or rigorous backside check. Great!
Silence is a state of mime.
Why do we bother to expect any kind of equal treatment any more? It's by invitation - are you going to get one? If our government and justice are for sale, why are we surprised that our security is?
and always been at war with Iran. The ministry of truth keeps all the old newspapers updated so that I can verify that fact.
Did you hear that the chocolate rations are going up again?
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
You work for the airline. It's expected as part of your employment. Freedom of travel is a protected liberty. All air travelers have to be treated equally since the government forces certain security checks before flying. That is fine. What is happening now is that there is discrimination based on wealth and probably nationality (you know who will NEVER get a prescreening invite). The government cannot do either; it's illegal and in violation of equal protection laws. Wealth discrimination by private companies (i.e. airlines offering first class services) is not illegal, but it is for the government.
so... you enjoy the probing...
"it still beats dealing with the airlines"
One of the issues I have with the TSA procedure is the additional time wasted when travelling by air. To make sure you don't miss your boarding call, you have to arrive an extra hour to ninety minutes earlier than you used to. Now, that may be an annoyance, but to a consultant, that's 2-3 hours per trip that is either unbillable or less-billable. Sure you can work in an airport, but you aren't even close to fully efficient. Multiply those hours times the number of business travelers and you have a staggering loss of efficiency / opportunity cost.
While this is nice, it's not a guarantee. You can still arrive and find out you're in the regular line on occasion. It's nice that most of the time you don't have to stand in line, but it sucks because you still have to get there early just in case you get the traditional line.
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
It's a "buck 0 5"
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
> Yes- the TSA hires from ads on Pizza boxes and gas pumps.
That explains a great deal.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
Here's what I object to about paying for the 'security' card: I'm a 'safe' citizen - No criminal record, no issues etc. So in effect every time I step in front of an officer at security I'm eating up the (expensive) valuable resources of a trained officer who would be better served questioning more 'suspicious' characters.
If I consented to a check, the governments of the USA and Canada would not have to waste valuable resources asking me questions any more, and would in fact save themselves money. Instead, they charge *me* money for the ability to repurpose their officers. They should be encouraging as many 'safe' citizens as possible to get these cards (for free) so security can be more efficient, and cheaper to operate.
I object to this non-sensical government tax grab.
It's not exactly like that, and it's not exactly new. First you have to pass a rigorous background check, the same one I passed to work for an airline.
Yeah, exactly, you have a pass a rigorous background check that will ensure that under no circumstances can you be bribed or threatened into bringing a bomb onto a plane by threatening or giving a pile of money to your family. First rule of security. Treat all people the same. Anyone getting special treatment is a huge liability.
You don't seem to be too new here. He is leeching off the fame of the first troll. You know the phrase "Too Long Didn't Read"? And also how you can carried away in the links of wikipedia far from where you started? Well the same thing happens on Slashdot. People are more likely to read comments near the beginning. So you if reply to the first post, your post will stay near the top. I figured everyone knew that. I used to get the first post quite often with something witty because I'm a subscriber and see posts as much as 45 minutes before they hit the site, but I've gotten lazy and don't care about Slashdot as much anymore. But when I would get first post, people would "leech" of my post with different subjects, hoping to get a bit of fame. Its really all quite silly, not sure why we don't spend more time doing something more useful. (Oh no, someone is wrong on the internet, now I have to stay up and debate them til the wee hours of the morning)
Bootleg DVDs fund terrorism. At $5 each, that's 20 to get a shoe bomb past security.
THAT DODGY SIMPSONS BOX SET COULD KILL HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE!
TSA has taken in almost 100 Billion dollars in taxes for it's budget since its creation 10 years ago. There are roughly 300 million Americans.
That means, for every man, woman, and child in America, they've taken in $333.33 over 10 years.
As a tax paying American, I'd like that rolled over into a "Get your cancer and perverts away from me" pass.
Side note: Their annual budget is still roughly $30 per person, per year, whether you fly or not. If in 3 years time, you find that the TSA still screens American passengers, then the money is not being spent correctly.
Sounds like the border pre-clearance system that has been in place for almost 10 years at the ground entry points like Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Lewiston, Pt. Huron and Detroit. There's been dedicated lanes for "Trusted Travelers", with an assortment of fast-tracking for commuters, and even Commercial traffic!
Maybe they've finally wised up, and are implementing the same data base for Airports? It makes sense to Finally apply it to air travel. It will certainly make it easier to track folks no mater what form of travel they choose to employ (if the authorities can agree to share the same database, of course).
