How to get the travelers file that Homeland Security has on you

by Jamie Rhein on

Maybe your Homeland Security file is wafer thin– not much in it that would excite even your grandmother, but if you’re curious to find out what the U.S. government has been collecting on you, here’s the way to get the scoop. The Identity Project has down-loadable request forms that you fill out and mail to the address printed on the documents. You can find out some of the information, although possibly not all of it.

What you’ll eventually get back is any unclassified information like PNRs, APIS Data; and secondary search records. Huh? I don’t know quite what those mean. And, what good does it do to know that stuff? It seems the classified info is the juiciest. At least it’s a start and could help folks feel satisfied and more comfortable that they have a bit of a handle on what the government is up to when it comes to background checks.

Also, as we’ve pointed out, besides your travel habits, your gestures and behaviors, what you put up on the Internet is up for grabs when it comes to keeping track of just who and what you are. [via boingboing]

ShoeScanner Fails Orlando Tests

by Catherine Bodry on

A device that would’ve allowed passengers to keep their shoes on at airport security has failed. Removing shoes in airport security lines is one of a passenger’s biggest inconveniences, and the ShoeScanner raised hopes of faster, shorter security lines. After repeated tests at Orlando International Airport this year, however, the ShoeScanner “still does not meet standards to ensure detection of explosives,” the TSA said.

Of course, the Scanner was only available to those that could pay the yearly $100 fee to go through a separate line. For the rest of us, it was business as usual in the long line of peasants.

[via USA Today]

Reserve Your Place in an Airport Security Line?

by Catherine Bodry on

Pretty soon, you might be able to reserve a spot in an airport security line. The Travel Transportation Security Administration is considering a reservation system that would assign travelers an approximate screening time — and hopefully entice them to travel during off-peak hours. Waits could be reduced to 5 to 10 minutes.

But the logic behind the system seems a bit faulty: passengers would have to arrive 20 to 30 minutes earlier than usual, and would have to pay a fee. Doesn’t arriving early defeat the purpose of reserving a place? So why would I pay just to wait on the other side of security?

More on the TSA:

Register for a Fast Pass Through Airport Security

Travel Lessons We Can Learn From Summer 2007

Airport Security: Once You Go Through, There’s No Turning Back

I’m not the only naysayer; the article quotes several higher-ups in travel administration who believe a reservation system would be silly. Arguments against it include the fact that travelers already have an incentive to fly during off-peak times — lower rates. Also, many business travelers already belong to frequent flier clubs which reserve special security lines for their members.

I don’t mind the security line as long as I’m not in a hurry and I’ve got a book to read. It means I’m stretching my legs, preparing them for their long crunch when my plane is waiting in line on the tarmac.

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Excuse Me, Sister, But Are You Hiding Something Under Your Habit?

by Justin Glow on

Flickr user cjdavis snapped this shot in the Detroit airport yesterday. He writes, “This was captured as I collected my things from airport security (Detroit Metro Concourse A). I think of it as something like a Rorschach test. Is an elderly Catholic nun being frisked by a Muslim security agent the celebration of blind justice? Or is it simply an admission of absurdity?”

I barely even noticed the al-amira on the female TSA agent, which — along with the bored teenager watching from aside — made this a truly interesting photo.

How about a caption contest?

[via]

Clear Traveler: Register for a Fast Pass Through Airport Security

by Jamie Rhein on

Willy wrote about the Clear Registered Traveler Program in February, but last week when I heard yet another story about someone who keeps getting pulled in for hours of questioning because of his name, I wondered if this pass might help fix that situation.

Let’s say you’re one of those people whose names (or looks) gets you stopped for hours of questioning each time you meet up with airport security. Maybe your name is on the No-Fly list. Or perhaps, airport security moves too darned slowly for your tastes–you’re a frequent traveler, and if you were paid for the hours you’ve waited in airport lines, you’d be a rich person.

As Willy wrote, the Clear Registered Traveler Program serves as an early security check-point that, once you’ve been approved and pay your membership fee, you get to breeze through the subscriber security line at the airport using your Clear pass. Here’s a recap of how it works. First, you go through a background check for TSA approval, and once you are found to be a-okay, you’re issued a card that has your encrypted fingerprint image or an iris scan. This is not a through the mail process, but involves an in-person visit.

At the airport, you insert your card into a kiosk that reads it and matches the card with your fingerprint when you put your finger on the scanner. Once cleared, you get a clearance stamp that shows TSA you are good to go. You and your baggage still have to go through TSA screening, but I assume this is faster? Otherwise, what’s the darned pass for? Still, it does sound very James Bondy or something. This is biometrics, baby.

Not all airports have this service, but the list is growing. Clear security lanes in La Guardia in New York are the lastest ones–they were to open this month.

The membership fee runs about $100 per year. Here’s the link for how to join. If your security status changes, your membership is revoked. By, the way, I’m not sure if this would work if your name is on the No Fly List even though you are not the person who is the security threat, but a person who has the same name.

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