TSA’s Secure Flight takes off, new identification rules come into effect

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Rules exist for a reason … and apparently enforcement isn’t one of them. In a move I can only describe as bizarre, the TSA has announced that, next month, it will start enforcing a rule about passenger identification. The rule, according to the TSA blog, “fulfills a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission by assuming responsibility of watch list matching from individual airlines.” The rule was brought to the table last year, but this critical function came with a one-year grace period.

I find this bizarre, because it’s tantamount to announcing that an important need has gone unaddressed for 12 months.

According to a report on USA Today, the rule calls for passengers to provide their personal identification data when booking their flights, and they have to show “a recognized government ID at the airport that matches the information.” You’ll have to provide “name, date of birth and gender as it appears on your government ID” when you book in order to get a boarding pass.

If you’ve already booked travel for after November 1, 2010 and haven’t provided all the data that will be required, you’ll probably want to contact the airline before you head out to the airport.

[photo by glenmcbethlaw via Flickr]

British Airways chairman criticizes US airport security practices

by Scott Carmichael on

British Airways chairman Martin Broughton recently spoke to a conference of airport operators, and openly criticized the way the US operates its airport security.

In his speech, Mr. Broughton suggested that the practice of being told to remove all shoes and laptops should be dropped. He also complained about inconsistent security measures – something I completely agree with.

He also criticized the US for demanding increased checks on US-bound international flights but not on its own domestic services. In his speech, he said the UK should stop “kowtowing” to US security demands.

Unfortunately, many of the inconvenient measures put in place seem like they are here to stay – and the arrival of whole body imaging machines will only make things worse. It is highly unlikely that complaints by the boss of one of the largest airlines in the world will help change things for passengers.

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[Image credit: AFP/Getty Images]

ExpressJet pilot refuses body scan, puts privacy over safety?

by Tom Johansmeyer on

ExpressJet Airlines pilot Michael Roberts wasn’t at all interested in getting a body scan, and now he’s wondering how long he’ll have his job.

Roberts was selected to be scanned at Memphis International Airport last Friday. He refused. He was offered a pat-down. He refused that, too. Then, he went home, according to an Associated Press report.

The pilot says he doesn’t want to be “harassed or molested without cause.” Meanwhile, the TSA is citing “federal security procedures,” the Associated Press reports.

How do you feel about this? Is Roberts some kind of obstinate nut? Or, does he have a real point about privacy in the workplace? Drop a comment below, and let us know.

[photo by quinn.anya via Flickr]

Australian customs pushes foreigners on porn

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Tourists and business travelers are getting annoyed with the Australian government. Hey, nobody likes airport security and customs employees in any country, but this time, the Aussies have just gone too far. In an attempt to pacify fundamentalist Christians in the country, the authorities decided to target porn.

And hilarity ensued.

According to TechEye, “[S]ince that would not go down well with your average Aussie, they decided only to scare the hell out of foreigners coming into the country.”

Basically, porn is only bad if it’s carried by foreigners. Australian-carried skin flicks are good to go. There’s no indication of whether the fundamentalists weighed in on this. But, it’s safe to assume that it really is the foreigners that make porn bad, not the locals.

So, how can you get busted for toting the collected works of Seka down under? First, you’re asked to ‘fess up on the landing cards. And, they want to know how you’re bringing your nightlife substitute porn into the country: computer, camera or phone. The risks associated with lying are high, TechEye notes: “The risk for a tourist was that if a border patrol sniffed their computer and found boobies they could be deported, or fined on the spot.”This is pretty much where the hilarity kicks in:

According to the Australian Sex Party spokesman Robbie Swan, one case involved a couple on their honeymoon, who thought they had to declare naked iPhone pictures of themselves after reading the incoming passenger card.

This does sound like a pretty awesome fmylife submission … especially because the couple was forced to show the photo while in line with other people.

Unsurprisingly, the government realizes it may need to change the rules, at least because the average foreigner probably doesn’t know how “pornography” is defined under Australian law. So, they either need to show their material to someone in a face-to-face situation or rely on the ol’ Justice Potter Stewart standard, which has served the United States so well … “I know it when I see it.“

[Via The Awl, photo by lucyfrench123 via Flickr]

El Al to Nigerian pilgrims: No way on our flights

by Tom Johansmeyer on

El Al, Israel‘s airline, has banned thousands of pilgrims from Nigeria from traveling to Israel. Security is the reason given. The Tourism Ministry, according to the Associated Press, says that this move will screw up the travel plans for 28,000 Nigerian Christians from Abuja in the next few months.

The Nigerian pilgrimage season starts in late October and continues through January, and a subsidiary of El Al was hoping to cover the route during this period. However, there have been concerns about airport security after a Nigerian man was accused of trying to blow up a plane bound for the United States using a bomb hidden under his clothes.

[photo by Deanster1983 via Flickr]