Flying Faster Without ID

jjh37997 writes "A Homeland Security's privacy advisory committee member finds that flying without a photo ID is actually faster than traveling with proper identification. According to Wired the committee member, Jim Harper, accepted a bet from civil liberties rabble-rouser John Gilmore to test whether he could actually fly without showing identification. He found that traveling without ID allowed him to bypass the long security lines at San Francisco's International Airport, and get in faster than if he had provided his driver's license."

Honestly...

[afxzanac]

Is saving 5 minutes in line REALLY worth the full cavity search????

Re:Honestly...

[Tackhead]

> Is saving 5 minutes in line REALLY worth the full cavity search????

Somewhere, the Goatse Guy is quietly weeping... muttering to himself "what a waste... what a waste"...

Re:Honestly...

[kfg]

Is saving 5 minutes in line REALLY worth the full cavity search????

Well, it's an extra twenty bucks if you get it done in town.

KFG

Re:Lucky Him

[mozumder]

And sometimes it helps to look really ghetto. In college I once got stopped by a cop for doing an illegal u-turn, and he looked at me, looked at my old '81 Honda, and said "Do you think you can afford a ticket for that?". Then he let me go.

Less is better?

[SEWilco]

Apparently if I fly naked I'll save enough time to get there before I leave.

Re:Lucky Him

[Rude Turnip]

I saw a little old lady *in a wheelchair* get searched at Chicago Midway airport. I felt much safer afterwards.

Yes, you can take the short line sometimes

[djh101010]

Back before 9/11, I flew into London from Denmark, and was leaving the country the next day for the states. Hadn't bought much so customs wouldn't be a problem. But, they have a "red line", and a "green line" - red for "I have something to declare (and pay tax on)". The red line was empty aside from a few people watching and profiling those walking through. The green line was forever long, and I was tired. So, off I went, up the red line, right to the counter. "Well, I have this sweater that I bought in Norway for (number) Norwegian Kronur, which works out to about (number) Pounds. I'm leaving for the US tomorrow, not sure if I need to pay something on this or not?"

I pretty much already knew the answer (no as long as you're not planning to sell it here), but by going up through the shorter line and having a plausible reason for doing so, I was able to save an hour. So yeah, you can get some time savings doing this sort of thing. Not sure I'd go for the body cavity search route to save waiting in the ID line, though. I guess that depends on if it's a business trip, or a recreational one.

Re:I never understood this

[turgid]

Because, if everyone takes their ID on the plane, if Johnny Terrorist blows the plane up, then everyone can flap their ID cards really hard which will put the fire out, and also it'll just be like lots of little birds flapping their wings, so the plane will float down gently instead of crashing.

Also, if you are brown, carrying an ID card means you won't blow up the plane. And if you are white, carrying an ID card means you are not brown or a muslim, so you also will not blow up the plane.

Re:Lucky Him

[butterwise]

And sometimes it helps to look dumb.

My brother drove into a lake after passing three "Road Closed" signs. The officer who came to investigate asked my bro to join him in his patrol car, where he proceeded to flip through a thick book of traffic law/traffic violations.

After about a half-hour the trooper said, "Well, I'm not going to give you a ticket 'cause there just isn't a law for being stupid."

Ouch.

Re:Honestly...

[Kadin2048]

is the full cavity search really worth the cost of the flight

I'm pretty sure you could get one for cheaper on Craigslist.

Re:Hell no...

[VAXcat]

Oh boohoo...you get searched every now and then at the airport. When I was in my 20s, we (if we were hip looking, ie had long hair) used to get beaten up on a regular basis...now those were hard days of real government oppression...

Re:This works for Customs as well

[Nesetril]

I am pretty sure that I am in the wrong classroom, but I think that what the "other guy" is trying to tell you is that he wants you to bring him flowers next time. Be careful...

Re:This works for Customs as well

[sholden]

I always just declare my packet of chewing gum as food and hence go through the fast line.

Re:This works for Customs as well

[pcgc1xn]

Thanks for the advice bozo. I tried this and it didn't help me any. Followed your advice to the letter, and I ended up in the slammer with Bubba. It seems that marijuana plants are not allowed, and they don't just take the plant off you. I couldn't walk right for a week afterwards.

Re:Here's a scenario to show that you're wrong.

[GrumblyStuff]

I hope the make-up sex was good.

Re:Lucky Him

[TheWormThatFlies]

Slashdot readers should know not to extrapolate from small data sets.

Ahahaha! Oh, boy. Come back the next time there's a discussion about gender issues. In these parts, two anecdotes add up to a vast body of compelling, indisputable empirical evidence. :P

Re:Here's a scenario to show that you're wrong.

[adrianmonk]

And I'm not middle eastern, I'm of pasty Irish ancestry. I could pass as a danish. /rimshot

Wouldn't that be pastry Irish ancestry then?

Part of me wants to offer my own /rimshot after that, but then my joke was bad enough on its own that I'm sure I have the will to go through with it.

Re:"In fact, today, I'm the safest guy on the plan

[qsqueeq]

great I am worried about the guy who slides thru the system like you and gets what he needs after the security check point.

Yeah those People magazine, newspaper, gum, and bad airport food weidling terrorists.

Re:Lucky Him

[Xyrus]

Hello,

    Your phone records are clean, and there are no suspicious activities in any of your accounts. You also never detour from any of your travel plans, and have yet to dwell in any questionable places.

      Sincerely,
            Department of Homeland Security

PS - Your out of mayo, your upstairs toilet leaks, you haven't vacuumed in 9 days, and you might have better luck bringing your girlfriend to orgasm if you try position 32 of the Kama Sutra.