africatravel

How do you know if you are on some FAA security/watch list?

Just curious

gail

You get selected several times for additional security checks. Also, you will not be able to check-in thru self-serve kiosks. The first few times you are likely to think it is a random check, but eventually if you ask often enough, some airline person will tell you that you are on "the list"

alanRow

I wonder if it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy - each time you get selected for screening makes you more likely to get selected for screening the next time

gail

And if you get on "the list" there is a laborious process listed on TSA website to get yourself "unlisted". My husband went thru this process and some airlines/airports seem to have gotten the message that he is not a terrorist and some do not.

FainaAgain

I don't think I am, as on the last trip I flew one-way only, and nobody even bothered to ask why!

I was flying San Francisco - Chicago, taking Amtrak back, but I wonder, would the airline knew that? I paid with the same credit card.

AAFrequentFlyer

One ways, paying with cash, buying the ticket for same day travel will raise the possibility of getting SSSSed, but not necessarly guarantee it.

The question is about the dreaded "list". It's totally different animal. If your name resembles a name of a potential "terrorist" your name mabye put on the "no-fly list". Then you are screwed....

Sen. Kennedy was on the "no fly" list and only because he had "connections" in the HS he was able to get his name taken of the list in about a week. For a regular Joe/Jane, this list can potentially be a nightmare as HS does not even have to tell you why you are on that list and if you are, it's "your" responsibility to prove innocence. It took some people months, years to get off this list.....

What happened to our constitution? We're suppose to be innocent until proven guilty? or so I thought.....oh well, as some here would say, they know better - YEAH right!


Reporting from Honolulu, flying home tonight - not on any list yet!

clevelandbrown

Someone with my name got on the list, which is actually a compilation of lists, one of which bars flying into the country, others of which merely require heightened security procedures.

It was fairly easy getting my exemption letter from TSA, hardly a difficult task unless one is pretty inept, and I was surprised how quickly they processed my case; I had anticipated a lengthy wait. What took a while was in getting my favorite airline to get my exemption into their system, but they finally succeeded. In fairness, this was when the procedures were new, so I can understand the airline's delay; I would hope they have improved the process by now. I know TSA has improved their process. When I went through it, you had to call to get the instruction letter, but now you can download it from their website. I wish more bureaucracies would work to improve their procedures, as TSA has.

The innocent until proven guilty argument makes little sense. That doctrine applies to criminal prosecutions, not to administrative proceedings. When you go in to apply for Socalled Security (assuming there is any money left when you get old enough), you are not presumed to be entitled; you have to make your case, and if you don't your claim will be denied. Virtually all administrative proceedings (I can't, offhand, think of an exception) presume that you are not entitled, and it is up to you to prove your entitlement.

Its typical of our penchant to whine that we complain that TSA screenings are not sufficiently targeted, but when they get a list with the names of actual malefactors on it (you can't get much more targeted than that) we complain that some innocents with similar names get on the list, even though procedures to correct such mislistings are in place and are shown to work).

Travel security is not efficient, and often misdirected, but much of this is at the behest of Congress, and what can we expect when we send clowns to the Congress?

AAFrequentFlyer

Perhaps you should read some of these stories:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-fly_list

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/...n2066624.shtml

http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/04/06/no.fly.lawsuit/

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12284855/


and there are hundreds/thousands stories like the ones above.....

P_M

A few years ago my DH went to Vegas with a large group of people to play in a national pool league. They were traveling on discounted group tickets, so the airline knew the names of everyone traveling together. One of the people in the group had the name of a terrorist on the no-fly list. The members of the group were questioned for over an hour, everyone was asked what they know about this guy. The flight was delayed because the group was large and they wanted to talk to everyone to make sure this guy wasn't a terrorist. He was eventually allowed on the plane.

On the return they arrived at the Vegas airport 3 hours in advance, as they anticipated more questioning. Of course, everyone was questioned again and it was a very long process.

The man in question is a long time friend of ours and although he is of Middle Eastern descent, he most certainly is not a terrorist. He was so embarassed by what happened he quit the pool league. Eventually he was coaxed into returning to the league, but if they do play in Vegas again, he will fly seperately.

P_M

I would like to add that I completely understand and appreciate the need for added security, but I feel very sorry for people such as our friend who are indeed innocent.