Your Tax Dollars At Work

[filkertom]

The US terror watchlist, which airlines around the world are supposed to check passenger names against, is 80,000 names long. So you might want to bring an extra donut for standing in line. Oy.

Comments

[unclelumpy.livejournal.com]

Gee, who knew so many people hated us?

[johno.livejournal.com]

He has a very common muslum first and last name, he used to joke about being the John Smith of Islam.

However, that name is now on the list, so everytime he flys, arrives 2-3 hours early, becasue he *knows* he's going to be asked to step aside and talk to someone.

He even has letters from the TSA and other agencies, but 50% of the time they are ignored. At least no has accused him of fruad yet.

Needless to say, he doesn't fly nearly as often anymore.

[palenoue.livejournal.com]

Two thoughts on the list:

1) 2,000 people were hassled at just one airport because their names were similar to those on the list? And all of them were eventually allowed to travel? That should be proof positive that the list is nothing more than a waste of time and money.

2) If you could access the list and know you'd never be caught, who's name would you put on it, knowing you'd be condemming them to a life of interrogation, strip searches and missed flights?

Talk to you later
PAL

[partiallyclips.livejournal.com]

Things I adore about that list:

-It's not published

-Names get put on that list without any form of due process

-There is no "list of things that get you put on the list" published either

-There is no appeal process for getting off the list

-If anyone HAS gotten off the list, I've never heard about it

Dude, where's my country?

[r-caton.livejournal.com]

Going to Hell in a Handbasket of course....right behind ours. Signal when you overtake y'hear?

[arensb.livejournal.com]

If anyone HAS gotten off the list, I've never heard about it.

I believe Ted Kennedy managed to, in only a few weeks. No word on how long it might take for someone who isn't a senator with seniority out the wazoo.

[braider.livejournal.com]

They can use a computer to check it. Not a big deal.

[kengr]

They *do* use a computer.

The wasted time isn't in looking up the names. It's in what they have to do when there's a "match".

[braider.livejournal.com]

Ah, right, that.

With luck, they'll at least start putting in DOBs so that babies with a "bad" name aren't held, as they have been a number of times.

[arensb.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but what are the odds of there being two Tom Smiths? You should be fine. (Unless, of course, Archibald Tuttle is wanted for terrorism, in which case all bets are off.)