4 ms·

My TSA PreCheck experience: - no removing shoes - never bothered about my computer gear, screwdriver set, razor blades - completely through security in a few m

by feld 10y ago

My TSA PreCheck experience: - no removing shoes - never bothered about my computer gear, screwdriver set, razor blades - completely through security in a few minutes Then I look at the people in he regular line while waiting for my friend and see everyone's personal space being invaded, bags rifled through, electronics and cables strewn about, harassed over the stupidest items It's a joke. PreCheck is proof they aren't serious about security. Anyone could pay the $75 and walk through with dangerous items. That said, I'll gladly continue to use PreCheck because if someone wants to attack an airport they'll attack the long security line which I won't be stuck in.

gcb0 10y ago
you are already paying a tsa fee on each ticket. and you not only accept the crappy and ineffective service you paid for, but you pay extra just to not be subject to what you paid for in the first place. you are a genius! California should try this model for the next drought.
monocasa 10y ago
I always took the precheck to be a clever setup for a useless organization. They have the completing concerns that they both need to A) screen enough people that our looks like they're doing something and, B) minimize inconveniencing the kind of people that Representatives actually listen to. By adding that fee to skip the line, they add a de facto class distinction on who gets screened.
hash-set 10y ago
I personally don't think an item is particularly dangerous lacking the intent to use it. I'm tired of the breathless stories about people forgetting their concealed weapons and then getting nicked for it. Yes, it's a dumb move, and maybe for some carrying a gun is irrational, but for others, it is a daily part of life and is necessary and they passed the background checks so what threat are they? None. Yet the government lays a heavy fine on these people for what is a minor mistake. And for the downvoters: I'm fine with how firearms are currently handled when it comes to commercial aviation, but I will note that if you own your own plane or have access to a private jet, there is NOTHING stopping you from carrying your gun right onto the plane! The horror! And many commercial pilots are also armed, so these 'prohibited items' are all over the airports despite what the public believes. What most concerns me is not the few dumbasses, but the breathless reporting of non-newsworthy events. We all just want to get where we're headed safely and not deal with a lot of bs.
peter303 10y ago
Only minor differences. Your carryons are still xrayed and yout body scanned. The shoes and belts were obsessive.
CWuestefeld 10y ago
So it looks like what we're building here is the beginnings of a travel tax. If the "service" they're providing isn't necessary - and indeed, PreCheck is really just a protection racket, where you pay them to avoid the shakedown - then what else can we call it? And by going along with it, we're really just buttressing the whole TSA program. When there's revenue being generated they'll never let it go. (yes, I know that the net is overwhelmingly negative, but when that's just looked at as a jobs program for barely-skilled workers, it's easy to write that off and focus on the income)
- ProAm 10y ago
  > So it looks like what we're building here is the beginnings of a travel tax We already have a travel tax, every airline ticket you buy you pay 5.60 per one-way flight directly to the TSA. It was never about security, the TSA is a government funded employment program.
- mtgx 10y ago
  It was already a protection racket, just used against your taxpayer money. Now it will also tax travelers. "Win-win" for the racketeers.
  - leesalminen 10y ago
    And now you get to hand over biometrics to them for the privilege. It's a win-win-win!
    - feld 10y ago
      Fingerprints for PreCheck, but if you sign up for Clear they also get your retina scan. Clear isn't gov't, but in sure they share data. Not sure what is required for Global Entry
- CaptSpify 10y ago
  I personally don't buy into pre-check because I know how artificial scarcity works. It's not about being safer, it's about inconveniencing those that don't want to wait in the "slow line" enough to make them pay for it.
taude 10y ago
But isn't the point of signing up for pre-check that you give away your fingerprints and extra identifiable information and let the government run a security threat profile check on you to determine the risk factor for you? Or, are you saying it's easy to forge the TSA-pre check for people to get through it?
- gcb0 10y ago
  we live in amazing times. now you can simply read the article and find out!

by feld 10y ago

gcb0 10y ago

you are already paying a tsa fee on each ticket. and you not only accept the crappy and ineffective service you paid for, but you pay extra just to not be subject to what you paid for in the first place. you are a genius! California should try this model for the next drought.

monocasa 10y ago

I always took the precheck to be a clever setup for a useless organization. They have the completing concerns that they both need to A) screen enough people that our looks like they're doing something and, B) minimize inconveniencing the kind of people that Representatives actually listen to. By adding that fee to skip the line, they add a de facto class distinction on who gets screened.

hash-set 10y ago

I personally don't think an item is particularly dangerous lacking the intent to use it. I'm tired of the breathless stories about people forgetting their concealed weapons and then getting nicked for it. Yes, it's a dumb move, and maybe for some carrying a gun is irrational, but for others, it is a daily part of life and is necessary and they passed the background checks so what threat are they? None. Yet the government lays a heavy fine on these people for what is a minor mistake. And for the downvoters: I'm fine with how firearms are currently handled when it comes to commercial aviation, but I will note that if you own your own plane or have access to a private jet, there is NOTHING stopping you from carrying your gun right onto the plane! The horror! And many commercial pilots are also armed, so these 'prohibited items' are all over the airports despite what the public believes. What most concerns me is not the few dumbasses, but the breathless reporting of non-newsworthy events. We all just want to get where we're headed safely and not deal with a lot of bs.

peter303 10y ago

Only minor differences. Your carryons are still xrayed and yout body scanned. The shoes and belts were obsessive.

CWuestefeld 10y ago

So it looks like what we're building here is the beginnings of a travel tax. If the "service" they're providing isn't necessary - and indeed, PreCheck is really just a protection racket, where you pay them to avoid the shakedown - then what else can we call it? And by going along with it, we're really just buttressing the whole TSA program. When there's revenue being generated they'll never let it go. (yes, I know that the net is overwhelmingly negative, but when that's just looked at as a jobs program for barely-skilled workers, it's easy to write that off and focus on the income)

ProAm 10y ago
> So it looks like what we're building here is the beginnings of a travel tax We already have a travel tax, every airline ticket you buy you pay 5.60 per one-way flight directly to the TSA. It was never about security, the TSA is a government funded employment program.
mtgx 10y ago
It was already a protection racket, just used against your taxpayer money. Now it will also tax travelers. "Win-win" for the racketeers.
- leesalminen 10y ago
  And now you get to hand over biometrics to them for the privilege. It's a win-win-win!
  - feld 10y ago
    Fingerprints for PreCheck, but if you sign up for Clear they also get your retina scan. Clear isn't gov't, but in sure they share data. Not sure what is required for Global Entry
CaptSpify 10y ago
I personally don't buy into pre-check because I know how artificial scarcity works. It's not about being safer, it's about inconveniencing those that don't want to wait in the "slow line" enough to make them pay for it.

taude 10y ago

But isn't the point of signing up for pre-check that you give away your fingerprints and extra identifiable information and let the government run a security threat profile check on you to determine the risk factor for you? Or, are you saying it's easy to forge the TSA-pre check for people to get through it?

gcb0 10y ago
we live in amazing times. now you can simply read the article and find out!