Now, to get one, you have to have a clean criminal record in both Canada and the US, get fingerprinted, interviewed, and otherwise 'Vetted' as a Low-Risk traveler.
That gets you the Card. Now you also have to register your vehicle to use the lanes (and have the transponder affixed to the window), and ALL passengers have to have the card as well...
Still, much better than getting stuck in 2+ hour lines from time to time.
At least, the airplane is pre-cleared and all you have to worry about is not violating any of the myriad terms and conditions, thus losing the card, and being downgraded back to the unwashed masses.
Terms and conditions apply.
Not available at all ports of entry
Always have Proof of Citizenship with you, as they can Still ask to see it!
Oh, and watch out for strangers that want you to take anything for them! Seriously!
If it comes with dinner and a complimentary full body cavity search.
Yeah- you have be able to order pizza (and read the ad on the box) or pump gas (and read the ad on the pump).
I think I've seen those ads on matchbook covers too - "Can you draw this clown? You might qualify to become a TSA Agent!"
#DeleteChrome
How about go naked through security check point? Fast and cheap!
really stinks!
And - I never go through them radiation things.
Still too many points of weakness. What's to stop someone from stealing a passport and going through the low-security line as them?
From the article:
"We can reduce the size of the haystack when we are looking for that one-in-a-billion terrorist," said TSA Administrator John Pistole.
Wow.
So if there's 7 Billion people in the world, then... there are only 7 people we need to find. Wow we're wasting a lot of time, money, and resources at the airports.
... you can have your bomb inspected and properly armed.
I would be careful arguing from that angle. If they are worried enough about the "not equal" side of it, they may well make the background check, complete with $100 fee, mandatory for everyone (heck, TFA already says that they would want as many people as possible covered!).
And just like an Airline Employee Global Entry allows you access to crew lines at customs and immigration. Given the amount of time the interview process takes it's not worth the money or hassle for someone that doesn't travel much. But if you travel several times a year it's a big plus... well until too many people enroll.
"We can reduce the size of the haystack when we are looking for that one-in-a-billion terrorist," said TSA Administrator John Pistole.
lets hope those 6 guys dont have 100 bucks to throw at this scheme!
That quote didn't settle well with me either. I mean, I was an arts major in college, but, the math simply wasn't that hard. Yes, I DO know that it was meant as a broad expression to simply say "this is really rare", but "1 in a billion" is off by at least one order of magnitude.
I love the line "We want as many people as possible in the program,"
So. You started with a system where most people are presumed innocent.
You changed that system so everyone was presumed guilty, but checking all of them thoroughly takes too much work.
Now you've created a program to allow people to be presumed innocent, that you're going to try and get most people into. Entry costs $100.
End result: You're right back where you started, but a few billion dollars richer.
It should read:
Pay the TSA $100 and Bypass Airport Security Theater
"It's a completely different experience than what you're used to," said Matt Stegmeir, a platinum-level Delta Air Lines Inc.
No. No it isn't. Last time I flew was in 2001. The worst I had to put up with was a metal detector.
Nowadays you practically need a colonoscopy to get on a plane.
It's just further proof that this is less about keeping people "safe" than "security theater" and bilking people out of money.
This is the functional equivalent of a township that reduces the speed limit of a street from 30 mph to 15 and installs speed tables every half block.
Then, a couple years later, they install a toll lane where you can drive through at the original 30 mph.
Bullshit of the highest order. And something some greedy sonofabitch needs to be shot in the face (repeatedly) over.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
"Those Who Sacrifice Liberty For Security Deserve Neither." - Benjamin Franklin
Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
First you have to pass a rigorous background check
Yeah I wonder how rigorous a $100 background check is going to be.
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
Guessing... biometrics?
I thought they just had to know what the pictures mean.
Just a clarification. There is an international program called Global Entry, that is $100. You can get invited to the domestic program PreCheck either by being a frequent flier or being part of Global Entry. I am a frequent flier and participated in PreCheck, did not cost me anything. I did not pay $100 to join the Global Entry program. And btw, they still randomize more thorough searches.
Let's see ... I've had rejected:
The problem was that the first three of 'em were at the same time. It went down something like this: (I show my agency badge). "You need to show a government issued ID." "It was issued by NASA". "I can't accept that." "They let me fly here showing this" "I can't accept it, you need to show other ID" (I show my student ID). "We don't accept student ID cards". "It was issued by the University of Maryland, which is under the state government, so it's a government issued ID". "No, we don't take student ID cards, I need to see something else". (I pull out my military dependant ID). "I have this, but it's expired." (he writes 'no ID' on the boarding pass, and sends me for a pat down).
