Babies Caught Up in 'No-Fly' Confusion

[Judi Lynn]

Babies Caught Up in 'No-Fly' Confusion
By LESLIE MILLER, Associated Press Writer

Monday, August 15, 2005
(08-15) 12:00 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

Infants have been stopped from boarding planes at airports throughout the U.S. because their names are the same as or similar to those of possible terrorists on the government's "no-fly list."

It sounds like a joke, but it's not funny to parents who miss flights while scrambling to have babies' passports and other documents faxed.

Ingrid Sanden's 1-year-old daughter was stopped in Phoenix before boarding a flight home to Washington at Thanksgiving.

"I completely understand the war on terrorism, and I completely understand people wanting to be safe when they fly," Sanden said. "But focusing the target a little bit is probably a better use of resources."
(snip/...)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/08/15/national/w115806D06.DTL

[KamaAina]

1. Freeze! Drop the pacifier! NOW!!

But seriously, folks, doesn't the dreaded no-fly list have any useful identifying info, like age, that could be used to rule out a 1-year-old as a flippin' terraist?!

[Eugene]

3. No. The list doesn't even specify gender. n/t

[KamaAina]

10. Oh thank you. I feel ever so much safer now.

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[sakabatou]

11. I'll bet they even stop dead people from boarding

[malmapus]

2. Hey I saw F9/11 and know how dangerous breast milk is!!!

Gotta watch those infants and their mommies!

[Roland99]

4. Hey, I've changed diapers that could be considered WMDs!!

[Megahurtz]

5. For Sure!

x(

[meganmonkey]

6. Oh good lord.

:banghead:

[AngryAmish]

7. I'm on the no-fly list

I have a very common Irish name. All it means is I can't do the electronic check-in. I have yet to get the real thorough, roto-rooter, don't stop untill you feel the back of his teeth- type search from the TSA.

[MercutioATC]

8. There's a guy at work who's on the do-not-fly list...

...apparently he has the same exact name and birthdate as somebody who's been convicted of multiple felonies.

The funny part? He's an air traffic controller. He can't get on an airplane because he's a threat but he can tell dozens of planes where to fly...

[Jacobin]

9. They did that to my 14 year old son a month ago

Demanded ID....didn't have any except a library card.

They called some number to let him on the plane and then suggested that he use his MIDDLE NAME INSTEAD OF HIS FIRST NAME TO FOOL THE SYSTEM!!!!

[DRoseDARs]

12. TSA agents are people too; they see firsthand the bullshit daily. n/t

[kestrel91316]

20. You haven't seen fun until you have seen how they treat

me when I make a return flight (one-way) from someplace. Blond hair, blue eyes, female, American-born medical professional, slender with tailored fitting clothes (no where to hide a bomb) - they don't care. I may as well be Mohammed Atta himself. They do everything but strip search me. Meanwhile they don't even look at swarthy young men with bulky jackets on the same flight, who huddle together whispering to each other and pacing nervously.

You'd think they would have figured out by now that the terrorists will buy round-trip tickets in the future just to avoid atracting attention.

[Rainscents]

13. Now baby is on the terror list? Whats next, dogs and cats?

[Spinzonner]

14. Well, they are using suicide canines in Iraq

are you saying it can't happen here ?

(Don't get me started on sociopathic cats :-)

[Rainscents]

15. LOL...

:P

[reprobate]

16. Airline securit y is so screwed up I detect Mad George's hand in this.

It's also why I refuse to fly anymore.

[saigon68]

18. Its like "FEELING UP" 82 year old grandmothers for finger nail clippers.

I don't "FLY" anymore they can kiss my ass.

[Judi Lynn]

17. Kick.

:kick: :kick: :kick:

[Greylyn58]

19. I have never been a heavy flier

but I have to say I don't think I will fly anywhere in the future because of all the hoops a person has to jump through just to board a plane.

I realize that these people in the airport are just doing their jobs, but come on...a baby's name is on a "no fly list"--How much brain power does it take to figure out that they are not the suspected terrorist in question??

I mean really?? :crazy:

[tibbir]

21. I'm on the no fly list but there is a potential solution

to the aggravation of having to check in at the ticket counter.

I got om touch with the TSA Contact Center and request a Passenger Identity Verification Form to settle the identification problems you face at the airport ahead of time.

You have fill out some personal information and then enclose copies of 3 types of identification. I submitted (notarized) copies of my passport, drivers license and voters registration card. You mail it to the TSA and shortly after that most of the hassles at the airport are taken care of.

I still can't check in from my home computer but I can get my boarding pass electronically at the airport. The only difference is I have to swipe my drivers license as well as a credit card for identification.

It's a royal pain in the but to fix this but it beats standing in line at the counter.