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TSA precheck is not about security- it's about allowing the privileged, wealthy, etc to not have to wait in line with everyone else. It's one of many "pay for a
by mabbo 8y ago
TSA precheck is not about security- it's about allowing the privileged, wealthy, etc to not have to wait in line with everyone else. It's one of many "pay for access" systems growing around us today.
$20 per ride toll lanes on the highways. "Express pass" at the amusement park. Global Entry at US Customs. They're all just more ways of saying that the rich don't need to wait around with the plebians.
- dionidium 8y agoAll congested systems ration access. Price is a pretty straightforward way to handle rationing. It's not very interesting or novel to notice that a lot of systems ration this way.
- untog 8y agoIt's different when these things are provided by the government, though.
- freeone3000 8y agoIt's a bit weird when governments do it, though, especially for matters of "security" (or in the case of Global Entry, actual security!) There's a bit of a difference between waiting in line at Walt Disney World and having to go through customs.
- jessedhillon 8y agoThere's nothing new or sinister about price discrimination. What is suspect, however, is that the source of the delays and inconvenience in the airline security regime are introduced and controlled by the same actor who sells the upgraded access -- and they have a conceivably unlimited mandate to make the unprivileged experience bad, in the name of security.
- corey_moncure 8y agoAlso known as a racket.
- williamstein 8y agoTSA precheck is relatively cheap (less than $20/year) and only takes a few minutes to sign up for...
- cuchoi 8y agoAnd only a few nationalities are eligible...
- loco5niner 8y agoFrom: https://www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck/eligibility https://www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck/eligibility "The TSA Pre® program membership is open to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents." seems reasonable.