Privacy advocate hero John Gilmore -- who doesn't fly because he doesn't want to show his ID -- should wear a pageant sash next time he wants to fly without showing his ID. That's what this beauty contestant did.
From the New York Post:
New York airports are now making security exceptions for graceful girls with big smiles. A tipster who saw the first episode (airing tonight) of MTV’s new reality show, “Pageant Place,” told us that when Miss Universe Riyo Mori forgot her ID while trying to board a flight from JFK to Bloomington, Ind., she convinced a TSA agent to let her through - by flashing her sash. “First she showed her head shot, but it didn’t work . . . so then she just pulls out her sash and the agent sent her through to security,” gasped the snitch.Link
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Honestly I don't know what Gilmore is bitching about -- how hard is it for him to just go ahead and flash a little sash at the gate? Is that so much for a TSA agent to ask for?
No one needs an ID to board a plane. That is a common misconception. It does mean, however, that most people who are not pageant queens would be subject to greater scrutiny, including pat downs and bag checks. I've boarded twice with no government issued photo ID and I'm an ugly overwight white guy.
You can definitely fly without at picture ID. I lost my wallet right before a flight from LA to Boston and all they required was a little extra security screening.
I even got to through security faster, since they put me to the head of the line to screen me.
Apparently you can also offer alternative picture IDs without ever removing your sunglasses!
Great - yet another way that thin and beautiful people are holding back us average looking fatties. That's it; I'm making me a sash that says "Miss Sys Admin 2007" and see if it'll get me through security...someplace...
While I am normally all for equal treatment under the law, I think the TSA agent letting Ms. Mori on the plane without much hassle was a good thing. Not because I think she deserves special treatment for being Miss Universe, but because she was a person VERY UNLIKELY TO BE A TERRORIST. That is really the only function of the TSA, stop terrorists from taking control of or destroying airplanes. I wish they would treat more then just beauty contest winners in such a logical manner, but maybe if we start with the beautiful, eventually such fair treatment will trickle down to children under 6, grandmas, and then to the rest of us.
Wow, they did the right thing. Let somebody on that forgot their ID that was not a terrorist. Do they still stop Ted Kennedy though?
You do not have to have ID to fly. I fly without ID all of the time. If you notice in the security line, the announcement says: You must have your boarding pass. Please have your ID ready.
However, if you don't have ID, you can't use the electronic check-in. And you get permanently marked by the airline for special screening.
ummm...I'm suspicious because you can't board a flight from JFK to Bloomington, IN. Unless it was on a private plane and then you don't have to go through security - do you? Honestly, I've never ridden on a private plane, but I live in Bloomington and the airport is tee-tiny.
But more importantly - Miss Universe was in town!?! Why no one tell me?!? sigh
Guess I'll just have to wait for the Dalai Lama. I mean he's cute and all but he ain't no Miss Universe.
TSA? That's the airline counter person.
Most terrorists don't travel with multiple-camera setups and professional A/V crews, either. That probably helped a little.
You can travel without ID -- you're just subjected to extra screening. My wallet was stolen while on vacation last year, and I had to fly home without ID. When they asked me for ID, I told them I didn't have it, told them why, and they just sent me to security and did extra screening.
A few strings were likely pulled behind the scenes, not to mention some editing of that footage. It's a "reality" TV show after all.
It's a well known fact that people who participate in beauty pagents are terrorists. The sash should be enough to get Ms. Mori on the TSA watch list.
The reality show footage doesn't show her getting through security, only getting checked at the ticket counter. What I noticed here though is that although they said to google her, she showed various forms of ID, etc. she never once removed a pair of oversize dark sunglasses...
Yep. It's a reality TV show. In the video, she's getting her ticket from the US Airway's agent without an ID. I doubt that she would be able to go through actual TSA Security without an ID.
From the TSA's Registered Traveler guidelines:
Once an applicant qualifies as an approved Registered Traveler participant, the traveler is able to take advantage of the benefits of the RT program which are expected to initially include:
• modified airport configuration to minimize RT passenger wait times, including dedicated or integrated lines and lanes
• enhanced customer service for RT participants, such as divesting assistance, concierge service for luggage, and parking privileges
• discounts for service or concessions
• the ability to use a sash as a form of identification
There is no commercial airport in Bloomington, IN. Was it a private plane? If so, That seems legit.
Whoa, whoa , whoa!! Its not hard to board a domestic US flight without a driver's license! Twice in the past three years, I have lost my driver's license just prior to boarding airplanes: once in Norfolk, VA and once in Oahu, HI. Both times, the nice TSA folks listened to my story, then pulled me out of the line for some additional wand-waving. Afterwards, I was on my happy way. Granted, I am a white, middle-aged midwestern American with a nice, generic Irish name, but hey: isn't Gilmore one as well?
Creesto is correct. My wife realized she had left her license at home when we got to the airport for a trip. Told the woman behind the counter, who put a little sticker on her ticket. Then TSA basically took her aside for an uneventful scan, and we were on our merry way.
I flew from LA to DC and back without ID and I'm no beauty queen. They just put me in a special line and subjected me to an extra search. Every one I dealt with was quite polite and didn't seem fazed at all (it was clearly not out of the ordinary for them) Amazingly I got through security FASTER than my wife who had to wait in the regular (long) line.
Of course, Gilmore knows that he can travel without ID. His lawsuit was at least partially about wanting to read the law/rule/regulation that requires him to provide ID. Most of the hype and case itself seemd to be about the right to travel anonymously (which has been more or less upheld), but there's still the lingering question of why we can't read the law/rule/regulation that requires the production of identification.
How does one ask one's representatives for an explanation of the situation when one can't point to the text of the constraint?
(I was joking about Gilmore btw, I have nothing but respect for him and the lawsuit he filed.)
Keep in mind that reality shows often script things like this to keep the show interesting. My guess is that the producers had a word to the check in guy to pretend that she didn't have her ID and to show the sash for a bit of ZOMG LULZ factor, but off camera she did have her ID and checked in fine.
In most Asian countries(which are normally not the targets of Terrorists), you don't really need ID for domestic flights, just the tickets.
I also travelled without ID after losing my wallet one time. I actually got through security much faster that way; they took me to a separate line where I had to stand in a machine that puffed air at me from various angles, I assume to test for explosives, and they hand searched my bag, but it was pretty painless.
just so you know, most reality shows are scripted
There aren't any commercial flights to Bloomington, Indiana!
Checking ID's is not for security but so people can't sell tickets they don't need to others.
Anyway everyone knows that terrorists are ugly people with funny accents.
My girlfriend and I flew to DC earlier this year, and she forgot her ID. She got pretty reamed by TSA searching, but she was allowed through politely enough on just a student ID card.
And this is bearing in mind that the flight back was through Reagan National, the same airport from which planes involved in 9/11 took off. They were in fact much more polite about it than the small midwestern national airport from which we originally departed.
Strangely enough, you CAN get through security without an ID. It just is a little tougher. My wife and I drove to Dallas once to catch a flight, and when we arrived she realized she had forgotten ANY form of ID. Now, that's not very cool, but we had no choice at the time but to continue on and hope we could get on the plane. Turns out that since I, her husband, was with her and we had our boarding passes already, then she just needed a greater security check (but thankfully, no strip down) and we could still go.
Mind you, though, I still think the the TSA is worthless and stupid. But sometimes you can bend rules anyway... Curiously, I wonder if you could pull this off with somebody who wasn't your spouse.
Love that woman's smile.
Cool! when did they intitiate direct air service from JFK to Bloomington, the Center of The Universe?
k2