No Fly List

A short time ago I read that there will be more information required when booking a ticket in order to try to help this problem by eliminating people from the list. The newly required information was things like birthdate and place of birth. I'm not sure when, or if, these changes were actually going to take place, but I read about it on Yahoo News, so you might try looking there to find the article.

The TSA is now requiring airline bookings to include your date of birth. They claim that this will lessen the problem of mistaken identity and should actually remove many people from the list.

I'll believe it when I see it.

We were told that a senior customs official is required to make a "visual" identification, which is done in their office with a computer, so, at least in our particular case, providing the DOB, SSN and Passport has not made a difference.

I must note that each time this has happened the Customs officials have been extremely professional, considerate and helpful at getting us to our flight as quickly as possible.

Now that we know what to look for on our boarding pass we are at least a little more prepared when we land and the flight attendant asks everyone to take their seats "as customs will be boarding the plane." :-)

Step one.... Complain. You are paying the salaries of those elected officals who supervise the TSA. There is no excuse for law abiding citzens to be deemed "Guilty" by name only. I would contact my elected officals EVERY time this happened and tell them it's unacceptable and you will be glad to vote for folks who will clean this FIASCO up!

Step two, do what you are doing now. Good luck!

Complaining to your elected officials, sadly, wont' do much. They're afraid of TSA and saying anything negative or they may look as if they don't want to protect the country.

At one point Senator Ted Kennedy was on the no fly list. It took HIM 6 months to clear his name. And he's a U.S. Senator.

I have to agree. I don't see how complaining would be helpful at this point. Each time this happens everything is documented and we follow up with Homeland Security. If we had been mistreated in any way I might be inclined to complain but as it stands, everyone is very helpful and very apologetic.

Unfortunately, the man that shares the same name as my husband is in prison until 2015 but is also allowed a furlough each year for between 30-40 days and there is always that risk that he will leave the country or not return.

Traveling is definitely an adventure for us.

And that's the reason for the birtdate...so that your husband won't get confused with the convict. (Unless they have the same birthday and then well, you know the drill.)

Frank - they don't share the exact DOB but it's close. They even share the same middle initial. One of the men at Homeland Security that we've been dealing with is also on the no fly list and he can't get his name off of it - I guess no one is immune.

Karen, I must applaud your attitude towards the whole thing. It must be such a pain for you and your husband, but I am glad to hear that you are dealing with it with a level and understanding head and that you guys keep on traveling. Hopefully the tips you've provided will help others who have to undergo the same things.

Debra, Thanks! It can be a pain, especially when I'm very tired or stressed (as when we traveled to my daughter's wedding) but most of the time we see it as an opportunity to meet new people and share new experiences.

The situation can also be a great conversation starter - when they take him off the plane and leave me there some people tend to stare and "create distance" but I will usually joke about him not liking to queue up or that it was "probably something he ate" and then people will relax and some will even offer to help me with the bags - so it all works out in the end. :-)

Karen, why not change his name, I mean if the reality is this man will be a flight risk till 2015 , well another 6 yrs of that would drive me crazy. It doesn't have to be drastic,, just instead of David, why not Dave etc.. and have passport changed etc. Just something to think about, I know I would.

Sort of off the topic...........but I never knew that some prisoners get a month off/furlough every year?

Pat - That's a thought but right now we know the drill...a name change, even slight, could match up with yet another person on the no fly list - could be "from the frying pan into the fire" kind of thing. Besides, wouldn't that require changing the name on all legal documents as well? Now that sounds like a nightmare.

Emily - I didn't either. It's supposed to be for "family visits" but...

Karen, yes, then you would have to change DL and Socail Insurance card, as well as medical .. yes, I can see it would not be an easy solution.

They say in the future we will all do retina scans,, seems that will simply things quite a bit.

Let me get this right...

We don't complain, we just let them do what they want? Hmm... That's the way we want America to be run. The goverment is always right and we, the citizens, just let it do whatever it wants.

(Sounds more like the USSR to me, but...)

Oh, we have to complain, but not in the way you think.

TSA has already proved they ignore complaints. Their attitude is "we're protecting America from terrorism."

Congressman are scared of speaking up because they might be seen as soft on terrorism and not wanting to protect America.

The best bet is to keep writing letters to the media. If enough stories are written or produced about abuses to our rights, then, Congress will have to react. Then the administration will be forced to put people in charge who want to fix the system.

Politicians care about two things--money and being re-elected. And until you prove to them that doing nothing is worse than speaking up, they'll remain silent.

You've probably heard about the new machines TSA were "testing" that take a photo of you that can see completely through your clothes? Well, originally, they were being tested to only use for secondary screening. Now, TSA says they are so happy with the results they may make the machines compulsary.

Whole Body Scans

Sadly, too many of us are willing to give up all of our Constitutional rights to be protected for terrorism.

Personally I'd take a full body scan over a pat down. I consider it less invasive.

I agree that TSA is slow about getting something done about false positives on their no-fly list. They have been promising something for a long time.

I'm not sure it's possible for me to fully empathize since it hasn't happened to me. If it did, I would be at least frustrated and more likely infuriated.

Side Note:

I am not exactly sure what they are, but last week when I went through security at Schiphol there was a new machine you had to step through to get through security. It appeared to be the whole body scan machine.

Yes, Laura, that's what it was. The Netherlands is one of the few EU countries to have allowed use of the machine.

How does it feel to know that while you were in the machine, someone was able to see you completely naked, took a photo of it, and may still have it (although the governments "claim" they are destroyed.)

Germany has refused to use the machines saying they are "nonsense" and "an offence to human dignity.'

Surprisingly, the Netherlands say passengers like them because it makes the line go faster. Srange, everywhere else people complain about it taking longer.

Who do you believe...travelers or the government?

BTW...if you want to know just how revealing these machines are...well..if a woman is using a certain type of inserted monthly product, it will show up on the image produced by this machine. Not invasive?

I had no idea what it was when I stepped into, but now I am creeped out. I was late for a flight and already flustered and just noticed that it was a new machine that wasn't there when I flew three weeks ago.

Ewww! I would much rather have a sniffer dog check me out than go through the whole body scanner. Then only the dog would know where I am in my cycle.

I didn't mean to freak people out, but we are not being told the entire truth about the machines.

All the government has to say is "it will protect us from terrorism" and Americans become sheep. They'll submit themselves to anything as long as it protects us from terrorism.

Well, there are ways to protect us from terrorism and allow us to keep our dignity at the same time.

If an airport starts using a body scanner, you can refuse to go through it. But, they will do a pat down search as punishment.

You know, it's funny, I always thought in the U.S. you were innocent until proven guilty. Now, we're all seen as terrorists and have to prove out innocence.

And how many people knew that if you broke one of the TSA rules, which seem to change daily, or even argue with a screener, you can be fined?

Sadly, too many of us are willing to give up all of our Constitutional rights to be protected for terrorism.

On September 11 my niece and her husband, and two of my husband's aunts were flying when the planes struck the WTC. Their planes could have just as easily been the planes the terrorists chose. I have no problem with being screened, or body scanned if that is more effective. "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"--- If you're not alive liberty means little and you won't be pursuing any happiness.

So, Maggie, it seems you're one of those people willing to give up your Constitutional rights to protect us from terrorism. (Based on your last sentence.)