Fliers: Airport ID Rule Change

Anyone flying to the CSUEU Board of Directors meeting this weekend: If you need to fly without showing ID, state very clearly to the security folk that you lost it or otherwise accidentally don't have it with you.

TSA describes the new rules in this press release:

Beginning Saturday, June 21, 2008 passengers that willfully refuse to provide identification at security checkpoint will be denied access to the secure area of airports. This change will apply exclusively to individuals that simply refuse to provide any identification or assist transportation security officers in ascertaining their identity.

This new procedure will not affect passengers that may have misplaced, lost or otherwise do not have ID but are cooperative with officers.

We wish we were making this up. As Bruce Schneier commented, I don't think any further proof is needed that the ID requirement has nothing to do with security, and everything to do with control.

Links

• Your papers please: TSA bans ID-less flight (CNET)
• IDs and the illusion of security (San Francisco Chronicle)
• TSA Press Release on Changed Airport ID Requirement
• Five common ticketing errors – and how to avoid them – The first error shows a variant on the ID issue, and one way airlines profit from irrational security requirements (CNN)