Now, lets go back to -airport- security.
4 main screening points.
The ticket counter
The ID check
The xray machine
The gate check.
Ticket counter.
Currently requires you use the same credit card you used to buy to check in with.
Doesn't do anything really as you can pass off the card to someone else before continuing on.
Counter clerk takes your ID for a looksie. They are matching faces, not verifying it's real ID.
Test runs with fake ID have breached this 100% of the time.
The ticket counter is barely a security check. It's a ticket counter; the goal is to ensure that folks buy tickets and drop off baggage. They're not really verifying the validity of an ID, just that the names and faces match.
The ID check.
TSA goon takes your ticket and ID, gives them a bored glance, matches the -names-, scribbles something on your ticket and passes you along.
Fake ID and in fact fake tickets, near 100% success rate breaching this stage.
As effective as the guy at the door of the membership club with the hole punch.
Staffed by people who are dealing with huge numbers of travelers and trying to get people through to the next stage with the proper materials more than an actual security check. They'll turn you around if you don't have a ticket... but that's it. And often, in my experience, staffed by idiots. Sometimes who don't even speak English. (I tried to accompany my wife and son who was at the time straddling the toddler/infant line as far as the magnetometer once. I showed my LEO credentials, and made it clear that I wasn't trying to actually enter the secure cordon, just help her manage things to get through it. He didn't recognize what the creds were... despite the fact that they say POLICE.)
Again -- it's a minimal security checkpoint, primarily intended to facilitate processing to the primary checkpoint.
The Xray machines.
Harder to fool. Relies on bored and complacent or poorly trained screeners to breach.
Test runs by random 3rd party have an over 70% failure rate (meaning security is breached).
TSA tests run by known testers at scheduled times are 100% successful. I wonder why.
Real world failure rate estimated to be upwards of 40%
This is the primary checkpoint. They're supposed to be doing a couple things here: checking identity docs, checking boarding docs to say that you're supposed to be going through, and screening for dangerous contraband. While getting people through on time. Yeah -- lot going on, limited time, and lots of pressure. This has led to relying on a lot of technology (magnetometers, X-ray, body scanners...) and some nutty policies like taking your shoes off.
Let's look at a couple of the issues. Verifying identity documents. There is no national ID card. Each state has it's own -- and, typically, has a couple of valid versions at any given time. DMV photos are often a joke; I know people who are using 10 to 15 year old photos on their ID because they've renewed by mail the last few times. Raise your hand if you still look just like your picture from 10 years ago... Yeah, you're probably still recognizable -- unless you've shaved or added a beard, for example. Honestly, I recognize the "right" ID from about 6 or 8 states reliably. I've got cheat books, and I rely on being able to run the license. So... now we've got a TSA agent who's trying to match a photo that's about 1 inch square against you as you go through the magnetometer and read the name on the boarding pass. And monitor the signals from the magnetometer, too. Busy guy, huh?
Meanwhile, you've got someone checking your carry-on luggage for contraband. Here they're really trusting that the tech will catch things. I'll tell you right now -- I can take about 8 things off the top of my head through that they wouldn't bat an eye at, and that would be a world of unpleasantness on the plane were I to choose to use them. Some are things that are harmless till combined. Others are just things that aren't obviously dangerous but can be modified to be very dangerous with little effort. On top of that, they're also looking for smuggling illegal stuff like drugs. Another pretty busy person.
The gate check.
Simply matches the face on the ID and the name on the ID with the name on the ticket.
Failure rate here is under 5%, and usually results in someone getting on the wrong plane.
Again, the primary purpose here is not really security -- it's getting the person onto the flight. And making sure that they don't get the wrong person on the flight -- namely someone who didn't pay. This "checkpoint" is really unchanged from the old days of completely open terminals, and is still primarily aimed at preventing stowaways and overboarding.
Now, the -law enforcement- folks here can easily spot a few holes I'm sure.
Like, when was the ID ran against government databases to check validity?
It's theater. It's not effective. It's a waste of money, time and manpower to screen as we are.
There are a number of less invasive, less annoying, less inefficient ways to secure air travel, while not making old men take off their shoes and little kids go without their juice. That's my point, that's Jesse's, that's a lot of peoples point.
I agree. There are a lot of things that can be improved in the system. But how well can they be grafted onto the existing physical structures? How many airports have had to do some pretty extensive renovations over the last 10 years to adapt to the new security procedures? I remember going to pick my cousin up at the airport when we were kids, and waiting for him at the gate, where he got off the plane. Can't do that anymore... not without arranging a gate pass.
Look at the fuss over the Real ID Act... which basically pushed to get some consistency in ID formats, and make sure that the government isn't issuing ID cards to people who don't have a legal right to be in the country.
How much time are you willing to spend getting into the airport? Dulles International Airport recommends allowing a minimum of 2 hours for domestic flights and 3 hours for international -- and at peak times, even longer. Let's say we just split some of those tasks at the main checkpoint out. You have one agent whose job is to look at your ID, ask a question or two to confirm it, and match it against a boarding pass -- which gets validated. Another agent's job is only handling the physical screening of the passenger. A third handles the carry-on luggage screening. I'd add some actual LEOs to deal with discoveries and agents (LEO or not is debatable) to do follow-up screening for questionable travelers. First catch: we now need more TSA agents, and we need to actually train them. Second catch: time. Figure on this adding 10 minutes at a SWAG to screening. Third catch: traveler volume, and impacts of volume on time.
There aren't easy solutions. The current process needs help -- but solutions have to be workable, too.
