Has anyone considered the impact....

[MamaParrotHead]

You probably raise a flag on TSA's computers for some reason. Either someone with a name similar to yours is blacklisted, or your suitcase might look like something that they were told to look for, or you have something that looks like something else when it goes through x-ray.

 

I don't think my suitcase was ever searched when flying domestically or internationally. The only time I was stopped for further examination was when I had to change my plans and bought a ticket 30 minutes before departure. They do check on passengers that do that.

 

Dave, a.k.a., "Jetskier", has a problem with that. Someone who has his name is blacklisted and he has a hell of a time, EVERY time, even getting on the damn plane.

 

Is there any way I can call or email or write to check that out? Thanks!

[linda_22003]

What is everyone's thoughts on what we might be able to expect, should whoever gets elected, decide to tighten US borders and immigration?

 

I don't know what you're concerned about. If you're a citizen with the required paperwork, you'll still get in.

[happy cruzin]

In the commentary following the NH Primaries, politcal analysts were discussing immigration polices of the various candidates. I don't remember who it was, or which candidate, but one of the candidates was proposing (as part of his plan on immigration) all immigrants be required to carry special ID's or papers. Then the analyst said that, to keep from going the route of racial profiling, then it would make sense EVERYONE should be required to have such documentation on them at all times. If something like this should become a reality, I'm thinking it could cause some serious delays in every day life, let alone travelling.

 

Yes - I have heard about the "national ID card" and I'm sure it would impact daily life - especially travel. But....only if anyone pays attention :eek: !

 

Like other posters have stated no one really seems to pay much attention to what is brought back in to the country from cruises. If you are over your allowances often they just push you through anyway. My question...although somewhat rhetorical....why have rules/laws if they are not going to be followed :eek: .

 

You can have all of the rules, ID's and passports that you want but if they are not managed properly and taken seriously, then why bother???

[WeLuvVacation]

DW and I have been pulled out and "wanded" 3X.

 

2X not too long after 9/11 when the security was done at the gate. We found out through trial & error that anyone sitting behind the check in counter in seats along the window were being pulled out and searched, like we were trying to hide from the cameras or something.

 

1X in feb of '07 when our flight was cancelled and we manged to get booked on another airline. We were pulled out. Had to be cause we had bought the tix the same day.

 

Never been taken into any "back rooms" however.

 

But my wife had one of those Tide bleach pens and had forgotten she had it in her pocketbook. No problem outbound, going home, confiscated.

 

That made me feel real safe for sure.

[Kempa]

Dave, a.k.a., "Jetskier", has a problem with that. Someone who has his name is blacklisted and he has a hell of a time, EVERY time, even getting on the damn plane.

 

Is there any way I can call or email or write to check that out? Thanks!

 

Dave must be severely inconvenienced so that the country might be safer. All of us must be slightly inconvenienced as well. I don't know if the TSA could get him a document saying that he is "Good Dave" and not the "Blacklisted Dave".

 

If Dave's namesake tries to fly, you would want him to be caught.

[ShedQueen77]

The inconsistencies of enforcement at different airports is what bothers me.

 

I wore my "Bride" hooded sweatshirt on the flight out. I was never pulled over by security for wearing it through MLI or SJU. When we got to ORD on our return flight, they pulled me out of the line and subjected me to a personal search along with a 20 minute wait for a female officer since I was "bulky" and the same sweatshirt was now considered a coat. I couldn't take it off unless I wanted to saunter through security in my bra.

 

The security personnel at ORD were exceptionally grumpy and rude unlike any of them we encountered through other airports. I wouldn't have minded so much about the inconsistency if perhaps the officials would have been a lot more polite about it. I don't appreciate being barked at like an errant child.

 

If this whole Homeland Security thing is truly going to work, it needs to be consistently enforced. ORD is still confiscating cigarette lighters (like Bics) when they are now allowed. How are these people going to "protect" us if they don't know what they're supposed to be doing to begin with?

 

When a clear plan is in place that is enforced consistently, I'll probably think more about how it affects me as a traveler. Right now I really don't know because they don't either.

[MamaParrotHead]

Dave must be severely inconvenienced so that the country might be safer. All of us must be slightly inconvenienced as well. I don't know if the TSA could get him a document saying that he is "Good Dave" and not the "Blacklisted Dave".

 

If Dave's namesake tries to fly, you would want him to be caught.

 

I could give a crap whether or not I'm inconveinced. I just want it to be for a REASON. If they catch the "bad guys", then great (although from what I've seen and heard, it'd be a lucky "shot in the dark" if that happened). But from where I'm sitting, that just isn't happening, either. And he doesn't ever whine about it, it's just the way it is for him. The thing that bugs me is that Dave is being hung up for trying to fly to Florida, yet ABC news can smuggle enough nucler material into the country to make a bomb? Or weapons/bomb makings on to a plane without problem? That's what bugs me.

[linda_22003]

they pulled me out of the line and subjected me to a personal search along with a 20 minute wait for a female officer since I was "bulky" and the same sweatshirt was now considered a coat. I couldn't take it off unless I wanted to saunter through security in my bra.

 

I was told that I had to take something bulky off in a line once, and said it was all I was wearing. They must not have believed me, because they said it was a coat and had to come off. So I took it off and when they saw that I was really willing to stand there in public in my bra, they hastily had me put it on again.

[Bonnie&Rob]

I was flying home from Georgia 2 years ago when a security breach in Texas caused my flight to be delayed overnight. The airline pulled my luggage and booked me in a hotel overnight, so far great right?

 

Well it was until someone stole my luggage from the conveyor belt...

 

The next morning I had to show up 4 hours early to look at surveilance tapes, pick up tickets for a different flight than I was originally booked for, then get pulled out of line for extra security checks at every checkpoint because I had a less than 24 hour booked flight and NO LUGGAGE.