Note ... he never asked for a driver's license, which yes, I had on me. He just kept repeating 'government ID', but then kept rejecting them when I showed them.
Now technically the first one didn't comply with the full requirements, because it didn't have my height or eye color on it, but I used it for years without problems (it didn't have any identifying information other than a last name and a picture, but it was a hell of a lot more functional than the current one, as it had in HUGE text what the damned expiration on it was).
The sad one was when I got rejected because I gave my new 'unified' government ID. The guy's not rejecting it, he's just turning it over in his hands, looking at both sides ... spent a minute or two looking, finally, I asked him if there was a problem, and he replied "I've never seen one of these before", to which I replied, "You're wearing one". "I mean a NASA one" "It's the same as yours, but it says NASA on it" "Do you have some other ID on you?" (I then pulled out my driver's license, as I didn't have the others on me).
... and the really sad thing ... back in high school (before 2001), I worked summers for a DoD office that was across the street from the Pentagon. One day, I was making the mail run, and realized I didn't have my wallet, which had my military dependant ID, which was my normal picture ID, as the summer badge didn't have a picture on it. I dug through my bag, and managed to find a Photon (sort of like laser tag) ID -- a hand-filed out crappily laminated card, but it had my name and a picture ... and the guard let me in (without even going through the metal detector, as I had the summer badge)
Build it, and they will come^Hplain.
I can see where this might be going. There are beautiful national parks in Borneo that you can't go to without paying money. There are obviously groping procedures that you have to undergo when you fly unless you have money, and in China you pay a "fine" for having a second chile in some cities So, in the future, only the rich can go to the most beautiful places, have a family, and travel in decency etc. etc.
They're already basically doing this in airports now. I flew out of SFO recently after a job interview and I was shocked to see that the people who had paid the extra $40 "priority pass" (or whatever clever name they had for it) actually got to skip the "random" full body scan and instead were ushered through a standard metal detector. Us peons just had to suck it up and enjoy the extra free radiation, or as in my wife's case, wait 20 minutes while they find a woman who is certified to moles...err pat her down...because she gets enough radiation working x-ray machines all day at work (dental hygiene).
Background checks do not cost anywhere near $20k. And it only costs around $50 to have a urine test performed at a national lab.
At present, there are none in this program.
A security system is only as strong as its weakest link. For example, this is why they screen pilots, even though they are the ones who control the plane. In the past there have been incidents where someone with a pilots ID skipped security and hijacked a Fedex plane in the US, so now they closed that loophole. You make a line where people skip the checks, and now the entire system is weakened
I read something totally different into the title actually.
"The TSA is wildly out of budget and needs some thinly veiled excuse to make ends meet again so they will allow people to buy their way out of the checking process allowing them, by the excuse of reduced checking volumes, to reduce employees tactically making expense cuts and making the checking process even more unbearable for all the people who don't pay up or pay up and are declined."
So yes, it I s discrimination. With a bit of imaginataion you could also call it "banning certain nationalities from entering the country". But hey it is so great to live in liberal times right?
-- no sig today
I've never dealt with any of that, but I have with SSBIs, Single Scope Background Investigations what they do for Top Secret security clearance. They do a massive amount of interviews of friends, coworkers, family and so on the the singular scope of determining if you are the kind of person who might give classified information to someone you shouldn't.
As such there are investigators all over who handle this, and they also have different styles.
A former coworker of mine is getting his clearance and so an investigator came out to meet with me and my boss. Guy was extremely nice, genial, and so on. Probably works pretty well for getting people to speak freely. My coworker says the guy he's dealing with (different guy since he is on the other side of the country now) is kind of a jackass, has the "I'm going to grill you and see if you break," sort of thing. Not so effective on my coworker, being a former Marine and also having nothing to hide, but annoying when he talks to someone else.
I'm sure there is the same variance with CBP people. I'm sure some are nice and friendly, and some are jerks.
This is obviously to avoid pissing off people who have the power to hurt the TSA such as, for example, Alaska State Rep. Sharon Cissna who got angry at the TSA for groping her and introduced legislation against TSA searches.
http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/02/23/1641251/state-legislatures-attempt-to-limit-tsa-searches
blindly antisocialist = antisocial
"What's to stop someone from stealing a passport and going through the low-security line as them?"
I don't know how it is where you live, but here you go to a local office with a birth certificate (that you can obtain without any id) and a couple of photos and you'll get a passport with that name and that photo.
