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Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

nytimes.com

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Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#251

Post by nitrogen »

kogepathic wrote: post #205
firebird84 wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That sounds about right. I married a foreigner - costs $1500 and about 6 months to process the paperwork that lets her stay. I got sticker shock when I first learned that. I've never before seen government fees that high.

> costs $1500 and about 6 months to process the paperwork that lets her stay Really not cool. Probably justify it by saying it takes a lot of time to process paperwork (that they created the requirement for in the first place...) Did you know that it also now costs $2350 for someone to renounce their US citizenship? It also takes an undefined amount of time (typically 12+ months) and they publish your name online on…

Regarding your last paragraph, maybe something else is in the pipeline that depends on it being difficult to renounce citizenship?

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#252

Post by henrikschroder »

peterwwillis wrote: post #96
nfriedly wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're just as bad at identifying actual "weapons": I flew to South America with a layover in Miami a few years back. Got past TSA without any trouble on the domestic leg, then I had to go through again for the international leg. The second time through security, they said they saw a blade on the x-ray.. turns out they were right. I forgot I had left a multi-tool in my bag. Thankfully, they just trashed it and let m…

FYI you are allowed to carry on screwdrivers, wrenches and pliers less than 7 inches long. More bulky than a multi-tool, but at least you can carry something? https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/prohibited-ite...

Once I was flying out of Stockholm, and behind me in the security check was a handyman who was just passing security to fix something on the inside. He had a small open toolbox on wheels with him, so after I went through the metal detector, they pushed his box through, which obviously beeped, since it was full of screwdrivers, knives, hammers, and a lot of other sharp metal things. And then the handyman went through, and he also set off the metal detector, so the security people started checking him and patting him down.

So noone is looking at the toolbox that I'm standing right next to. I could easily have grabbed a knife or two if I had wanted to.

And once they finished patting him down, he grabs his tools and walks on.

And I'm just standing there, gaping at the stupidity of it all.

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#253

Post by Cyph0n »

franciscop wrote: post #231
tacon wrote: post #211

This is the part that really ticks me off: >Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina recently said it had experienced three-hour wait times. [...] (T.S.A. officials denied that the wait had ever been that long, telling local reporters that it had been 75 minutes for a short time.) Will someone, anyone, please write the simple app that you punch in as you start the line, you punch out as you leave scr…

Install an app and everything? Why not just take a picture when you join, then take a picture just before you are there (with the same people before you) and lastly afterwards. Then just upload them to Twitter.

Since when did installing an app become such a big issue? Besides, I don't really see how your solution compares to the one suggested by the parent.

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#254

Post by tyrust »

avn2109 wrote: post #102
luma wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pay billions in your tax dollars to create a huge interference to free movement around the country, then pay hundreds more individually to get around some facets of the interference you already paid for. Also, let's throw in submission of your fingerprints and a background check into a database secured by hugely-ineffectual government organization. I can't imagine why everyone isn't leaping at the opportunity...

My dad grew up under the Soviets, where he learned a thing or two about waste, inefficiency, and systematic corruption. He says the following: "If the government ever gives you the chance to bribe them, do it immediately and with a smile. Pay double if they'll let you. You'll always come out ahead in the long run." Precheck/Global entry is clearly unrelated to actual security; instead, it's an obvious shakedown, plai…

>you'd be dumb not to pay up

It's a difficult decision, one that I've been wrestling with for a while.

Imagine if everyone (and I mean everyone) collectively said "This is bullshit." and refused to pay for PreCheck. The TSA would have no choice but to stop the program. This is probably the only way they would stop it (beyond legislation, ha.).

Unfortunately this will never happen. People don't want to stand in line. Corporations have the money to shell out to give their travelling employees special treatment. Many will refuse step back and see that the only way to stop this shit is to make some personal sacrifices for the eventual reward of getting another lane back for everyone to use.

Perhaps others and I are "dumb" to not want to pay up, but we do so in the hopes that others will follow suit. We refuse to be a single drop in the rain on the TSA's fields. Perhaps one day those fields will dry.

