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TSA's New $45 Fee at U.S. Airports Unfairly Punishes Families in the Fine Print

(www.thetravel.com)
15 points stn8188 | 1 comments | 03 Dec 25 18:30 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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stn8188 ◴[03 Dec 25 18:36 UTC] No.46138181[source]▶
I think this was already discussed recently, but I find this quote in the article very interesting:

"Passengers don't listen, a lot of them think the TSA is a joke. The fines are a way to enforce the rules for the REAL ID," the former TSA officer told TheTravel.

I've got one very concrete reason why I do think the TSA is a joke. They list a Veterans Affairs health ID card as valid ID even after this new Real ID rule. Despite that, I was forced to go thru "extra screening" in Austin because a bunch of agents were not aware of this (even though I had a print out of the website). Even in the TSA press release announcing this new fee still lists the VA ID as sufficient, but I'll forever just recall the complete lack of professionalism and knowledge of these agents.

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petcat ◴[03 Dec 25 18:39 UTC] No.46138230[source]▶
How can a VA health ID card be considered a valid ID? Maybe a supplemental ID, but I can't imagine it would be allowed as a primary ID for TSA screening.
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TimorousBestie ◴[03 Dec 25 18:43 UTC] No.46138275[source]▶
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification

It’s right there, last bullet point.

Typically, in the states, veterans are presumed to be less of a safety risk and receive preferential treatment at all sorts of venues.

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1. jtbayly ◴[03 Dec 25 18:52 UTC] No.46138400{3}[source]▶
But the entire point of the law is to prevent you from pretending to be somebody you aren't. So this defeats the purpose, unless the whole thing is security theater... which it is.