The following account was emailed to me by my friend Fran. He has since followed up that he was able to board using his Costco card as ID on his return flight. Just more evidence that TSA's motive is not to protect us from the bad guys, but to keep the Sheeple in line to further dissensitize them to this kind of encroachment on their rights.
Since they're doing this at airports and train terminals now and are putting it in place on busses, it's only a matter of time (I give it ten years or less) before they've set up border checkpoints at state lines (ala California) and maybe even at major cities.
You can read this, along with more good comments, at Rense.comThis is my first person encounter with TSA - (AKA Homeland Security) at the Boise airport of 3/2/06.
Today, when I arrived at the airport, I was in line at the Delta ticket counter for 25 minutes. During that time, 3 passengers got in line behind me. All three appeared to be between the age of 20-25, two males and one female, all Hispanic. I believe they were Mexican but have no way to be certain. They did not respond to questions or comments in English from me or Delta employees.
On 3 occasions, Delta employees told them they had to have Identification to fly. Not one of them had any. The Delta employee said "not anything with your name on it?... even a Costco card?" To which the response was no from all three people.
I had no idea that a Costco card was a valid ID at the airports now and wondered why they were not immediately referred to the TSA people and maybe even held for INS agents.
When I got to the ticket counter, I asked my agent, "can I fly without an ID today?" He shot me a glare and said "No."
I asked, "What if I am an illegal alien? Then can I fly without an ID, today?" He said no.
I said, "Well, those three appear to be Mexican illegals and have told the other agent 3 times that they don't have any ID. She sure seems to be trying awfully hard to get them on a plane." He did not say anything else to me or any other agents.
Because I had a firearm to declare, I was sent with my luggage to the Homeland security "scanning station", where they rifle through my clothes, swab my suitcase for traces of bomb components, and then send the bag through an x-ray machine.
I asked the TSA agent, "Are you guys letting illegal aliens fly with no ID today?" He answered, "No, why?"
"Because there are three of them at the Delta counter and the agent is trying to do everything possible to get them on the plane. Isn't Homeland Security supposed to do anything about that? Don't you have some kind of protocol when you come across illegal aliens?"
He said, "If we have some, all we can do is hand them over to INS."
I pointed at the group and said, "Well, I believe there are 3 of them right there." His reply was, "Well, my lips are sealed."
I said, "That's the problem. Too damn many people's lips are sealed. I thought the whole idea of having 40 of your guys at the airport was to stop illegal aliens." He did not answer and didn't say another word to me.
Next, I went through the check point, into the "secure area".
"I'd like to fly without an ID today" I said. The TSA agent, shot me a glance and said, "What? You can't get in without an ID."
I said, "Well, I saw some illegal aliens who are trying to do it today." She made an attempt at humor and said, "Oh yeah? Were they green with antennas?"
I replied, "No, they were brown, in their twenties, and spoke Spanish only. They are coming right behind me, you can meet them yourself." -
"Well, no one can get past here without ID."
I walked on, "OK, then". As I walked to the gate, the whole incident continued to agitate me. I had to put my computer in a bucket, empty my pockets, check my gun, take off my shoes, show my credit card, show my passport, and walk through a magnetometer, all in the name of "security".
As I approached the gate, I dialed 911. I immediately thought better of it and decided to let it go. I hung up. Within a few steps, my phone rang. "Crap!" I thought. The call had gone through and they had my phone number.
So, I answered and a woman said, "Emergency services, 911... did you just call 911, sir?" "Umm, yes, but I hung up."
"Is there an emergency situation sir?"
"I'm not sure. I'm at the airport and it seems like some illegal aliens are trying to board a plane. Is that an emergency?"
"You should report that to airport TSA officers."
"I have. In fact I told 3 different ones. Nobody seemed to care or do anything about it."
"Are you at the airport now, sir?"
"Yes I am. In fact, I am boarding right now and need to hang up my phone. These 3 people appear Mexican, 20-25 yrs old, 2 men and a woman, and are in the Delta terminal at the Boise airport. I have to hang up now." And I hung up the phone.
Five minutes after I took my seat, one of the two Hispanic men sat next to me. Perfect. So now, I can say as a matter of FACT, not speculation, that the TSA presence at our airports, the unified powers that were sooo necessary and were one of the big reasons for the passage of the USA PATRIOT ACT are a total sham. A waste of money and nothing but a show, to make people "feel" better, when in fact they do nothing but cost us more, put airports under federal control, and create a police state at public transit areas. I am good and irritated and I can say, from my own first hand experience, that they do NOT do what they said was necessary to keep us "safe." Fran Tully
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