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#255

Post by spinlock »

emodendroket wrote: post #162
tehwebguy wrote: post #25

Here's an awesome TSA story for you: Late last year while trying to fly out of LAX a TSA employee thought I was carrying a throwing star. They called the police, who correctly identified as a toy in seconds. I thought the whole ordeal was over until I got a "notice of violation" in the mail from TSA 45 days later. Now I'm banned from pre-check for three years, even though I have global entry and even though the fine…

Well, as the article illustrates, just defunding without actually changing any of the rules won't help.

It will eventually. You just have to stay strong and not let the terrorists win.

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#256

Post by wallabout »

pessimizer wrote: post #103
sneak wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can drop "around the country". Your nation or any other nation's national borders do not make free and unimpeded travel any less of a basic right for all people, in all places.

Free and unimpeded travel is not a basic right for any people, in any place. It's supposed to be within the US, though, just like in Schengen. That's due to law, not some magical "right", though. edit: what is a "basic right" supposed to be, anyway? I missed that day in philosophy class.

a right against "unreasonable search and seizure" applies at all times, including travel.

Is the search "reasonable"? I personally don't think so, given that it's more symbolism than substance.

But there is a right to be "unimpeded" to some extent. To say otherwise is disingenuous.

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#257

Post by riffic »

dang wrote: post #172
sneak wrote: post #31

7) Hang all responsible for the creation and continued funding of the TSA from low branches in the middle of Central Park. The loss of life will be a tiny, tiny, tiny fraction of the person-hours burned by the meaningless and expensive folly that is airport security theater, I assure you.

Please don't. We detached this comment from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11611215 and marked it off-topic.

Afraid of an NSL?

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#258

Post by gcb0 »

tehwebguy wrote: post #25

Here's an awesome TSA story for you: Late last year while trying to fly out of LAX a TSA employee thought I was carrying a throwing star. They called the police, who correctly identified as a toy in seconds. I thought the whole ordeal was over until I got a "notice of violation" in the mail from TSA 45 days later. Now I'm banned from pre-check for three years, even though I have global entry and even though the fine…

serve you good for giving up your freedom for a little convenience (paying TSA bribe: pre-check). I have no simpathy for you :(

do what you must. bite the bullet on 1h plus for security, and opt out of the undocumented scanner.

your country thank you.

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#259

Post by serge2k »

kogepathic wrote: post #205
firebird84 wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That sounds about right. I married a foreigner - costs $1500 and about 6 months to process the paperwork that lets her stay. I got sticker shock when I first learned that. I've never before seen government fees that high.

> costs $1500 and about 6 months to process the paperwork that lets her stay Really not cool. Probably justify it by saying it takes a lot of time to process paperwork (that they created the requirement for in the first place...) Did you know that it also now costs $2350 for someone to renounce their US citizenship? It also takes an undefined amount of time (typically 12+ months) and they publish your name online on…

Because people were renouncing to avoid the IRS, since US tax laws are completely screwed up.

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#260

Post by JimboOmega »

WildUtah wrote: post #222
CaptainZapp wrote: post #24

This, in combination with American airports being completely ignorant to the transit concept must cost American airline companies dozens, if not hundreds of millions a year in lost revenues. Case in point: if I want to to fly from Zurich to Lima I have essentially two choices: I can connect either in Amsterdam, or in Madrid. Madrids legal connection time is 55 minutes max (on Iberia). In AMS on KLM it's a maximum of…

AeroMexico has a monopoly on flights from Latin America to Asia. (Technically, you can fly from Brazil to Abu Dhabi or something, but only AM goes to east Asia.) The AM flights run from Mexico City to Narita (a third-tier city in Japan) and Shanghai, usually on 787s. They may add Peking. Similar services are available connecting through LAX, SFO, or DFW and those are often faster if you're going to other Asian cities…

Narita is the main airport for international flights to Tokyo. It's a bit of a hike to Tokyo proper, but there's a dedicated train.

Anyway, I would imagine there are a lot of travelers (business, in particular) sensitive to time but not so much to price, for whom a direct flight is worth a few hundred $ - there was a solid market for the concord, remember.

Anyway saving the connection, and a "normal" customs/security experience is probably the bigger factor.

Incidentally, compare prices for flights to Vancouver and Seattle sometime.

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