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Return to Article: TSA may begin air passenger background checks in 2009

• 49270
  

  They should be running this by McCain since he'll be the next guy

  Dan ketter Posted April 23, 2008 11:25 AM
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  Potatom Man, I would totally agree except I really figure TSA is much lower on the totem than number 2. By Big Brother, I meant the over arching architect of this Brave New World of ours; the current administration and the New World Order (current name substitutable at your discretion).

  I personally consider TSA to be doing a thankless job under less than satisfactory conditions. I certainly wouldn't want it and wish they didn't either. I would even consider myself to be reaching the point of paranoia if the numbered points I ticked off weren't both valid and accurate. In some ways, I almost wish the Blue Dogs had come up with all these atrocities since the Party Pacaderm proletariat is normally much more reactionary to large government imposing on their lives and rights than the blue Dog constituency. Today they seem almost lulled to sleep by a swaying snake. Where, oh where is that Rikki-Tikki-Tavi?!

  I saw my wife off on the plane before the break of day, this am. As I parked the car and hurried back to the terminal, I saw a lady struggling with too much luggage and the training of my youth kicked in. Even as I offered assistance, the outdoor speakers intoned the mantra of fear "Do not let strangers handle your luggage." And her face twisted between pleading and fear. In the end she had a long row to go. Our shining light is being dimmed by our fear and I pray it isn't extinguished in the name of security.

  As George Carling said, and I paraphrase: "Our civil rights are not rights or even privileges but rather good ideas at the best. If they were rights no one could take them away from us like they did the Japanese-Americans in World War II" In all truth, I worry for my son and his; and all the daughters of our world...

  Tip off Posted April 21, 2008 2:23 PM
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  Tip Off, TSA may be Big Sister instead of Big Brother. Consider TSA's number 2 who's been there from the start, plots in the background, and always avoids the newspeople. There's the snake!

  Kip's not the bad one but perhaps he hasn't yet seen the light.

  Potatom Man Posted April 20, 2008 8:17 PM
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  I would recommend that you fix the existing "innocent" lists prior to spreading the problem to a bigger scale. I don't know how you can claim to begin the program as early as January, and TSA had not yet investigated feasibility of its implementation, or its impact on passengers and airline delays. Airline delays and quality of services are already at their lowest point. I highly recommend full understanding of the consequencies prior to any implementation.

  Khailaa Posted April 17, 2008 8:33 PM
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  If all they are looking for is information based on a name submitted, they'll never be able to catch any but the most ignorant criminals and terrorists. Anyone can come up with a name that matches someone in their physical genotype that has a relatively "clean" background. All the Gayle Smith's and Taylor Brown's (or their ilk) are safe since they wouldn't even know the sexes of their subjects. But if they tie their search to an SSN, it would restrict their searches to Americans. So, what about the foreigners?

  So either they will need to require additional information (and more fodder for ID theft) or it's got to be something tied to that physical entity; or both. Anyone remember the facial recognition software under development? You would be amazed at the progress a couple of years mean. I recommend reading about the "Facial Recognition System" and "FERET database" in Wikipedia for a good and brief update. This may be the stuff of Sci-Fi here today. You've come a long way, Baby!

  So, we have the TSA taking applications for flights and processing the application and physical appearances of applicants against the passport and national ID card information being gathered right now. Anyone they have questions about, they look up in the data mining data base or contact the local DHS Satellite Reconnaissance Office to check up on you. In the future they may even be able to search for you in real time; well, after the cameras (like they used in England to track down the trail bombers) and RFID detectors are installed.

  The only thing Big Brother has left out is his visage in our living rooms. Okay, to be honest, I'm not really objecting to this need or the effectiveness of this procedure. My only real concern is if FBI Special Agent Milton Dammers gets involved (see Wikipedia). Well, either him or Skeeter; my apologies to all other TSAs, ICEs, and LEOs. Face it folks, Michelle may be mere months ahead of her time; but she's on the money as to the final outcome.

  Tip off Posted April 17, 2008 2:36 PM
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  My husband, with a high level clearance in DOD, has been on the no-fly list for several year. He has tried repeated to go through the proper channels to get his name removed. This only worked with Foreign carriers, not with our great domestic carriers. Maybe this change will allow us to finally be allowed to check in like normal people.

  "mad ol' plane traveler" I know they require my SSN, address, gender, etc., when I do the online check in. My passport number, expiration date, etc. is also required for some travel. You must be "very special" if you don't have to supply this information. Of course, that still not good enough to get you through the security lines where you also need a photo id and your boarding pass.

  At least our Homeland Security folks are a lot friendlier than those in other countries. The Brits are tough, I wasn't even allowed to go to the rest room without an interrogation, both before and after. I coundn't even take a handbag with me. The German Frau was not exactly gentle when she was doing a hand frisk of all of us women but we dared not complain. In South American, they wanted money! I won't even speak about Dubai. We not be great, but I know I will take the U.S. Security any day of the week!

  Karen Posted April 17, 2008 2:15 PM
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  It is already apparent that TSA is not the best, smartest or logical agency. And now they will be given another responsibility? And how are they going to data mine, and "safely safeguard" the information on hand. Again "BIG BROTHER" and FEAR SPREADING management of the masses. Welcome to the comunist state. I grew up in one and know it well. Be carefull what you let happen to you.

  fedworker Posted April 17, 2008 12:39 PM
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  Lee's proposal is to have the air marshals wear shirts that say Air Marshals to comfort the flying public. Her plan also envisions that at check in terrorists be given T-shirts that say "Terrorists" and they have to wear them on the flight they board

  Dan ketter Posted April 17, 2008 10:56 AM
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  Well how in the blazes does TSA get my gender, date-of-birth, country of residence, and citizenship status when I purchase a plane ticket? The reservation system certainly does not ask for that information. This whole system is getting ridiculous. I live for the day when I am on Federal travel status, am detained from boarding, and am caught-up in some problem because my name matches a Do Not Fly individual. I will set there in the airport for hours, miss my Federal flight, carefully documenting my over-time, taking names & badge numbers, and figuring out ways to get my Congressional inquiry written. I need to stop writing, my blood pressure is climbing by the second.

  mad ol' plane traveler Posted April 17, 2008 10:39 AM
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  And so it begins. If they can mine databases for this "innocent and protected" information to make sure you can fly, then they'll need it to make sure you can [fill in the blank]. I'm pretty sure the founding fathers would have thought this was unconstitutional.

  Michelle Posted April 17, 2008 9:13 AM
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  This administration is always eager to blow its own horn and brag about, even exaggerate what they consider to be their own success stories. It seems to me that if in fact the percentage of flights protected by air marshals was truly greater than 1% "by an order of magnitude" we would see Kip Hawley standing on the tarmac at Dulles International with a huge Mission Accomplished sign in the back ground.

  The H-Man Posted April 17, 2008 8:54 AM
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  It is about time....can you say El-AL Airlines?

  Dave Wagner Posted April 17, 2008 7:06 AM