Nobody checks if you actually are that person.
It depends on the level of background check. If the background check is being used for a security clearance it can become extremely expensive. An initial single scope background investigation (SSBI) for a Top Secret-SCI clearance can cost $15k. But this involves investigators interviewing friends, family, coworkers, and business partners in person as well as tracking down every place you have been in the last 10 years or so, what relationships you were involved in, and if anything could be used to bribe or coerce you (being gay was a disqualifier in the past because it could be used against you).
Most background checks aren't as intrusive and only check your credit history, your employment and education records, and criminal history. Most of this is automated and it will only become more expensive if the systems signal red flags.
One problem is pretty obvious. If the TSA has anything less than 100% successful 'terrorist' detection rate, then all the would-be terrorist organization has to do is submit multiple terrorists to the 'bypass' program until they get enough who pass it to accomplish whatever nefarious scheme they have in mind. Of course, this is only a problem if the TSA is actually concerned with catching terrorists or securing planes, which they are obviously not. In truth, this fits perfectly well with the TSA's real function: keep the masses used to humiliation, submission, and obedience, or suffer harsh penalties. It's just the next logical step in the neo-feudal nightmare America is slowing turning into. The ruling class and their trusted minions have the wealth and societal influence to get to skip the humiliation and delays the mere serfs trudging next to them are subject to. All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than other animals.
Yeah. That kinda defeats the purpose of the random regular screenings, doesn't it. Otherwise J. Random Terrorist would just have to become a frequent flyer and be enrolled in the Precheck programme to do his thing. Now wouldn't that be convenient.
What do you think a "colons-copy" is? :)
:)
The Captain America amusing "fondue" misunderstanding comes to mind here
For your enlightenment, if you want to know what the GP poster was referring to in their exageration of TSA inspection (ie. as shown by the words "practically need") it's this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonoscopy
Sometimes this place and grammar nazi weirdness is unintentionally very funny. I'd make fun of your innocent mistake a bit more but I'd feel like a copy of a colon
Yeah, I know. Godwin's law and all that, but there are situations were it makes sense, and is important, to make comparisons to the Nazis. The Holacaust would never have been possible without a way of separating the undesirables from the "good guys". Hence the Nazis invented the "Aryan Certificate" - a document confirming that you had passed a background check.
Now the U.S.A. has "Precheck" - a document confirming that you have passed a background check. The exact selection criteria are of course classified, but I'm sure it's hard to get one if you belong to certain religions or political organizations. Right now its only for airline travelers (what's the harm in speeding up security checks?) Then it will be mandatory for teachers and public employees (Think of the children!) Then there will be security checks on trains and subways (Terrorists! Besides, almost everyone has Precheck these days, so what's the problem?) Then, Precheck will be required to drive a car (it could be loaded with explosives!) If you object, then you're sympathizing with terrorists, and you might not get your Precheck card renewed.
Making sure the Holocaust does not happen is not as simple as "don't re-elect Hitler" - He's dead. It's not even about Nazis - They will never again have any real power. To make sure we never see another Holocaust, we must realize that it is always possible for evil people to get into positions of power, and make sure we never put systems in place that enables systematic discrimination of any group of people.
so.. what's the rigorous background check? that you haven't been convicted of terrorism before?
(be a likely suspect, apply, get denied this fast pass, sue the tsa for defamation).
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
Well yes nationality counts - that's given in the article already. Currently only US nationals can apply.
And selection by wealth: not really. Someone who can afford to fly regularly should have no problem paying a one-time US$100 fee. The fact that they can afford to fly regularly means that they belong to the richer part of society. Or that their employer pays, but in that case the person is definitely also one of the higher-paid employees.
So it's a self-portrait?
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
"randomly" patting ME down, they are TOTALLY useless.
Even IF the TSA wasn't a huge con, I STILL wouldn't fly.
The fact that resources are wasted screening ME, over and over again, and scrutinizing ME means they are THAT much more likely to miss someone that is an actual hazard.
I hate it when people try to sneak on an oversize bag rather than just book it into the baggage hold. A plane has limited space, so just stop being so greedy and get a properly sized bag. It's not difficult.
You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
If anyone wondered how VIPs, rich saudis and celebrities would skip TSA scanners, this is it. The $100 bit is just icing on the indignity cake.
