Market Ticker recently made a point about terrorists and TSA. Denninger is an angry man but he does make good points to be angry about sometimes and makes them with some simple thinking and language:
"If the terrorist is actually intelligent, which seems to be a rare commodity among humans in the first place, he will simply waltz into the line you are putting up with that is two hours long and blow himself up there, killing you dead without ever being screened!"
That would make people in line fidget. That of course is cause for TSA behavioral screening attention! Then there would have to be a different kind of Pre-Check outside the airport to gain stand-off ability. Done in an area were the damage to large numbers of travelers could be minimized.
On a recent flight I was given a boarding pass with the Pre-check logo on it. I walked directly up to the bag conveyor while hundreds of people were slowly winding their way toward it. Why did I get a Pre-check. Seems they are handed out to trusted travelers by the selection of the airlines that probably comply with some type of TSA criteria for them to do that.
Otherwise is costs to get the official approval and certification of Pre-Check. Its is good marketing for the line standers to see others zipping through. Maybe there were not enough "others" that had paid the price of Pre and the marketers needed some selected warm bodies to create a business market consumer desire tipping point.
It is a pay for privilege business model. That is ok. First Class pays for privilege. There are so many applications of the business model to charge for a privilege that is only available for a fee. Otherwise just be one of the inconvenienced masses. Might marketing be tempted to make the masses even more inconvenienced to increase revenue by pay to privilege. To be treated better than the commoners? Hmm......like creating long lines intentionally? Would that be good business practice? Well....yes! It is managing the market.
A google News search of TSA Pre-Check selecting the past week time frame reveals what might be an orchestrated medial effort to promote it for summer travel. For Example
NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) --
The TSA will encourage travelers at Newark Liberty Airport to enroll
in its pre-check program, one of several measures the agency is
promoting to ease security lines before the summer travel season.I could pay for a great number of privileges. Live in a gated community. Be driven to my private club, etc. Not my lifestyle nor how I chose to spend my money. I prefer the status that money does not buy and expect the common class treatment to be acceptable.
Regarding the TSA Pre-check it has the smell of "being more American and certified by the state to be trusted not to be a terrorist because the state has a record of my trustworthyness that elevates me above my fellow citizens.
That in fact was true. In the navy I was cleared beyond Top Secret. Full BI. Higher ranking career officer. I wondered while zipping through the TSA on Pre-check if that had anything to do with it. No, probably not. Just meeting some low bar criteria applied at random to select some passengers. I got it once or twice before.
My certification of having served once before gets me 10% off at Home Depot and free or reduced entrance to some places that carries with me in the form of a card that says I qualify.
Aside from the marketing manipulation to select some to be given a Pre-check freebie without paying the price to get a permanent one, everybody has the opportunity to pay for the security check to become privileged and join the exclusive true Certfied Red White and Blue card carrying member of of the Trusted American Club. Other privileges might be attached to that. Like going to the head of the voting line?
I simple recoil from the whole idea of ranking privilege. I had it before for a reason of good order in a very authoritarian structure. Necessary. Now? I draw no more patriotic water than the next citizen. Australia has an admirable standard of Egalitarianism. That is not an attributed valued except by lip service here.
Screen em all....might like the NSA motto of total information capture be the motto of TSA. The NSA also screens them all internally. How's that work for you NSA?
If passports were subject to security clearance like the military system of classification then some citizens would be worthy of a higher level security rating than others just cleared for Confidential or simply failing to qualify for any clearance that must take a security ID test every time they enter a secure area. Like civilians entering a military base.
Perhaps citizens that pay for a full BI should get a salute when they pass thru the TSA screening fast lane simply by flashing their passport and submitting to a biometric identity check and were wearing an Old Glory lapel pin?? Analogous to me driving thru the security gate at a military base by simply showing my ID and being saluted. More recently however there are cameras and license plate readers as well as hand held card readers at the entrance to assure security.
Civilian bicyclists can get on the list to pass through Camp Pendleton if they pre-register using their drivers license. It is a low level security check.
When almost everyone gets some kind of state approved security clearance everyone in the the unapproved entry at TSA will be "unclean" by definition. Maybe even Un-American until proven otherwise.
I could pay to be on the TSA Pre list and be an official approved traveler based on my clearance.
Somehow I would rather stand with the rest of my fellow citizens in the long line and be reminded of what we loose when we live in fear of each other and why we have reason to fear as a result of the policies and actions of our peace and freedom loving country.
http://www.theverge.com/2016/5/19/11705978/tsa-security-lines-checkpoint-flight-airport-travel
Global Entry is another way for true blue state certified travelers to go to the head of a line. In this case border entry customs entry expediting.
https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry
https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry/tsa-precheck
TSA Pre✓®
Global entry members are eligible to participate in
How It Works
If you are a Global Entry member or eligible NEXUS or SENTRI member, enter your membership number (PASS ID) in the “Known Traveler Number” field when booking reservations, or enter it into your frequent flyer profile with the airline. The membership number enables Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Secure Flight System to verify that you are a legitimate CBP Trusted Traveler and eligible to participate in
One site I found aimed at travel agents promoting both security systems supported the idea that Global Entry members should have a priority advantage line over Pre members. Short line for either class but probably looking ahead to when it is longer. 1st, 2nd and 3rd class segmentation based on risk of what? Un-Americanism? Not that is not the marketing spin to put on it. Probability of being a terrorist? Maybe what we need is profiling of who really is the most serious risk to security? Nut jobs maybe. Seriously mental cases.
