Challenge and Responses

Quite a few folks have written about the great No ID Flight challenge in today's Wired News.† Of course, as usual, Wired New's readers have mighty fine points to make.

Travel expert Edward Hasbrouck wrote in to say that Jim Harper's test was only a partial test, since he got, as I neglected to mention in the story, his boarding pass from a kiosk without having to show I.D. to the airline.

The legality and constitutionality of the clause in the conditions of carriage requiring passengers to show ID to the airline is distinct from the authority of the† TSA (or the nebulous "third force" I encountered) to require ID.

Hasbrouck is right -- it would have been more of a test similar to John Gilmore's experience if Jim Harper had tried to buy a ticket without showing identification, not giving his name and then tried to get through screening without an I.D. card.†

Faun deHenry writes in to say that when he tried to fly out of San Francisco with an expired passport he didn't have quite as much TSA luck as Harper did.

I was recently (18 May 2006) denied boarding by a TSA representative at SFO because my passport was expired. TSA maintained that because my passport was expired I possessed no identification and TSA, on that basis, could deny boarding on my flight. Further no amount of discussion with TSA or Delta Airline representatives changed my status.
The passport I used has been expired for three years. I don't drive and thus do not need a driver's license.
My work as a manager for computer projects has me traveling easily once or twice a month. As recently as April 2006 while traveling to Nashville I was subjected to additional screening at the Oakland airport due to my expired passport. I was however allowed to board my flight. Do I mind the additional screening? Not really.

I just want to be able to do my work without the TSA creating ridiculous obstacles.

R. Naylor suggests the results are skewed since the screeners at SFO are employed by a private company:

The test was not a true test of the TSA because SFO does not use TSA but is instead part of a pilot program that originally allowed 5 airports to use private screeners (known as the PP5). I travel a lot and have noticed a significant difference in the time it takes me to get thru security at SFO (much shorter) versus other airports that use TSA for screening (much longer). I have also noticed a higher level of professionalism of the private screeners at SFO. As such, it does not surprise me that he was able to get through security at SFO without an ID given the overall difference in service that I have noticed.

And finally, one story commenter mentions that TSA knew something was up as one screener did confront me taking notes. I think this is probably not the case since the confrontation, if I can call it that, happened rather late in the process, I didn't notice any of the people dealing with Harper see me, and I didn't see the employee who talked to me talk to the woman who finally cleared Harper.

There was, however, much speculation at the DHS-sponsored hearing that Harper's announcement of his intent likely triggered a call to TSA.† That's more of a possibility in my mind and there did seem to be an inordinate number of supervisors lurking around, so they may well have been tipped off.

And for those of you who give this a try themselves, drop me a note to let me know how it goes.

And thanks to all my readers who took the time to write in, with praise or criticism.