On somewhat related news, the TSA has, after years of hard labor in the name of scientific advancement, succesfully performed an amazing feat of entanglement between the moral misery commonly found in South American countries and the dehumanizing indignity more commonly experienced by North Korea residents. The physical distance between the two local minima of human dignity is on the order of 14,000 Km, thus proving without a trace of doubt that advances in fundamental science are the sure way to the bright future that awaits those who understand how to pull human beings down to the level of animals, thus proving that the direction in which societies have been moving in the last, oh, twenty centuries, was WRONG. As proof of our sentiment, we reproduce (with permission) two paragraphs from TFA that surely convey our proud sentiment of the scientific feat:
"""
TSA says Precheck members are selected randomly for regular screening to enhance security. But that unpredictability irks frequent travelers. The agency doesn't make travelers go to the end of the regular screening line, however, but instead slips them into the front of the regular queue.
"I like Precheck, but it would be much more valuable to me if I were able to know before leaving for the airport whether or not I had Precheck approval for that day's flights," said Beth Allen, a University of Minnesota economist and frequent traveler.
"""
With the genuine, sincere and warm feeling that accompanies a job well done, we now leave the delightful news behind us, fully expecting the new developments in the field that shall bring americans rewarding and enriching experiences at the airport, while at the same time showing the path forward to other good-willed nations of the first world where the values of freedom reigns supreme. Good night, all good men of the Earth.
Sometimes you can pack properly and still be thwarted by idiotic design.
I packed a small bag in December, for a weekend away. It fitted easily into the gauge they have. Did it fit in the overhead bin of the miserable little ATR? Did it hell. Then I discovered that, not only does the curvature of the fuselage remove about a quarter of the floor space at the window seats, but the support for the seat in front is slap bang in the middle of what's left. Result? My neighbour loses a good chunk of her leg room. I swapped seats with her and she was ecstatic about getting the window, but I won't fly the ATR again if I can help it.
Yes, I could have checked the bag; I wouldn't even have been charged for it. But HEL's failure rate on my baggage is north of 70%. Oh, and until Blue1's CPH service starts, the only way out of here that isn't HEL is on an ATR...
The US airlines created this problem. By charging ridiculous baggage fees, they are practically forcing you to carry-on everything but the kitchen sink.
Luckily in Europe, baggage fees are mostly an exception (oversize and extra pieces over the normal limit, excess weight, etc) and this problem does not exist. Even when I fly to/from the US on a codeshare flight booked on a European carrier, I don't have to pay the baggage fees even if some segments are on US carriers.
unless they are a drug mule.
every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
I've seen the same problem on short-haul flights in the USA where they don't charge extra for baggage. The problem is that they do take a long time to unload it, so if you put your baggage into the hold you have to wait for up to an hour to leave the airport, while if you take it with you you can be out in under 10 minutes. It's less of a problem for international flights, because you typically have to queue to go through customs anyway and so they've unloaded your baggage by the time you're ready for it.
That said, last time I flew back from the USA, I did manage to get onto a bus home from Heathrow 20 minutes after the plane touched down...
I am TheRaven on Soylent News
Maybe it's been descending to Tartuffe.
We spent a trillion dollars putting a system in place to check for Apple Juice but if you pay $100 you can get out of it.
"King Louis XIV almost immediately censored the play, probably due to the influence of the archbishop of Paris, Paul Philippe Hardouin de Beaumont de Péréfixe, who was the King's confessor and had been his tutor.... Though Tartuffe was received well by the public and even by Louis XIV, it immediately sparked conflict amongst many different groups who were offended by the play."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartuffe
My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
I'm glad you're paying attention to what your chosen president has been doing in office, however, it bothers me that in your synopsis you haven't considered Obama's approval of NDAA without removal of its unconstitutional segments. I suppose if you still trust him, the next natural course of action is to remove term limits so no one you don't trust gets into office with that law in effect. I for one cannot vote for him again even while I can agree that the positives you listed above are excellent. The assaults to our freedoms he has allowed the US government to make in the last four years (particularly the passing of NDAA) are too much for my liking, and will be voting for another candidate for president and for legislative representation.
"...And who wants to make buttprints in the sands of time?" ~Bob Moawad
What a person has done in the past has absolutely nothing to do with what they may do now. John Wilkes Booth was hardly a person of ill report. The sniper in the tower in Texas had been an eagle scout and served his nation. In his case a cancer in his brain turned him into a mass murderer. Bernie Madoff had the ultimate history and reputation in the financial industry. Enron was thought of as a stunning example of industry. The list is endless. This $100 bypass gimmick is simply a demonstration of those with money throwing their weight around. This is like the actress who slapped the cop getting sentenced to a hotel instead of jail. This sewage needs to stop. It is the type of insult that causes common people to become violent.
