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Internet to Atlanta TSA Agents: Sorry About That!
Gosh it's hard to be objective, and no fun at all. On Friday, a travel blogger named Nicole White posted a harrowing account of being detained in Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport by TSA Agents. Entitled TSA Agents Took My Son, her post alleges, among other things, that a male TSA agent separated her from her 16-month-old son for a private pat-down, which is against TSA procedures. Christopher Elliott picked up the story on Elliott.org, and despite his sage counsel that we withhold judgment until all the facts come out, the commenting classes rose to the defense of White.
Tags: TSA Watch / TSA / Airport Security / Technology / Travel News / Secure Flight / → All Tags
The Need-To-Know Basics About TSA's 'Secure Flight' Program
These days, when the TSA announces a new security measure, we are ready to be confused and inconvenienced by it. Their "Secure Flight" program began in much this way as well, with the TSA frustrating travelers with demands for complete names on tickets and a disclosure of birthdate and gender.
But as Secure Flight progresses, we've barely noticed the changes as we fly about the country, and nothing has tripped us up quit yet. Nonetheless, it's important to know what airport security is doing when they scrutinize your ticket and how to handle any possible issues as Secure Flight zeros in on whether or not you are possibly terrorist.
After the jump, the basics of what you need to know about Secure Flight.
Tags: Travel Bans / Airport Security / Travel News / European Travel / TSA / → All Tags
EU To End Ban On Carry-On Liquids, But England Still Fussing About
Hallelujah, break out the chianti! On Friday, EU transportation officials met to announce the impending end of the ban on carry-on liquids and gels. Just like our often confusing TSA 3-1-1 plan for carry-on liquids in the States, Europe has only allowed air travelers to carry 100ml or smaller bottles in a clear zip-top bag not exceeding 20cm x 20cm in size. It's been almost three years since they implemented these rules, and it's about time they re-evaluated the law.
Wait a second, hold off on that chianti; there has been no date announced for the end of the liquid restrictions, but the EU officials did vaguely hint at April 2012, or whenever new security procedures are in place. Nonetheless, we imagine there will be a collective sigh of relief when European travelers try to sneak through that just-over-100ml bottle of Cotes du Rhone and aren't stopped.
But what about Britain?...
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The Government Is Getting Grabby With Hard Drives At US Borders
Will you be crossing any US borders anytime soon, and are you planning to bring along your laptop and digital camera? If you get stopped for a random search at the border, be prepared to fork over your hard drives to the Department of Homeland Security.
Don't worry; they aren't interested in the naughty hotel room pictures you took or the screenplay you're writing about a mysterious murder on a cruise ship, unless your pictures contain child pornography and your screenplay has North Korean missile launch codes. What they're really after is the good old, run-of-the-mill terrorist and smuggling information.
Tags: TSA Watch / TSA / Airport Security / Secure Flight / Technology / Travel News / → All Tags
TSA's Secure Flight Program Advances, Asks 'A,S,L?'
We sure hope there's going to be an "all of the above" choice come tomorrow's new institution of TSA "Secure Flight" procedures, which involve disclosing your full name, birthdate, and gender when booking airline tickets.
It's all a part of the TSA's campaign to further root out the terrorists from the average Joes just trying to get to business meeting in Dubuque. Once the new information requirements go into effect tomorrow—August 15—you're full name on your ID will need to match up that that printed on the ticket, along with birth date and gender. Say so long to the mistaken identity stripsearch!
For those fretting about how closely the TSA will police the spelling of your middle name, thankfully the New York Time has an excellent article full of possible passenger questions and TSA responses. Just remember that the whole reason for giving the TSA this information is to keep you in the skies and off the No-Fly List. And if this doesn't work? Maybe they ask us our mother's maiden names or our Catholic confirmation names? What about our Kabbalah names? Madonna could then board her flights with tickets sold to "Esther." We suppose we'll have to wait and see.
Related Stories:
· TSA's Secure Flight Program [TSA]
· New Vigilance Over Traveler IDs [NYT]
· The TSA Asks 'How Do You Spell That Again?' [Jaunted]
· TSA Watch Coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: TSA]
Tags: TSA Watch / TSA / Airport Security / Technology / → All Tags
TSA Blog: Our Full Body Scans Aren't Porn, Because You're Ugly
Full-body airport security scanning: apparently great for the TSA but not for your self-image. Debunking the idea that the nearly-nude pictures that the scanner produces of you somehow are like porn, the TSA Blog links to a Cleveland Plain Dealer article that tells the sad truth regarding this new technology: it's not porn because the resulting images aren't appealing.
