WWVaBeach Posted February 19, 2011 Posted February 19, 2011 My wife and I flew out of Providence airport today on SW. When we checked in at the ticket counter I handed the ticket agent both mine and my wife's drivers licenses. No problem. At prescreening we showed our boarding passes and licenses again. No problem. Got to the TSA agents and again showed our boarding passes and licenses. No problem. When we got to the gate my wife showed me that she used a license that actually expired last November. So much for tight security. Another interesting thing is that the security guard at prescreening gave me a card with a website on it and asked if I would please tell them how they did. Would you tell them? Or should I be worried about the black helicoptors and a visit late at night? What would you do?
Fezmid Posted February 19, 2011 Posted February 19, 2011 My wife and I flew out of Providence airport today on SW. When we checked in at the ticket counter I handed the ticket agent both mine and my wife's drivers licenses. No problem. At prescreening we showed our boarding passes and licenses again. No problem. Got to the TSA agents and again showed our boarding passes and licenses. No problem. When we got to the gate my wife showed me that she used a license that actually expired last November. So much for tight security. Another interesting thing is that the security guard at prescreening gave me a card with a website on it and asked if I would please tell them how they did. Would you tell them? Or should I be worried about the black helicoptors and a visit late at night? What would you do? Airport security is a joke - pure security theater. But in this case, who cares that the license was expired? It still proves that it's you, just that you can't legally drive... The picture ID is there for nothing more than to make sure you don't give your ticket to someone else. If you can't make a flight, airlines don't want you re-selling the ticket since they'd rather keep the seat for themselves.
Captain Caveman Posted February 19, 2011 Posted February 19, 2011 Is using an expired license that big of a deal? Did it have a picture on it that looked like her? How old was the license? On a separate note, I boarded a plan a couple of years ago with no license. In a rush to make an early flight for my grandfather's funeral I had left my wallet at home. TSA agents were able to do some background screening via phone and I was able to board the plane eventually.
boyst Posted February 19, 2011 Posted February 19, 2011 I don't think they really care. I flew to Houston out of Charlotte, I read the site and took a lot of advice making it easy on them to do their job. On the way back they gave me a bunch of crap. Everyone was forced to go through the scanner. They padded my waist, as well. I had a faded NC license and was held up about 20 minutes at the front as a manager looked at it, compared it all of my credit cards, my NC Cattlemens Association card, my old student ID (I use it to get discounts). She said I will be detained and rejected if I go through TSA with that license again. I wonder if they keep that stuff on file? She was worse then the door check ladies at WalMart and I was close to letting her know it. My sister in law is lucky, she can by-pass all of that TSA stuff.
Nanker Posted February 19, 2011 Posted February 19, 2011 My wife and I flew out of Providence airport today on SW. When we checked in at the ticket counter I handed the ticket agent both mine and my wife's drivers licenses. No problem. At prescreening we showed our boarding passes and licenses again. No problem. Got to the TSA agents and again showed our boarding passes and licenses. No problem. When we got to the gate my wife showed me that she used a license that actually expired last November. So much for tight security. Another interesting thing is that the security guard at prescreening gave me a card with a website on it and asked if I would please tell them how they did. Would you tell them? Or should I be worried about the black helicoptors and a visit late at night? What would you do? Sure, tell them about the expired license. Just don't mention the kilo of crack or the two Glocks that you got through their checkpoints.
spartacus Posted February 19, 2011 Posted February 19, 2011 Airport security is a joke - pure security theater. But in this case, who cares that the license was expired? It still proves that it's you, just that you can't legally drive... The picture ID is there for nothing more than to make sure you don't give your ticket to someone else. If you can't make a flight, airlines don't want you re-selling the ticket since they'd rather keep the seat for themselves. "security theater" it definitely is do enough non-sense for the masses to feel they are being protected after being frisked and scanned for anything remotely resembling a dangerous weapon they promptly hand out steel silverware (knives and forks) for those non-terroists types fortunate enough to fly business class. good thing terroists only fly coach
Jim in Anchorage Posted February 19, 2011 Posted February 19, 2011 I can't buy a beer with a expired drivers license. Legally it's void for any purpose, including identification.
Marv's Neighbor Posted February 19, 2011 Posted February 19, 2011 The license is used for ID. Expired or not, it's ID! It's not like Southwest was planning on putting her in the right seat to fly the plane. Pilot's licenses don't have picture ID anyway, but they do have pictures of Orville & Wilbur Wright on the back! TSA relys on Airline reservation data to check against "no fly" lists. They're not sophisticated enough, to have data ports at the check points. US Customs & Immigration does have data check capability at Border Crossings and Ports of Entry. Whatever you present is "eyeballed" to see if it "looks right," but that's about it. It's Kabuki to the Max! AND they pass the savings on to the Taxpayers AND the people who buy Airline Tickets. Despite all the BS & expense, we're no safer now than we were before 9/11!