Leaving aside ethical questions of what data should be required from people to travel, it seems to me that this 'service' (pre-checking, data collection on individuals, interviewing with security agents) has a cost attached. Somebody has to pay for the computer checking, the security officer potentially spending an hour with you asking you questions etc: they need an income to pay their bills. I'm guessing the message is that a software program (even if provided for free to the government) isn't up to the job on its own. Some hundreds or thousands of low level office workers have to be paid to go through the records of all those people who ask for one of these cards. Enforcement agencies might argue that your claim to be 'safe' as you have no criminal record does not hold with their experiences of who commits crime.
I suppose in the USA the model is for lower personal taxes and then more services to be purchased individually later, whereas in places like Europe, the model is more of a larger number of services paid by taxes then offered later to citizens for no cost. Depends on your preferred model of society?
so.. what's the rigorous background check? that you haven't been convicted of terrorism before?
They check whether you've ever been a suicide bomber before.
"Little does he know, but there is no 'I' in 'Idiot'!"
Do like to draw? Maybe sketch or doodle?
Have you ever had an airline lose a bag? I will never check again. If they want to make me check it at the door, fine, at least it goes into the door quickly.
Seems to me, this has a long and fine history in the old US of A. Why, back in the civil war, it was 300 dollars for a substitute to avoid the draft!
Seems to me, for a mere hundred dollars, this is a bargain.
On a slightly more serious note, the implications that the US of A has valued the damage caused by 9/11 to be $1900 USD (2001), or about $2443 USD right now, are interesting. As I recall, there were 19 hijackers. But hell, lets double it to 38. $3800 USD was the price the American government would, therefore, have put on the entire thing.
Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
Why the heck doesn't anyone who has a CAC/PID, the government's trusted ID card used by civilians, military and contractors have access to these lines? The government already spent plenty of cash doing background checks on these people.
My card (the standard gov issued one) gets me into the whitehouse (even the west wing) with an escort, with the security screen process being less intrusive than going through an airport. Heck, the west wing doesn't even have any screening. The guard just opens the gate and lets you in.
Bring back the old version of slashdot.
In the event of an emergency your bag would be an obstacle to other passengers exiting the plane. There are reasons that such rules are in place.
"Freedom to travel" is a protected liberty. "Freedom to travel by airplane" is not. You are free to go where you want by your own means, but nobody is forced to take you in their transportation device.
After 3 days without programming, life becomes meaningless
- The Tao of Programming
I know. I carry a small backpack with a laptop inside and on more than one occasion I've been unable to find a nearby locker to put it in because of asshole bringing suitcases into the cabin and filling all the locker space. Fortunately my bag can slip under the seat in front. If a bag takes up half a locker it's too big and shouldn't be allowed on the plane.
An SQL query goes to a bar, walks up to a table and asks, "Mind if I join you?"
"We can reduce the size of the haystack when we are looking for that one-in-a-billion terrorist," said TSA Administrator John Pistole.
lets hope those 6 guys dont have 100 bucks to throw at this scheme!
If it is done right (and that is one big if), those 6 guys also won't pass the background check, so it's not only about the money.
After 3 days without programming, life becomes meaningless
- The Tao of Programming
They couldn't get anyone to probe him for less than $19,950
"If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear." - Every fascist, ever
First off the headline is bullshit, you aren't bypassing security at all. I have seen this first hand and here is how it works at the airport. You go up to security, at some airports like Detroit you still wait in line with everyone else unless you have airline status for the first class line, in Dallas they have a whole separate security checkpoint just for this. Then, they check your ID, scan your boarding pass, and if it says you get expedited security you get to go through the "special line". In the special line your backpack/bags still go through an x-ray and you go through the metal detector.
Advantages:
Keep on your belt, shoes and jacket
Faster line if you are a frequent business traveler
Don't have to wait behind Marge and her eleventy kids trying to go through at the same time
Disadvantages:
If you were not pre-approved as a frequent flyer by your airline you have to apply the old fashioned way
The application process SUCKS!
The website is horribly slow
You need every bit of information the same as you would for getting a government security clearance
You need to go have an in person interview and provide a lot of identification
You might not get approved
That's not saying much, there have been cases of airline employees smuggling things onto airplanes in the past. This seems to completely moot the purpose of the TSA and furthers the position that we really don't need the entity to begin with.
I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
More like "Are you this clown?".
If ICP rejected you, then you may be perfect to work for the TSA.
