airport security

Roy M. Silvernail wriote:

>Have you flown recently?  They now ask you this scripted question about
>whether you have been approached by anyone you don't know since arriving
>at the airport, and warn you not to accept anything from a stranger or
>leave your carry-on baggage unattended until you board the plane.  The
>ticket agent told me it was a "new FAA regulation".  I hadn't flown
>anywhere for a few years.  Anyone know how long this has been happening?
>         Goodbye freedom, hello police state.
>I wonder how long before I need a passport to cross a state line...

  The US is merely trying to catch up to what the Europeans have been doing
for over a decade. In fact, the US still has a way to go. You ought to pass
through Heathrow in London some time to see what real airport security looks
like. The US security changes are a recent response, starting after the
World Trade Center bombing and being stepped up on a continuing basis.
Today you need a picture ID to board with your ticket. Tomorrow...? We have
lived in relative safety compared to the rest of the world, but I think those
days are over. 

Usual disclaimer.  Bob Bruen.

On Sat, 14 Oct 1995, Bob Bruen, MIT Lab for Nuclear Science wrote:

> like. The US security changes are a recent response, starting after the
> World Trade Center bombing and being stepped up on a continuing basis.

They really started earlier this year with the Unabomber threat to bomb 
an LA airliner earlier this year.

The peculiar thing is that skyjackings and aircraft bombings are much 
rarer now than during the '70s.  This is just a control ploy by the 
Feds.  There's no credible increased threat.  They just want to slowly 
introduce an internal passport.

> Today you need a picture ID to board with your ticket. Tomorrow...? We have
> lived in relative safety compared to the rest of the world, but I think those
> days are over. 

I wonder how many have challenged this.  Since IDs are still not required 
in life, what will they do if you simply present yourself without one.  I 
don't see that ID has anything to do with attack threats in any case.  
Attackers are more likely to have ID than to not have ID.

I suppose they are trying to discourage people from buying tickets in 
false names so that the databanks can be more useful to the authorities.

DCF

On Sun, 15 Oct 1995, Duncan Frissell wrote:

> I suppose they are trying to discourage people from buying tickets in 
> false names so that the databanks can be more useful to the authorities.
> 
You mean to the list marketing companies and the credit rating agencies.

DCF writes:
[re: shwoing picture ID to board commercial flights in the U.S.]
> I wonder how many have challenged this.  

During the California-wide Unabomber scare a few months back (before the LAX-
specific scare), someone on the list said they planned to test it at SJC. I 
think it was Dana Orfeo. The trip report has never surfaced, though. 

(Dana ?  Are you there ?)

> I don't see that ID has anything to do with attack threats in any case.  

Neither do I. 

I've seen several articles on the new FAA "security" measures, none of which
offers any explanation from anyone as to why ID checks make anything more
secure.

Any pointers to news articles or govt. press releases that actually state
some rationale for the ID checks, however spurious ?

> I suppose they are trying to discourage people from buying tickets in 
> false names so that the databanks can be more useful to the authorities.

It's bad enough that it is "illegal" (at least according to some recent ARC 
flight coupons of mine) to sell or otherwise transfer your tickets to someone
else. I'd love to see them try to justify crap like that.

-Futplex <futplex@pseudonym.com>

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> > I don't see that ID has anything to do with attack threats in any case.  
> Neither do I. 

> -Futplex <futplex@pseudonym.com>

Just a few data points, for anyone who cares.  I've been through security
at San Jose, LaGuardia, O'hare, Saint Louis, and Dallas in the past two
months.  I have _never_ been asked for ID.  Just a valid ticket and, at
checkin, the usual "Did you pack these yourself?  Have you been in possession
of your luggage at all times?" questions.

Cheers,
Phil

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