(no subject)

[ricevermicelli]

It turns out that my name appears on some government list that requires the airline to call over a state copy to clear me to get on a plane, and then to search me and anyone with me and any luggage attached to me or my companions with special care and attention before letting us board. It's unclear whether the name on the list is my initial and last name (annoying and indicative of lots of people getting harassed for no good reason), or my rather unique full legal name (well past annoying).

For reasons too illogical to articulate, this has reinforced my determination to vote for Kerry.

Anyway, we're home. It's nice. I planted a bunch of tulips this afternoon, and will have to get the rest next week after we get back from Ohio.

The cats did a lot of protest vomiting while we were away, but now they're demure lumps of contentment. They would like us to believe that they've never puked in their lives. They would also like us to believe that they haven't been fed in weeks.

Comments

airport airheads

[c-a-s-t-r-o.livejournal.com]

hey i know what you mean. alittle bit after 9-11, i started getting held up at the security checkpoints. i mean, to the point that they were rooting about in my shoes. maybe it's the fact that my last name is castro. maybe it's because some guy at my job thought i looked arabic (i'm actually not). i know they train these people to look out for terrorist, but i'm anything but! i fought in afghanistan against the terrorists, for crying out loud!

[herooftheage.livejournal.com]

For reasons too illogical to articulate, this has reinforced my determination to vote for Kerry.

I don't see what is illogical about it. The buck stops there, as Harry Truman meant; and this system is nutty. See http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/20/lewis.watchlist/ for how bad it is: senators and congressmen can't get themselves off the damned watch list - what chance do you have?

I suspect you can't even get them to tell you why you're on it, Freedom Of Information Act notwithstanding.

[alexx-kay.livejournal.com]

You can't even find out the contents of some of the relevant *laws* at the moment:
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,57276,00.html

strategy

[patrissimo.livejournal.com]

Most of the reports about this phenomenon which I've read have said that people are able to beat the system by using variations of their name. ie adding or removing or varying the middle initial/name avoids the problem. I don't see any real downside, so its probably worth trying.

Re: strategy

[ricevermicelli.livejournal.com]

Based on this past weekend's flying, it's the name on my passport (first name, middle name, maiden name, married name) that's on the watchlists, but the name on my driver's license (first, one middle initial, and married last name) is not. I checked in electronically and strolled to the gate with minimal interruption.

So I wonder what the hell all that is about.

Re: strategy

[patrissimo.livejournal.com]

woah...I'd heard that adding *more* specificity generally removed the problem...but given the uniqueness of your passport name, this raises the question of whether its specifically *you* on the watchlist. very odd. But at least you have a solution.

[sunspiral.livejournal.com]

Welcome Back! ::smooch::