In fact, full-body scans at Cleveland airport, where the machines are being tested, are apparently the opposite of porn because—and we aren't making this up—American travelers are ugly. Now for an obnoxious argument to what should have always been a non-issue:
Tags: TSA / Airport Security / Crime / Nuts / LaGuardia / → All Tags
Alleged Nutter With Fake Bomb Causes LaGuardia Evacuation
An apparently mentally disturbed man caused the evacuation of LaGuardia Airport's main terminal for a few hours this morning when TSA authorities discovered a fake bomb in his bag. The AP reports that throngs of passengers were cleared from the terminal at 5:30 a.m. as swarms of cops took the man, whose name was not released, into custody for having "a few batteries and wires" that resembled a bomb at the security area of the Terminal C concourse. He "was just acting crazy," said one official, who didn't say if the man had made a specific threat.
The terminal was reopened around 9:00 a.m., but the delay was enough to royally screw up scores of people's summer vacation plans. It's good, of course, that it wasn't a real bomb, but it's a shame that one (alleged) nut has the power to create such chaos. Since LaGuardia is my nearest airport, I'm glad I'm not flying anywhere today. For those who are, go easy on the Cinnabons as you wait for your flight to be rescheduled.
[Photo: sangiovanni-rotondo.it]
Related Stories:
· LaGuardia Terminal Evacuated in NYC, 1 in Custody [AP via Yahoo! News]
· TSA Coverage [Jaunted]
Tags: TSA Watch / Carry On Policy / TSA / Strange Things / → All Tags
TSA States The Obvious: Hand Grenades Are Not Carry-Ons
Today In stupid TSA happenings, the TSA Blog answers a question which, we're sure, is on the mind of most travelers: "can I take my hand grenade on the plane?" Way to be irrelevant again, TSA.
Now being the TSA blogger is probably not the most creative of jobs, and we don't even want to imagine some of the idiotic questions that get asked of TSA agents, but anyone who can't figure out for themselves why a hand grenade shouldn't be on a plane—filled as it is with innocent people and fuel—needs to be rocketed straight to the top of the "No Fly" list.
To answer the question at hand, the TSA "Blogger Bob" states that no, hand grenades are most certainly not allowed, but neither is anything that even resembles a grenade:
Tags: Clear / Airport Security / TSA / Travel News / → All Tags
Class-Action Lawsuits For Clear, And It's About Time
To think that we've had to wait a full two weeks for lawsuits to be filed against defunct security pass Clear. It seems like forever ago, though only it was June 22, that Clear abruptly shut down it's expedited airport security lanes, website, and finances from over 200,000 customers each paying $200 a year for the rights to exactly those things.
Although we smelled trouble on the horizon and did not renew our membership in May, others weren't so lucky and are now out both the money and the knowledge that their iris and fingerprint scans are safe. Thus, sue to get it all back.
Tags: Clear / Airport Security / TSA / Travel News / Flo Card / → All Tags
TSA's Response To Clear Questions: 'Not Our Problem'
It's quick and it's dirty, but it gets the job done; yes, it's the TSA Blog's Response to your Clear questions. Although most of the post is devoted to reminding people that this whole debacle is not TSA's problem, but Clear's and that's who should deal with it, they nonetheless remind us that two other such companies still function out there: Flo and Vigilant.
Beyond that, the TSA assures that the market for such expedited security cards is still open: "This is purely a market-driven, private sector venture offered in partnership with airports and airlines. Another vender could potentially take up the program."
Tags: TSA / Airport Security / Comics / → All Tags
TSA Detains Author Over Weird Script; Both Sides Behave Reasonably and Rationally
An interesting TSA-related incident happened at LAX last month that underscores the tricky balance between security and liberty. A comic artist named Mark Sable was detained for additional screening by TSA agents who were alarmed at the content of a script they found in his bag, the latest in a comic (or graphic novel, if you like) series called Unthinkable. As SFScope points out, the script follows members of a shadowy government group that dreams up "unthinkable" 9/11-type catastrophes that begin coming true. Not surprisingly, the agents thought this was a reason to give Sable and his belongings further scrutiny.
Tags: Clear / Airport Security / TSA / Travel News / → All Tags
Clear Card Ceases Operations, And We Saw It Coming
Can we confide in you for a moment? We saw the downfall of the Clear airport security fastlane card coming from a mile away. Before we delve into that however, let's talk about last night's huge shock for current Clear subscribers.
An email went out yesterday evening to Clear members at 8pm, with a simple message:
At 11:00 p.m. PST today, Clear will cease operations. Clear’s parent company, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. has been unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations. After today, Clear lanes will be unavailable.
