[EL] boarding plane without showing ID

[Jerald Lentini]

I assume this comes up in the context of Justin Levitt's testimony (as
reported by TPM - http://bit.ly/nKzCSQ):

*"'To get to you today, I had to board a plan from Los Angeles and never
showed a photo ID. While waiting in the terminal, I drank a beer... I never
showed ID,' Levitt said. 'To testify before you today, I walked right into
this federal building and never showed ID.'"
*
When I read that, I just assumed it was a technically accurate but
misleading statement: in my experience, I'm never asked for a photo ID
before boarding the plane (i.e. at the gate), but I am always asked for it
before entering the terminal (i.e. at the security screening checkpoint).

However, upon checking the TSA website (http://1.usa.gov/2jtklg), it appears
that identification is a requirement-with-an-asterisk:

*"Adult passengers (18 and over) are required to show a U.S. federal or
state-issued photo ID in order to be allowed to go through the checkpoint
and onto their flight. *

*"We understand passengers occasionally arrive at the airport without an ID,
due to lost items or inadvertently leaving them at home. Not having an ID,
does not necessarily mean a passenger won’t be allowed to fly. If passengers
are willing to provide additional information, we have other means of
substantiating someone’s identity, like using publicly available databases.*

*"Passengers who are cleared through this process may be subject to
additional screening.**"*
It may well be, therefore, that Prof. Levitt was allowed to go through
security without providing a photo ID.

-JR Lentini



On Fri, Sep 9, 2011 at 1:21 AM, Doug Hess <douglasrhess at gmail.com> wrote:

> Several people have mentioned boarding a plane without showing a govt
> ID. I guess I always just show mine, but I would swear they do ask for
> it. They certainly do examine it closely, even shining some kind of
> little flashlight on it (I assume to check the material in the
> background of the ID for authenticity, like checking a $20 bill with
> one of those special pens).
>
> Are people who don't show IDs just boarding at sloppy airports, or are
> you able to refuse to show your ID without getting into trouble or
> facing delays?
>
> Doug Hess
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