The whole idea is headed for an elite preference system generating revenue. A standard business model of private clubs. Members only. Pay to play.
Benefits of Global Entry
Benefits for Global Entry Members
Your time is valuable. As a pre-screened Global Entry member, you arrive in the United States, check-in at the Global Entry kiosk and you're on your way. So what are you waiting for?
Why You Should Join
Your time is valuable. As a pre-screened Global Entry member, you arrive in the United States, check-in at the Global Entry kiosk and you're on your way. So what are you waiting for?
Why You Should Join
- No processing lines
- No paperwork
- Access to expedited entry benefits in other countries
- Available at major U.S. airports
- Reduced wait times
- TSA Pre✓® Eligibility
Perhaps anyone with an official state system security classification cleared for secret or above should all be automatically given Pre and Global. Or make their employing government agency pay for it because their time is so valuable to the government.
I can see a marketing pitch to big business to pay the entry to the "cleared trusted club" for their employees because company time is valuable. That would probably be the biggest source of revenue resulting in more suits in the short lines.
There are, of course, biometric ID verification systems associated with the state sponsored trusted traveler security system to prove traveler identity. Now being tested for CPB border entry. When tested and implemented just how long might it be before the same system is applied to Pre-Check at airports to fly domestically? Not long I am sure. The result is a citizen biometric test state certification identification to travel... by choice of the citizen of course, not mandated. All others wait in the long suspect to be unworthy until tested and scanned.
https://www.cbp.gov/travel/biometric-security-initiatives
"SUPPORTING MATERIALS FOR BIOMETRIC TRAVEL SECURITY INITIATIVES
- Public Notice: Test to Collect Biometric Information at Up to Ten U.S. Airports ("Be-Mobile Air Test")
- Press Release: CBP Begins Testing an Enhanced Handheld Mobile Device to Collect Biometric Exit Data (7/14/2015)
- Biometic Exit - Mobile Air Project Fact Sheet
- Biometric Exit - Mobile Air Project Tear Sheet
- Public Notice: CBP Test To Collect Biometric Information at the Otay Mesa Port-of-Entry
- Press Release: CBP to Begin Biometric Entry/Exit Testing at Otay Mesa Port of Entry (10/15/2015)
- Pedestrian Exit Test - Otay Mesa Fact Sheet
- Pedestrian Exit Test - Otay Mesa Fact Sheet (Spanish)
- Pedestrian Exit Test - Otay Mesa Tear Sheet
- Pedestrian Exit Test - Otay Mesa Tear Sheet (Spanish)
- Privacy Impact Assessment for Southwest Border Pedestrian Exit Field Test
- Press Release: CBP to begin Deploying Facial Comparison Technology at JFK International Airport (01/19/2016)
- Technology upon Entry: 1-to-1 Facial Comparison Project Fact Sheet
- Technology upon Entry: 1-to-1 Facial Comparison Project Tear Sheet
- Privacy Impact Assessment for 1-to-1 Facial Comparison Project
- Congressional Testimony on Biometric Security Initiatives
The price fee for the Pre-Check application: $85. If it is run like a drivers license or license plate renewal system then there is a periodic renewal price. Don't know how long a clearance lasts but renewal requirement is a good revenue plan and catches converts to the dark side. At any given time clearance can be canceled for outstanding warrants, etc.
https://www.loungebuddy.com/blog/tsa-pre-check-ultimate-guide/ :
Apply to TSA Pre-check
As a law-abiding* US citizen, US national, or Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), you may be eligible for TSA Pre-Check. In order to apply, you must pay the non-refundable fee of $85, provide information that would allow the TSA to conduct a background check (i.e. fingerprints, SSN, etc.), and visit an enrollment center. You can either pre-enroll online or simply walk in to an enrollment center. (Find locations here) Since approximately 2000 people apply to TSA Pre-Check on a daily basis, it may be advisable to make an appointment to avoid long waiting times.In order to determine your eligibility for Pre-Check, the TSA uses your fingerprints to check against law enforcement, immigration, and intelligence databases. In addition, your name is checked against the government watch list and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's list of individuals who are not allowed to travel due to health concerns. The TSA alone is in charge of determining who is eligible for Pre-Check, and any type of legal infractions, ranging from criminal convictions to being caught with a loaded firearm at an airport checkpoint, may disqualify you.
I contend that increasingly over time citizens entering security choke points like airports will be required to undergo a security clearance certification process, not unlike the official government security clearance system. In addition biometric ID will be required for entry.
That will be a security system not unlike our credit card system. Ultimately all such requirements will converge on their systemic need to manage, know and identify the objects of the security system and their relationships to whatever is selected as critical. Relationship to the subjects money or level of trust in relationship to whatever is deemed to be necessary for whatever reasons.
Total information. Total control. It is for the good of us all.
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