No Fly List.

[Goose75]

It's the same problem as the scissors and pocketknife issue. While they are stripping passengers of their possessions as potential weapons, the real terrorists just have theirs delivered. Security procedures are for passenger perception. If there is a screening list that even a senator can’t walk through in five minutes, surely were safe?

I also find it entertaining when a Senator is upset because of being treated as John Q Public. Maybe that's how they found those Texas Democrats!

 

[Kat]

Get to the airport early. Expect the worst & the rest will be a pleasant surprise.

 

[Goose75]

Get to the airport early. Expect the worst & the rest will be a pleasant surprise.

I fly all the time and I'd add one thing to that. Be polite. They deal with rushed and angry people all day long. It's amazing how much faster security works when you are friendly and cooperative.

 

[Meteora]

Ditto to 'be friendly' - I also fly a lot and have never been significantly hassled. I even traveled with a parachute rig as carry-on luggage (my other hobby is skydiving) - and the screener at La Guardia didn't even give me a second look.

 

[Diver Girl 1]

My husband isn't on the "no-fly" list, but every time he flys for business and then we turn around fly somewhere together, he gets pulled for "special screening." I had to wait 30 minutes after I got thru screening in Las Vegas for him to get finished being patted down.

This can be a real pest , because he gets a lot of request for speaking and customer visits close to our vacation times :-(

cowprintrabbit,

Just an FYI, there are certain criteria that can warrant a search. At times, TSA will randomly choose people to search, whether they alarm the metal detectors or not. The airline is responsible for most if not all of the full searches (bags, shoes, & wanding). Their ticketing system has certain criteria that it looks for and if it is found, it will select that passanger as a selectee. (you will usually see an 'S' somewhere on the ticket.) Some examples would be if the ticket was purchased within the last 2-7 days (roughly), whether a ticket was purchased with cash, if a passenger doesn't check any luggage, one way flights, just to name a few. If these reasons don't apply to you, then guess what? It is just because you are lucky

 

[Diver Girl 1]

Meteora,
FYI, if there is nothing about it that looks suspicious, they won't search it.

 

[Diver Girl 1]

I fly all the time and I'd add one thing to that. Be polite. They deal with rushed and angry people all day long. It's amazing how much faster security works when you are friendly and cooperative.

Just to add, if you are extremely rude, hostile, etc., they can prohibit you from flying. So I would agree to be nice. We are divers. We should always be happy! After all, divers are happier people!!

 

[Diver Girl 1]

No, I don't. What this tells me is TSA and the other security agencies are not sure of who they are specificly looking for and are using a blanketing name list in hopes of finding them by luck or chance. On the contrary, I wonder if they are over-expanding their resources to a point where the few who need watching will be lost in the masses. Sort of a 'can't see the trees through the forest'. Names on this list(mine included) are quite common so I can only imagine how large it is. Do they have the ability to properly screen everyone and use the proccess of illimination to narrow the list and gain some focus. Maybe, but it would not be very timely IMO.

Jet

Just to add, we should remember that the do not fly list is not only for terrorism, but for other law breakers as well, such as felons, parole violators, people who have caused previous disturbances on aircrafts, etc. I agree that the system used to evaluate travelers could be better enhanced, but the airline doesn't have access to personal files/records (this could be good and bad, a catch 22). I really don't want them to have complete access to my personal information. I would rather they just pull me aside to verify who I am if I have the same name as an above listed.

 

[colo_diver]

if you see 4 s's on your boarding pass you have been chosen for the pat down, approx 2 % of all travelers will get this. If you purchase your ticket at the last minute you will be chosen...... the theory is that terrorist do things last minute when actually practice is they pre plan everything, if you change your routing in the middle of the trip or change your departure date either leaving or coming home you will probably get selected. as for the no fly list......... continental has a new computer entry that allows the counter agent to clear someone without a phone call, all we do is check for the birthdate on the id and compare it to the computer........ and if the agent is doing thier job they should go into the travelers record and record that they were cleared.... if that is done then you will not be on the list at least for your return....... in fairness to the counter agents (I was one) when we have a long line and extra bags and everything else happening we generally say to our selves i will note this later...... it doesnt happen most of the time....... just like charging for over weight bags etcetc

 

[Dan Gibson]

Shouldn't that have been the no drive list

IIRC Senator Ted Kennedy was on it for a while. He managed to get off it somehow

Good luck in dealing with the bureaucracy!