While I don’t feel one way or another about this w.r.t. charging this fee to people without a Real ID who show up with a normal ID, as someone who has just lost their ID entirely, or shown up accidentally to the airport without it -
This totally makes sense.
The amount of effort it takes for a TSA agent (granted, this is mostly entirely fabricated effort, this seems like a more solved problem, but I digress) to verify my identity the few times this had happened is well worth $18.
It’s not a quick phone call to an external agency and you rattle off your social; it’s a whole shebang.
“Did you live at x? Who else lived at that address with you?”
“What was your sisters last address before her current”
“What was the second address you lived at in [city]”
To be entirely honest, the whole thing was super entertaining. I think part of it was just it made me feel like some super spy.
Anyway - good on them for charging a few bucks. Don’t forget your ID or get your ID updated.
(Sidenote: this line of questioning wasn’t this interesting every time. Sometimes it is more like a one and done question, but I am at my most impressed with TSA when it seems like they actually do give a fuck, and the times it’s been an in-depth line of questioning has stuck with me)
Right, and the reason this has been going on for nearly a quarter century in the USA is because it was widely considered an unconstitutional national passport until 9-11, and got bipartisan push-back from a number of states following its passage.
The federal government passed it along with the authoritarian wishlists various agencies had been salivating over for 40+ years and unable to get passed, until under the guise of saving us from the 'terrorists', who now 25 years later, turned out the actual terrorists were probably just domestic authoritarians. The guys living in caves weren't really a threat and could be dealt with, without passing a bunch of stuff to affect every single citizen of the country.
"As an EU national, you have the right to travel freely in the 27 EU member countries as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland (non-EU countries but members of the Schengen area) carrying either a valid passport or a national identity card (ID card)."
The French illegally checked everyone passports on Arrival when I Flew to Corsica once, but I don't expect much from them with all their "Plan Vigipirate" Bullshit which is also just about reducing freedom under the guise of "Protection against Terrorism".
Also Germany isn't much better right now with their also illegal border controls.
Right-Wing-Populism destroys many nice things
>It's also required to at least carry ID (presumably because it may be checked)
That's true, but for Schengen Flights you don't have to go through a government passport control like you have to do for international flights.
Airlines ask for ID sometimes because they make some money off it (to avoid people reselling tickets, charging for correcting misspelled names etc...), but they are not required to.
Last time I flew from Spain they only checked at the gate (which I didn't expect).
Also, most of these countries demand that you have an ID with you at all times outside. Yeah I don't do it either, because where I live is full of pickpockets and a new ID card means travelling for hours to the capital and paying 180€. I'm from Holland and they don't support their citizens abroad well. They even closed all the consulates to save money, as if they're a piss poor country :) Even most poor countries have money for consulates. But if you're a business owner they still have a contact in every city. Stupid neoliberals.
Schengen thing should be working like this but more and more I have been asked for ID/passport, usually by the airline before boarding or local police acting as border guards after arrival.
>>In Europe I don't need to show ID for flights inside the Schengen Area
Really?
I fly between Schengen countries multiple times a year. I don't remember one where I wasn't required to show my ID at both check-in and then gates. There are even ID scanners at the gates.
Driving licence doesn't count as ID either. It's either passport or official government ID card.
I flew multiple times with easyJet in the last years, and I never had to show my ID at the security checkpoints. Sometimes the easyJet agent at the gate wanted to see an ID, but this is done on behalf of the company, not the government.
The only time they ask for ID at the Check-In-Counter, is when you have checked luggage.
>>The only time they ask for ID at the Check-In-Counter, is when you have checked luggage.
They ask you to show it no matter if you have checked luggage or not. Your can online check-in but then you need to provide your ID info online.
The point is you're not getting a boarding pass without an ID and then you're not getting through security without a boarding pass and then most likely you're not getting on the plane without both.
>>but this is done on behalf of the company, not the government.
It's true. Is it an important distinction though? Government knows who is flying anyway as proved by multiple arrests on arrival in European airports.
No, some airlines don't bother checking your ID during Check-In and it's legal. So you are able to get an Boarding Pass without an ID. If I remember correctly easyJet also didn't ask for ID Information on Schengen Flights during the online Check-In
This totally makes sense.
The amount of effort it takes for a TSA agent (granted, this is mostly entirely fabricated effort, this seems like a more solved problem, but I digress) to verify my identity the few times this had happened is well worth $18.
It’s not a quick phone call to an external agency and you rattle off your social; it’s a whole shebang.
“Did you live at x? Who else lived at that address with you?” “What was your sisters last address before her current” “What was the second address you lived at in [city]”
To be entirely honest, the whole thing was super entertaining. I think part of it was just it made me feel like some super spy.
Anyway - good on them for charging a few bucks. Don’t forget your ID or get your ID updated.
(Sidenote: this line of questioning wasn’t this interesting every time. Sometimes it is more like a one and done question, but I am at my most impressed with TSA when it seems like they actually do give a fuck, and the times it’s been an in-depth line of questioning has stuck with me)