Airport Security Gone Wild!

[FLyellowdog]

Well, this all my fault fro not calling my son by his first name instead of using his middle name.Stupid mom.


Son's name (using a similar but fake name here): Frederick John Smith

This full name is on his driver's license/photo ID.

All his 35 years he's gone by "John".

He purchases his airline ticket in the name of "John Smith".

Because his ticket does not match his photo ID name, he is pulled out of line at check-in and his bag is opened and every piece in it inspected. He is subjected to search as well. He's cleared to get on the plane.

Plane doesn't take off as scheduled...Flight attendant comes on intercom and asks "Is there a Frederick Smith on board?" When he says yes that's him, he's asked to leave the plane and his bags are pulled and require a specialized tag. He is then allowed back on the plane and the plane takes off late.

What's up with these people? Wouldn't one understand that he goes by his middle name when it's clearly on his photo ID?

It's always something. :mad: Thankfully he arrived home safe and sound.

[TexasObserver]

1. It's an idiotic program run by idiots, who hire even bigger idiots.

[defendandprotect]

4. +1000% --- and it's meaningless, save for the value of the harassment -- !!!

[seabeyond]

8. and makes a whole lot more idiots FEEL safe. dontchaya know. nt

[TexasObserver]

10. Metal and explosive detectors would do the most good.

Anyone with good funding and criminal intent will have the proper paperwork, so the key is to look for the things that are inherently suspicious. Even box cutters are metal and contain metal, so I'm in favor of such detectors being used.

[Hawkeye-X]

2. I use my middle name too - but officially it's my first name and last name on those plane tickets

I could legally change my name, but out of respect to my dad, I'm keeping my name.

My first name is pretty hard to pronounce, and 99.9% people always gets it wrong - even my own mother gets it wrong (on a recent call).

Hawkeye-X

[FLyellowdog]

3. I would have thought the same thing about his name.

Is there something he should do differently next time? I don't know. :hi:

[Hawkeye-X]

5. Just go with Frederick Smith

and live with it for a few hours. I usually do.

I travel frequently to New York, Las Vegas, LA, etc... so I'm kinda used to it.

[FLyellowdog]

12. Yes...I'll suggest doing that. Thanks. nt

[BadgerKid]

20. Use legal name in legal situations.

I go by my middle name in real life, but I always fill out and sign legal documents using my first name. Never had a problem.

[cleanhippie]

30. You are right about that, but...

why is flying on an airplane a "legal situation"? (I am not attack you, I am pointing out the absurdity of our overboard security)

[mmonk]

6. We put up with too many indignities now in the name of "security".

We are a "security" state. Reason can not get in the way of people trained and paid to be invasive. Every time I go to the RBC Center where I live to watch a hockey game, we have to through lines, empty our pockets, walk through a metal detector, and are wanded. I am sure international terrorist organizations are plotting to attack a Carolina Hurricanes hockey game anytime now, right? When I go through those lines, I call them sheep lines. Sometimes I make baaaa baaaa sounds. Sometimes I make moo sounds to imitate cattle. Everybody laughs when I do it but it is ridiculous what you can train otherwise rational people to go through.

[likesmountains 52]

7. My son was once put through similar security b/c he booked his flight last name first..

Smith, John, rather than John Smith...so absurd.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

9. I hate that forms always want first name please.

I go by my middle name. My first name is OK but everyone knows me by my middle name.

When I was previously married, I didn't get used to being called "Mrs. Asshole", either.

:rofl:

[FLyellowdog]

11. Too funny. nt

[Stinky The Clown]

13. A legacy of george bush's reign of terror

Meaningless, ineffective, costly, intimidation.

[HipChick]

14. Why create problems for yourself...the computers they use doesn't know anything about nicknames

I use a shortened version of my full legal name..you better bet I use it for booking tickets..who needs the hassle..

[seabeyond]

15. and then they used people and lookie, couldnt figue out the obvious either. you had

to work hard to validate and shift blame on this one, but doesnt jive. a lot of human beings were amongst the stupid

[HipChick]

16. they don't though..airline ppl couldn't care less..been flying for about 14yrs

2-3 times per week..

they couldn't care less anymore..if they inconvience you

and they don't even hide it

[dddem]

41. Of course they don't hide it

How else would we feel safe and secure unless we see the bad guys get it once in a while. Jeez! Now don't you feel safe?

[MuseRider]

17. Happened to me too.

Used my middle name, the one everyone knows me by and the name I have used all my life and they would not let me board even though I had tons of other ID that had both names on it. It took a while but I was finally allowed on but not until after a lecture by some strutting security guard about how I should approach security etc. This was in Kansas City, one of the countries worst and stupidest airports. I then went through security in 5 other airports and never was once bothered or asked after I presented my ID's.

My son had all of his letter pins for tennis and band removed before he could board a plane, in Kansas City again. They also removed a wrench that was part of his drum kit and packed away securely in a bag, not a carry on, they must have xrayed it or something but they pulled him out of line for that. Of course he never saw the stuff again. My husband who could pass for a Middle Easterner I guess gets the treatment every single time. I think he might be beginning to feel rather friendly toward that wand they stick down his pants every time. They actually, in front of everyone, pull his pants away from his waist and stick a wand down there and move it around. Again, in Kansas City. None of these things have ever happened to us anywhere else so I find that kind of funny but still, never ever use the name you use in most of your life because even extra ID is not good enough, at least in Kansas City lol.