Fezmid Posted February 19, 2011 Posted February 19, 2011 Despite all the BS & expense, we're no safer now than we were before 9/11! Yeah, but we get to remove a lot of freedoms too!
Booster4324 Posted February 19, 2011 Posted February 19, 2011 As I have said before, I got two boxcutters through in my carry-on. It was an accident, but yeesh.
Fezmid Posted February 19, 2011 Posted February 19, 2011 As I have said before, I got two boxcutters through in my carry-on. It was an accident, but yeesh. But is that really an issue? Who cares if people bring knives onto a plane? The best thing airlines did was to reinforce the cockpit door and keep it locked during flight. If you had willingly brought the box cutter on board, what would you do? Stab a few people? You could bludgeon someone with an item just as effectively. As I said, security theater.
Booster4324 Posted February 19, 2011 Posted February 19, 2011 But is that really an issue? Who cares if people bring knives onto a plane? The best thing airlines did was to reinforce the cockpit door and keep it locked during flight. If you had willingly brought the box cutter on board, what would you do? Stab a few people? You could bludgeon someone with an item just as effectively. As I said, security theater. Agreed with emphasis on the bold. My point is, we spent all that money and didn't increase security that much at all. Of course mine is just an anecdote, but there have been tests of the security and massive failures.
Nanker Posted February 19, 2011 Posted February 19, 2011 But is that really an issue? Who cares if people bring knives onto a plane? The best thing airlines did was to reinforce the cockpit door and keep it locked during flight. If you had willingly brought the box cutter on board, what would you do? Stab a few people? You could bludgeon someone with an item just as effectively. As I said, security theater. They adopted that from El Al standard practice security manual. Unfortunately, they did not also adopt their SCREENING practices which are incredibly common-sensical, and we all know why they didn't.
Jim in Anchorage Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 The license is used for ID. Expired or not, it's ID! It's not like Southwest was planning on putting her in the right seat to fly the plane. Pilot's licenses don't have picture ID anyway, but they do have pictures of Orville & Wilbur Wright on the back! TSA relys on Airline reservation data to check against "no fly" lists. They're not sophisticated enough, to have data ports at the check points. US Customs & Immigration does have data check capability at Border Crossings and Ports of Entry. Whatever you present is "eyeballed" to see if it "looks right," but that's about it. It's Kabuki to the Max! AND they pass the savings on to the Taxpayers AND the people who buy Airline Tickets. Despite all the BS & expense, we're no safer now than we were before 9/11! No, but you do need to carry a separate photo ID with it. Why they didn't make it a picture ID when they switched from paper to plastic licenses is beyond me.
DC Tom Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 I once had a flight delayed for a half-hour because the pilot had nail clippers in his carry-on. How in the ever lovin' !@#$ are a pilot's nail clippers a threat to the flight? Is he going to hold himself hostage and force himself to fly the plane somewhere else? !@#$ing stupid...
boyst Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 I once had a flight delayed for a half-hour because the pilot had nail clippers in his carry-on. How in the ever lovin' !@#$ are a pilot's nail clippers a threat to the flight? Is he going to hold himself hostage and force himself to fly the plane somewhere else? !@#$ing stupid... Ha. Made me think of this.
Bills99999 Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 Airport security is the second biggest reason I drive anywhere within 1000 miles The biggest reason is that they make me buy two seats
DrDawkinstein Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 My wife and I flew out of Providence airport today on SW. When we checked in at the ticket counter I handed the ticket agent both mine and my wife's drivers licenses. No problem. At prescreening we showed our boarding passes and licenses again. No problem. Got to the TSA agents and again showed our boarding passes and licenses. No problem. When we got to the gate my wife showed me that she used a license that actually expired last November. So much for tight security. Another interesting thing is that the security guard at prescreening gave me a card with a website on it and asked if I would please tell them how they did. Would you tell them? Or should I be worried about the black helicoptors and a visit late at night? What would you do? You can use an expired license to travel as long as it is not more than a year expired. That being said, I present everyone with this link: http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local-beat/TSA-Agent-Slips-Through-DFW-Body-Scanner-With-a-Gun-116497568.html An undercover TSA agent was able to get a gun through the body scanners MULTIPLE times in Dallas. As a matter of fact, she was successful on 100% of her attempts. Of course, no agents were disciplined... The whole thing is a joke.
DC Tom Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 An undercover TSA agent was able to get a gun through the body scanners MULTIPLE times in Dallas. As a matter of fact, she was successful on 100% of her attempts. Of course, no agents were disciplined... Should they have been? Was there evidence it was due to some agent's negligence? Was the test intended to catch individual negligence, or test the system as a whole regardless of the individuals? If it's truly security theater (as Fez and I keep saying), then it's irrelevent anyway, so why should anyone be fired over it?
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