I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
Thanks for calling me a moron! I wasn't saying that I hate you or calling you greedy, I was hating that type of greedy behaviour.
I appreciate that you don't fly often enough to know the various rules, but most people will make an effort to find out the relevant rules and how it could impact them when they go on a flight.
Most of the time, having to step over a little bag isn't a big deal, but if everyone did as you do, then the plane would be like an obstacle course and accidents would happen (e.g. someone tripping up and knocking a hot coffee onto someone's lap). You might get away with that on a military flight, but civilians expect a plane journey to be civilised and don't like being aggressively bullied.
You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
The $100 is an application fee for an entirely separate program run by Customs for international travel. Global Entry just gives you an opportunity to join Precheck without being invited first. The Precheck TSA program is "free" and taxpayers funding DHS's (bloated) budget pick up the bill on this background check, however rigorous and expensive it might be.
It might very well save money, anyhow. More people in the Precheck program means the need for fewer TSA agents to get you through cheaper metal detectors.
-mrxak
Onions Will Kill You
They should really do quite the opposite, charge people for carry-ons, and checked baggage is free.
It would speed up the security checkpoints.
It would speed up boarding.
It would give everyone who actually needs to carry on baggage (people with medicine, kids, etc.) a much easier time finding space close to their seat.
-mrxak
Onions Will Kill You
You're ignoring the graft that government contractors are getting through this system as though it's not relevant or a driving factor in the program.
Oh, wait, their primary motivation for this program is safe travel and efficient use of your time and taxpayer funds, right?
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
Want to do something ostensibly illegal? Pay cash money to ignore the laws.
You must be new here.
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
If security is really what the government wants to promote, it would go the other way. No more evading the security check lanes by anyone. If you are rich enough to own a private jet, you still should have to pass through the security check lanes before you are allowed to get on your private jet. Some private jets are really big! A private jet can be just as dangerous when crashed into a building as a commercial jet. Also, a private jet might be easier to hijack than regular commercial jets because there are usually a lot less people aboard that might foil your hijack plans.
The real point is this. There should be no distinction between the elites (rich) and the common man when dealing with the government.
Note: I said SHOULD.
In the event of an emergency you shouldn't be taking your baggage off with you at all*. Having a small bag doesn't grant you an exemption from emergency procedures.
* note: Unless that bag has necessary medical supplies or equipment for your survival.
Where I come from, we call that a "bribe". But I guess institutionalizing it makes it okay!
What's the difference between the TSA and the Gestapo? Gestapo employees got paid a good wage.
Everybody gets what the majority deserves.
More people in the Precheck program means the need for fewer TSA agents to get you through cheaper metal detectors.
You have it exactly backwards. In order for the TSA to raise more funds re applications to "Precheck", all they have to do is ensure that the "regular" line becomes unbearable by hiring less staff. Fun to have a monopoly, isn't it?
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
TSA employees are not allowed inside airplanes without the consent of the crew, airline employees don't need that authorization. Also, if you read the article it says these people must be invited by the airline. You know what that means? It means that if you're not at least Gold Status (50,000 paid miles flown in a year) or more likely Platinum (75,000 or 100,000 miles) chances are you will not be invited. These are our best clients, why not trust them a little more?
Well, it's not just the airline's baggage fees that are the problem. As the TSA luggage screeners can basically steal from your checked luggage with impunity, everyone is forced to carry anything that they care about or remotely valuable onto the plane as a carry-on.
From watching the movie, didn't the terrorists flown first class?
What kind of terrorists have the money for first class seat to get close to the cockpit but can't afford extra $100? Don't get me wrong, I understand that there would be a background check prior to the TSA theatre, but we are not talking about terrorists that board the airplane to streal some US top secret like in a spy movie here. We are talking about terrorists on a suicide mission here. So, what kind of background screening are we talking about here? Hm, a terrorist that was on a suicide mission before and didn't die will get rejected? But if your background is clean, even if you are terrorist we give you a chance by paying $100?
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- If picture worth a thousand words, how many megapixels is it? -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To be fair, a significant proportion TSA employees are people who hate what they do, but are relieved to have a job at all in the current economy.
sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
1) I'm not a soldier dipshit, though I was once an airman. I was in plain clothes just like every other person.
2) No I don't ask for nor expect special treatment. What a stupid ASSumption on your part.
3) I don't give a flying fuck if they want to charge for extra luggage. That isn't my complaint. My complaint was the douchebags LET ME ON THE FLIGHT with a bag which I later found out would not fit under the seat, resulting in a huge inconvenience to me.