[FLyellowdog]

21. I don't think I'll go to Kansas City. Dummies! nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

28. Wow. I've had no problems ever in KC.

DC is the worst, IMO. I saw an 80+ year old woman in tears there as they were going through her makeup. It was horrible.

[grace0418]

18. When my brother got divorced and moved out of state, there was always a big mess

every time they tried to fly their two daughters back and forth. The mother never changed from her maiden name, and the girls were hyphenates of both last names. Yet somehow every time the airport security would get all up in arms because the girls last name didn't match either mom or dad's last name exactly. My brother is "John Smith", his ex is "Jane Adams". The girls are "Jesse and Jamie Adams-Smith". Is it really that hard to make the mental leap?

[FLyellowdog]

22. Maybe for airport employees, it is. Go figure. nt

[grace0418]

33. Apparently. The even dumber part is that our last name is extremely unusual and

my ex-s-i-l's name is fairly common but not as common as Smith. So my brother should never have had any problems because the girls have our extremely unusual last name as part of their last name.

It's making me think I might have to give in on changing my name. I've been married for 13 years and kept my last name. But we're having a baby next spring and I'm starting to wonder how much of a pain that's going to be. Especially since I don't plan to hyphenate baby's last name (too long). I've always really liked my last name but it might just be too much of a headache.

[readmoreoften]

19. Try being a transsexual.

[FLyellowdog]

23. A new fall tv show? nt

[readmoreoften]

37. What? Transsexuals trying to get through airport security? Not a very funny TV show.

At least not from the experience of my partner. It's hard to have a gender marker on your ID that doesn't match your appearance. And it's no fun when the cops don't know who should feel you up.

[FLyellowdog]

38. Gosh, I never thought of that. Good point. nt

[Tyrs WolfDaemon]

24. I go by my middle name too

I didn't even know I had a different first name until I was in fourth or fifth grade. I share my name with my father and he too didn't know about his first name until he was asked what name he wanted on his high school diploma.
I find it to be very annoying to have to use my first name for official stuff.

[tammywammy]

25. Why don't you change your name legally then? n/t

[Tyrs WolfDaemon]

34. At this point it is only annoying when dealing with doctors

They have to know what my full name is for all those forms. I also keep it as it links me to my grandfather. He had the full three names (Clarence Norman Hansen) and then he named my father with the three so it has kind of become a family thing.

Story I was told by my father was that my great grandfather was concerned that Norse people might get the Irish treatment (persecuted and stuff). He used the Norman middle name figuring that we could drop the Hansen and use Norman as our last name. Norman could be from anywhere in Europe. It's a neat little story but I don't know how much is real.

[daleo]

26. The name thing happened to me too

In that case, the airline canceled the ticket under my nickname, then immediately re-issued a new one under my official name on the driver's license. Then I boarded the flight. I couldn't see the point.

The same trip, I had to go into one of those naked scanner things. It didn't physically bother me but psychologically it was very demeaning. I turned down a work related trip the next week (conference), because the whole experience put me off flying. So the airline lost a thousand bucks and a hotel lost a similar amount. The travel industry seems crazy these days, like they don't really want customers.

[Taitertots]

27. The wrong name is on the ticket, they shouldn't let him fly

Is he learning disabled or some justified reason for failing to put his name correctly on the ticket? A lot of people used to call me Moose, but I'm not so stupid that I would put it on forms that requested my name.

[FLyellowdog]

31. Uh no....he goes by his LEGAL middle name

which is on his birth certificate, his social security card, and his drivers license/photo ID. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out. To my knowledge, there is no rule that says you aren't supposed to use your legal name...in fact, I think just the opposite is ture.

The wrong name was NOT on the ticket. Please read the OP before giving a asinine opinion.

[Taitertots]

36. Fredrick Smith =/= John Smith

It was the wrong name. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to put the correct name on a ticket.

[FLyellowdog]

43. Apology accepted....

by you? I just found this info online..
http://newsroom.dc.gov/show.aspx/agency/dcema/section/2/release/17102

Sorry for being rude. :blush:

[uppityperson]

39. batting 100 today, aren't you?

Don't worry, I don't think "moose" is what most of us think of you.

[Ruby the Liberal]

29. TSA = Thousands Standing Around.

Consider yourself lucky. Had he been named Muhammed Jack ElAriani and you called him "Jack", both of you would be in prison today.

:eyes:

[FLyellowdog]

32. Probably true...sad, but true.nt

[Roon]

35. I had no idea that my cousin's name was actually his middle name

until a few years ago.

[mainer]

40. Same thing happened to my 84-year-old mom

Name on driver's license and name on ticket not spelled the same. Held up the line forever. They kept staring at her as if she was surely some terrorist in a wheelchair.


Then I almost couldn't board because the honorific on my ticket didn't have a space between it and the name (e.g. Mrjohn smith). The company travel agent had reserved the ticket in the UK, where apparently honorifics are routinely used for booking tickets. I kept pointing out that no one has a first name "mrjohn", and the driver's license said john smith. Not good enough. They kept me waiting for hours.

[FLyellowdog]

42. FYI...

Apparently, whatever name one uses when purchasing a plane ticket MUST also match whatever ID that person uses when checking in. I wasn't aware of that but research online confirms it.
http://newsroom.dc.gov/show.aspx/agency/dcema/section/2/release/17102
However, I know for a fact that not all airlines comply with that policy...Southwest, just to name one. But just to be safe, from, now on I'll always use the name on my drivers license for ticket purchases. (And I suggest that others take this policy into account when traveling by air.)

:banghead: