TSA Random Gate Checks gone?

[PCL Flt-ops]

Have they eliminated those random gate checks where the TSA goes through all your shiit at the gate? I haven't seen them or had them done to me in several months now.

I guess they finally got their heads out of there asses and realized that harrassing the average American business traveler or flight crewmember doesn't exactly help increase ticket sales.

 

[jjbiv]

Gate checks are now "double random" -- meaning the flights to be screened are randomly chosen by the TSA and the pax selected for additional gate screening are randomly chosen from the boarding line (except for some categories of people who are exempt.)

ID checks are also no longer required at the gate.

For more info, ask your security people for the latest -Q security directive...lots of good stuff in there.

joe

 

[ifly4food]

At the handfull of airports where you need a boarding pass to go through security, they are now "doing" selectees at the checkpoint. This obviates the need to "do" them at the gate and eliminates the second search hassle.
This is planned to go into effect everywhere this summer.

 

[ShawnC]

I heard earlier this year (maybe incorrectly, it was with the ban on food and beverages in checked bags annoucment), that they are going to start screening entire flights, but the flights them selves would be choosen at random.

 

[dmspilot00]

At the handfull of airports where you need a boarding pass to go through security

What do you mean... what is required at the rest of the airports?

When I flew on Dec. 30th out of Orlando there was a man in front of me at the gate in line for boarding when the gate agent or whatever said that his ticket indicated he had been selected for extra screening. Also that day they had put signs up informing passengers to unlock their *checked* baggage because they will now be searching checked luggage also.

I will also confirm what jjbiv said which is ID is no longer required at the gate.

 

[CA1900]

What do you mean... what is required at the rest of the airports?

Hartford is one of the airports that has this: You *must* check in at the ticket counter. Even if you have a paper ticket or e-ticket receipt, you can't go straight to the gate, even if you're not checking luggage. *EVERYONE* must check in prior to reaching the checkpoint. Fortunately, the e-ticket machines and curbside check-in qualify for this.

And yes, that's as ludicrous as it sounds, although slightly less ludicrous than pawing through people's luggage during EVERY flight's boarding process. The current list of airports with this system in place is here.


Remember this crap come election day, people. 4 more years of Bush and his cronies, and I may as well just hang it up now, since we won't have any customers left by then. We'll be stuck waiting in line at the guard gates to go from state to state. But hey, it's all in the name of fighting terrorism, so it's OK, right? ::shudder::

 

[HighSpeed]

Remember this crap come election day, people. 4 more years of Bush and his cronies, and I may as well just hang it up now, since we won't have any customers left by then. We'll be stuck waiting in line at the guard gates to go from state to state. But hey, it's all in the name of fighting terrorism, so it's OK, right? ::shudder::

So, Chris how are you??

Give me a break!!

 

[Flydaplane]

The gate screening going away was one of the first things that the new TSA head (Admiral Loy) wanted to do away with. He wants to eliminate the hassle factor from travel. Unfortunately, some will see more hassle in having to get a boarding pass before going through the checkpoint. Gate screening as said earlier will still be done, but on a random basis. You can't blame BUSH for the hassles associated with travel these days, don't forget when the ATSA (the law that created tsa and gave it all the deadlines and makes them by law have to go through your bags if they don't have any electronic means of doing it) was created by the 2001 DEMOCRATICALLY CONTROLLED CONGRESS, hence all the federally employed screeners. Regardless of your politics, you've got to at least blame the right people. That said, hopefully TSA will continue to seek solutions to the hassle factor and hopefully Admiral Loy the TSA chief will continue to get rid of (as he calls them) "stupid rules".

 

[Flight_Line]

Everyone face it, politicians suck. Democrats blame the republican president. Republicans blame the democratically controlled congress of 2001. Concentrate on the problem at hand. I know this is the wrong thread. However, THE TSA CAN GRAB YOUR TICKET WITH OUT DUE PROCESS! Does this not bug anyone else? So much for the constitution. When I first heard that the screeners were to be federalized I thought "Great! Now it will be a real job and not the minimum wage hell that it currently is. Now we'll finally get people who know what they are doing" Well, guess what. We got stuck with the worst of everything, the same moron screeners only they are sucking off the federal payroll and they have some power now. End of rant.

Remember this next election day. Find out how your representatives and congressmen voted on issues that matter to you and vote accordingly. To he11 with party politics.

 

[Flydaplane]

While the TSA may be granted the authority to pull your ticket, it won't be the screeners that do it. If they do pull your ticket it would be done by one of their regulatory agents of which there are but a few. I agree with the rest of you on this, no due process, they should at least give you an immediate hearing and inform you of what they expect that you did. I'll try and find out more about this this week at work. The policy folks in TSA probably wanted a legal way to stop someone from flying whose name came up on a watch list, they surely didn't look at the grande scheme of people that could be affected by someones abuse of power.

 

[MSNFlier]

democratically controlled??

Flydaplane:

As I recall, only the SENATE was Democratically controlled in the last Congress. Denny Hastert (R-IL) was Speaker of the House of Representatives because the Repulicans controlled that house of the Congress.

Keep in mind that any bill presented to the president for his signature or veto must pass BOTH houses in the EXACT SAME language (that's why you hear things like, "House and Senate conference committees are meeting to reconcile the differences in their respective versions of the bill" in the news).

Further, as I recall, the major issue in getting the TSA bill passed was that the Republicans were opposed allowing TSA employees to join the federal civil service (i.e., UNION). The Democrats held out for a quasi-union deal that at least allowed the new TSA people to live at decent wages, etc., but they aren't allowed full union membership, as I understand it.

On a related note:

As a non-commerical aviator, I find there's an interesting dichotomy that seems to permeate some of the posts on political-related issues here when contrasted with union-related posts and SCAB lists: the political party which is least interested in helping unions in almost all respects are the Republicans: have been always will be (going back to the Depression, minimum wage laws, maximum hour work rules, etc); yet, George W. Bush and Republicans in general seem to garner a lot of support on this board.

I am a political independent so I don't really have a horse in this race, but I can't figure it out. The only thing I can think of is that there are a fair number of ex-military fliers that frequent this board and they tend to skew more Republican than Democrat. Yet, George W. has made a number of proposals to gut veterans' benefits and the US recently won a case where the ruling was (generally) that veterans are not entitled as of right to lifetime medical benefits.

I am not trying to start a flame session here. Just some food for thought. Some thoughtful responses would be interesting.

 

[inline]

Re: democratically controlled??

Flydaplane:

As I recall, only the SENATE was Democratically controlled in the last Congress. Denny Hastert (R-IL) was Speaker of the House of Representatives because the Repulicans controlled that house of the Congress.

Keep in mind that any bill presented to the president for his signature or veto must pass BOTH houses in the EXACT SAME language (that's why you hear things like, "House and Senate conference committees are meeting to reconcile the differences in their respective versions of the bill" in the news).

Further, as I recall, the major issue in getting the TSA bill passed was that the Republicans were opposed allowing TSA employees to join the federal civil service (i.e., UNION). The Democrats held out for a quasi-union deal that at least allowed the new TSA people to live at decent wages, etc., but they aren't allowed full union membership, as I understand it.

On a related note:

As a non-commerical aviator, I find there's an interesting dichotomy that seems to permeate some of the posts on political-related issues here when contrasted with union-related posts and SCAB lists: the political party which is least interested in helping unions in almost all respects are the Republicans: have been always will be (going back to the Depression, minimum wage laws, maximum hour work rules, etc); yet, George W. Bush and Republicans in general seem to garner a lot of support on this board.

I am a political independent so I don't really have a horse in this race, but I can't figure it out. The only thing I can think of is that there are a fair number of ex-military fliers that frequent this board and they tend to skew more Republican than Democrat. Yet, George W. has made a number of proposals to gut veterans' benefits and the US recently won a case where the ruling was (generally) that veterans are not entitled as of right to lifetime medical benefits.

I am not trying to start a flame session here. Just some food for thought. Some thoughtful responses would be interesting.

As long as you're ripping republicans, how about the democrats who are in the pocket of the tort lawers( who make a handsome living suing the ball$ off general aviation aircraft manufacturers.They contributed heavily to Clinton both times. These parasites are the reason that a new C-172 costs $175K. And when the flight schools have to pay this much for an airplane, guess who's gonna help pay for it? The poor student pilot!

 

[MSNFlier]

where did i rip republicans???

Where, do tell, do I rip Republicans in my prior post? I simply made a couple observations. Rather than rip me in your response like an addled schoolboy, why not take a few minutes to make a thoughtful post that responds to my observation.

As to lawyers, buddy boy, WHO SIGNED (I.E., WHICH PRESIDENT) THE GENERAL AVIATION LIABILITY MORATORIUM ACT (which was the essential impetus to re-start GA single production, especially Cessna's single engine piston line)? I THINK it was a DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT. However, to be fair, WHO PASSED THE ACT? A Congress with one house controlled by REPUBLICANS and one house controlled by DEMOCRATS.

Things are not always what they seem, are they?

Finally, did you not read my entire post, friend? I am an INDEPENDENT!!! I have voted for Dems, Reps AND independents in my lifetime. If we don't agree in our political views, that's fine with me. At least we can do it respectfully.

 

[inline]

Re: where did i rip republicans???

Where, do tell, do I rip Republicans in my prior post? I simply made a couple observations. Rather than rip me in your response like an addled schoolboy, why not take a few minutes to make a thoughtful post that responds to my observation.

As to lawyers, buddy boy, WHO SIGNED (I.E., WHICH PRESIDENT) THE GENERAL AVIATION LIABILITY MORATORIUM ACT (which was the essential impetus to re-start GA single production, especially Cessna's single engine piston line)? I THINK it was a DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT. However, to be fair, WHO PASSED THE ACT? A Congress with one house controlled by REPUBLICANS and one house controlled by DEMOCRATS.

Things are not always what they seem, are they?

Finally, did you not read my entire post, friend? I am an INDEPENDENT!!! I have voted for Dems, Reps AND independents in my lifetime. If we don't agree in our political views, that's fine with me. At least we can do it respectfully.

First of all, I'm not your friend. Second, I stand by may original response to you. The tort lawers(in concert with the dems) have DESTROYED General Aviation. Now, with the Statute of Repose law, the parasite lawers can only go back 18 years to sue the ball$ off of a GA aircraft maker.

 

[MSNFlier]

ANSWER MY QUESTION...

WHERE, OH WHERE, IN MY ORIGINAL POST DO I RIP ANY REPUBLICAN? SPECIFY WHERE I DO. WE ALL WANT TO KNOW.
JUST SAYING, "I STAND BY MY POST" IS NO ANSWER. APPARENTLY, YOU CONCEDE THAT YOU WERE EITHER WRONG OR DID NOT READ MY ENTIRE POST AND THEREFORE CANNOT, IN ANY MANNER, SPECIFY WHERE I RIPPED ANY REPUBLICAN.

ENJOY YOUR DAY.