 

Did this bother me? It was inconvenient, but then so is blowing up in mid-air. I just wish the airports were consistant in applying the security measures so I could feel secure no matter where the flight originated from.

[skylock]

MamaparrotHead,

 

You will be happy to learn that most Asian Countries - including the largest country on earth (China) - require citizens and foreigners to carry an official national ID at all times. Not one of them has encountered any problems with this.

 

Not one has any problems with terrorists crashing airplanes into tall buildings, nor millions of undocumented illegal aliens wandering around.

 

 

All that is true, but you also have to remember that is the same country that recently hung the owner of a company that sold toys with lead paint on them.

 

They have zero tolerance and severe punishment. And it works well, but try something like that in the US. They can't even decide if passports should be mandatory for travel outside of the us.

[skylock]

I could give a crap whether or not I'm inconveinced. I just want it to be for a REASON. If they catch the "bad guys", then great (although from what I've seen and heard, it'd be a lucky "shot in the dark" if that happened). But from where I'm sitting, that just isn't happening, either. And he doesn't ever whine about it, it's just the way it is for him. The thing that bugs me is that Dave is being hung up for trying to fly to Florida, yet ABC news can smuggle enough nucler material into the country to make a bomb? Or weapons/bomb makings on to a plane without problem? That's what bugs me.

 

I am with you on this. If it is REALLY for my safety, I will wait patiently all day. But it is not, as I myself have witnessed.

 

What I got thru with was purely on accident as I am "stripped down" when I go thru security now. Light clothing, fanny pack containing passport, tickets, a wallet, a pack of crackers and some tissues. (I have perfume allergies and I never know when I will cross one that makes me sneeze) Now they could have been distracted by the lady with the perfume, but if I was a bad guy, wouldn't that have been something I thought about? Have a distracting factor in front of me. When I saw what the tv people got on board with, I wondered if that had been their tactic.

 

And it is not just airport security I have a problem with. This summer I bought a birthday card in the mall then walked to the movie theater. They would not let me in with my "bag" even though it was a small flat see thru plactic bag containing 1 birthday card. But while they are explaining the policy to me, people are walking past me with purses, beach totes, backpacks and diaper bags. I pointed to a lady with a HUGE diaper bag and ask why that was allowed in but I could not take my birthday card in. The lady said, well she has a baby. I knew I was talking to pure genius then. So I can't carry a birthday card in a see thru bag that I just bought at the mall that does not sell weapons of any kind in because of security reasons, but the lady can carry in a diaper bag that she brought from home that was large enough to carry a small child in causes no concern of security because "she" had a baby so she could not possibly have anyhing but diapers in that bag. I made a note that if I ever wanted to blow up the movie theater, do not pack the bomb in a small see thru bag, just put it in a large suitcase and there would be no problems getting it in.

 

My sister was going to a teachers convention. From Jackson, MS to Memphis, TN. One of the teachers by the name of Emily Johnson was not allowed to board as her name was on the no fly list. The woman had never been on a plane before or out of the state of Mississippi. She wound up driving as it is only a couple hundred miles. When she got home, she had a letter listing all the information she would need to send in to be removed from the list.

[caribbean dreams]

the obviously affluent lady in the line next to me who had a FULL SIZE (atleast 12-14 oz.) bottle of expensive "perfume ?

 

The same thing just happened to me.....The Lady infront of me had a large bottle of Perfume, the screener knew, looked at it and let her thru with it, I got my bag yanked & gone thru because i had a tiny little bottle of hot sauce, it was .02 oz. over the limit:eek: I would have packed it in my checked luggage but i totally forgot it was in my carry on.

Something is wrong with this picture, it was against the rules for both of us, so why did she get to keep hers? it was way bigger than mine!!!

[sakapfet]

MamaparrotHead,

 

You will be happy to learn that most Asian Countries - including the largest country on earth (China) - require citizens and foreigners to carry an official national ID at all times. Not one of them has encountered any problems with this.

 

Not one has any problems with terrorists crashing airplanes into tall buildings, nor millions of undocumented illegal aliens wandering around.

 

 

FYI, the largest country in the world is Russia. China and India have the most people.

 

The government does not need a national ID program to track you: they can track all of us through our drivers licenses, credit card purchases, cell phones, e-mails, etc ... even through cruise critic.

 

Illegal aliens started and built this country and they are here to stay. Our economy depends on it. As long as big businesses and corporations benefit from it, nothing will be done by our politicians. We all know which politicians favors big businesses. They are all outhere screaming that they are going to deport the illegals and built a fence (B.S.).

 

Face it no one is going to deport 20+ millinons illegals. Impossible to implement. We dont have the manpower and the infrastucture to do it.The bottom line is those illegals will eventually get amnesty through the courts or by a presidential executive order. Twenty years from now our country will face the same problem. Here is a fact for you, in 1986 Ronald Reagan and the Congress granted a one time amnesty to 3+ million illigals. Look where we are now.

[sakapfet]

I am with you on this. If it is REALLY for my safety, I will wait patiently all day. But it is not, as I myself have witnessed.

 

My sister was going to a teachers convention. From Jackson, MS to Memphis, TN. One of the teachers by the name of Emily Johnson was not allowed to board as her name was on the no fly list. The woman had never been on a plane before or out of the state of Mississippi. She wound up driving as it is only a couple hundred miles. When she got home, she had a letter listing all the information she would need to send in to be removed from the list.

 

Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania (1759)

[Peto]

Nothing will change due to any changes in immigration laws. Immigration is simple lip service being paid by candidates. Whoever is elected will never follow through with any of the campaign promises...

 

 

now, terrorist threats are a different matter. when we get more terrorist activity on american soil, traveling will become more difficult.

 

 

JMHO.