4) I only brought one goddamn bag on the plane. As I stated elsewhere, I don't fly very often, so I don't know all the ins and outs of packing for flights. I flew IN on a goddamn C-17...ever been on one of those cramped up bastards? The whole "flying out on a state of the art 777 (without room for my ONE bag)" deal is new to me. So how the fuck is this situation my fault?
Want to talk about greedy? How about an airline that charges $1600 for a one way ticket, and doesn't even have enough room on the plane for my ONE bag? They could have left out a couple of seats and made some extra room, but no, that would impact their bottom line too much. They could have measured my bag and told me it wouldn't fit before I even got on the plane, but no, they didn't bother. How the fuck is it *my* responsibility to know the exact measurements of every airplane I might potentially get on, and measure my bag to ensure it fits? Isn't that the airline's job? Don't they do this shit for a living?
I'm no fan of airlines; they're always trying to sneak in extra charges wherever they can. However, in all the airports I've been to, the maximum cabin luggage size is clearly displayed and they usually have test frames where you can see if your bags fit in or not. As far as I know, they have a "standard" cabin size and there's loads of luggage sold to fit those dimensions.
I've been caught out myself with the maximum weight that they allow in cabin bags. That seems to vary between airports/continents and only seems to be enforced at the check-in desk. I've had to re-distribute stuff from my hand luggage into other people's luggage (in my party) to reduce the single bag weight. I can see why they do that - no-one wants a 12kg bag dropping onto them from an overhead compartment (I always put my bag under the seat in front of me).
You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
Ridiculous baggage fees are only one reason people go out of their way to carry stuff on. Here are some others:
o Careless handling. The airlines carefully disclaim any responsibility for bags or their contents, and they sure take advantage of this. I've had holes torn in my bags and handles ripped off
o Careless rummaging. I've had things disappear from checked luggage and other things damaged. Ever go to a wedding in wrinkled clothes because the oafs behind the scenes used them for stomping practice? And some of you think I should entrust them with $10k worth of fragile photo/computer gear? Yeah, I don't think so. I once packed a spare laptop in a checked suitcase, carefully wrapped. It came out dented and with big swirls scribbled on the lid with some kind of white crayon that was impossible to remove.
o Loss. Ever get to your destination after all the stores close to find that the airline has lost the food you brought for your kid to eat/drink? Ever have Alaska lose the car seat that you *need* to drive your baby home? Or the materials you need to do the job that your employer sent you to do?
o Slow-ass handling. Baggage offloading can often be seen to start before they let anyone off the plane, and since they're too cheap to deplane through more than one door, it takes forever to get off the plane then hike/ride to baggage claim -- at which point they haven't even assigned a carousel to your flight yet. Oh wait, there it goes - you're at #2 and your bags are going to #20. Time for another hike with a screaming baby and a tired wife, then wait as the flight's bags dribble out over the course of half an hour, then you need to fight your way through the 20 family members meeting another passenger, all of whom feel compelled to press up against the carousel. As you wait, dodge the jackoff who traveled with fscking *skis* and who's wandering around swatting people with them.
o Then, if / when you manage to get your bags, notice that despite having paid $50 to exchange them at the origin for claim tickets, there's nobody checking bags as they leave. The first time I flew, in 1986, before checking cost money, there was a uniformed checker doing just that.
Checking bags is decidedly risky, expensive, time-devouring, and roughly seven times the hassle it has any right to be.
The airlines / airports need to make checking bags *feasible* before I can even consider not doing everything in my power to avoid doing so.
Planes can't carry 20kg per person of extra weight 'for free'. The more weight on board, the more fuel it has to carry / use.
If you aren't paying for baggage separately, then you are paying for it on your ticket, whether you use it or not. I don't really have a problem with baggage fees - it's all part of the cost of travel (like airport transfers - and that can be a MUCH bigger problem in the states, where some airports have very limited public transport options).
But it would make life a lot easier at times if you could pre-book / pay for your baggage at the time you buy the ticket, instead of making you wait until check-in.
easy way to make sure your luggage gets to you untampered with (if you can swing this otherwise)
CHECK A FIREARM
as part of the TSA/FAA regs you have to declare any luggage that contains a firearm.
they then have to
1 keep hands off of it (unless you are present)
2 track exactly where that bag is at all times
3 make sure you get your bag on the other end (almost to the Hi Mr Smith im agent Brown with the TSA can i confirm your ID so i can hand you your bag?? (sign here please))
please note you do have to beware of and follow all Carry regs so please research this ahead of time
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