Um...wow.

Arundel Pajo · Post by **Arundel Pajo** » January 12, 2004, 2:32 pm

US to probe background of all air travellers.

The US is going ahead with implementation of a databse system containing background info on all airline passengers. Buy a ticket, have a check done on you, and into the system you go. This, apparently, is in addition to the now-required fingerprint and mugshot of all persons entering the us via airlines.

Fizzlewhip · Post by **Fizzlewhip** » January 12, 2004, 3:05 pm

My ex-wife reported to me that in order for her, her boyfriend, and my daughter to fly over here from England now, she has to go to London, to the embassy and fill in a ton of paperwork, get fingerprinted, photographed, an HOPE they approve it before she can come over on a tourist visa.

All of this will cost 68 pounds each, (which I will pay). Not sure if I like the added security, or if i hate the 204 pounds (nearly 350 dollars) I will have to dish out to see my daughter. (She won't let daughter fly alone, and I don't feel like arguing with her...so I am giving her and her BF a free vacation.)

Ashur · Post by **Ashur** » January 12, 2004, 3:22 pm

Fizzlewhip wrote:(She won't let daughter fly alone, and I don't feel like arguing with her...so I am giving her and her BF a free vacation.)

That sucks

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » January 12, 2004, 3:45 pm

Don't you have a legal right to live in the same city as your kid? Most states won't let a divorced person with custody move too far away unless the husband has no visitation priviledges at all. You should litigate because she's obviously blackmailing you.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » January 12, 2004, 3:58 pm

a problem could be that his ex-wife's citizenship status was compromised by her divorce, necessitating her move back to the UK.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » January 12, 2004, 4:05 pm

In that case shouldn't the husband be granted custody if the kid was born on US soil.

I don't know this guy's entire story but you should consult a lawyer or something.

Psyloche · Post by **Psyloche** » January 12, 2004, 4:44 pm

Yeah that sounds like a pretty shitty situation. Although I won't deny feeling a bit safer with background checks.

Siji · Post by **Siji** » January 12, 2004, 5:16 pm

Arundel Pajo wrote:The US is going ahead with implementation of a databse system containing background info on all airline passengers. Buy a ticket, have a check done on you, and into the system you go. This, apparently, is in addition to the now-required fingerprint and mugshot of all persons entering the us via airlines.

Not quite, if I'm reading correctly..

The government will require airlines and air travel booking companies to let officials see passenger records, the newspaper said. Passengers through U.S. airports would be scored with a number and a color that ranks their perceived threat to the aircraft they are traveling on, the paper said.

It only says that officials will be allowed to see your passenger records. However, it doesn't say anything on how that number and color will be generated, from the next sentence.

A separate program is due to be launched this year that would give frequent fliers quicker passage through security checks if they volunteer personal information to the government, the newspaper said.

Key word here is "volunteer" personal information..

Arundel Pajo · Post by **Arundel Pajo** » January 12, 2004, 5:55 pm

Siji wrote:
Arundel Pajo wrote:The US is going ahead with implementation of a databse system containing background info on all airline passengers. Buy a ticket, have a check done on you, and into the system you go. This, apparently, is in addition to the now-required fingerprint and mugshot of all persons entering the us via airlines.
Not quite, if I'm reading correctly..

Yup - it does apply to all passengers. Here's an older article from around the time the database system was proposed. It lays out in more detail exactly what this means:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,79849,00.html

Once you purchase a ticket, various aspects of your life are checked - including your credit history. Most passengers are then given a "green" rating. If you match a profile that is being checked for (i.e. paid for your ticket in cash, purchased a one-way ticket, are brown...etc), then you get a more thorough check and a different color rating...if you match the federal database of watched individuals, then you get an even more strenuous screening. Anything above green gets a fairly comprehensive check done on them.

Fizzlewhip · Post by **Fizzlewhip** » January 12, 2004, 8:52 pm

I have no one to blame but myself for the state of my visitation. But for S&G will let you in on it.

She is british. Daughter is us and british, born on a US air base in Germany (so technically she could have 3 citizenships)

Left the military, and lived in England for 3 years. Got divorced. I just couldn't handle living in England anymore. No offense, as it is a lovely country, I just really preferred to live in the states. (No, england was not the reason for my divorce

)

My daughter and ex wife have a great relationship, and she is a full time mother (she lives in counsel housing, gets child benefit, etc). And I don't fault her for the way she is raising my daughter. I talk to my daughter everyday anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Including reading (actually, I sent her a book, and kept a copy for myself and we take turns reading pages to each other nightly). I see her 2x a year, 4x when i can afford to bring her over here.

The problem is my ex-wife is TOO attached to my daughter. Her reasoning she won't send my daughter alone is "What if the plane crashed and she died, I wouldn't be able to live". Or something to that effect.

I make good money, and give almost 40% of it to my ex, so my daughter can have things in her life that I cannot provide. I am actually looking at bringing her mother over here permanently, but I am still thinking on that. I would basically take on the financial responsibility for her mother, as I would have to sponsor her.

vn_Tanc · Post by **vn_Tanc** » January 13, 2004, 6:38 am

I just couldn't handle living in England anymore

wtf

But on topic, I was planning on visiting all my friends in SF this year but if I hav eto jump through hoops and pay for the privelege of getting a visa then, frankly, fuck that for a game of soldiers.
So screw you USA you can do without my tourist dollah this year! And I spend money like a mad eejit when I'm on vacation

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » January 13, 2004, 9:18 am

Psyloche wrote:I won't deny feeling a bit safer with background checks.

Identity theft is trivial in the US, and even easier in many other parts of the world. This is to make people feel better. While it might flag a stupid terrorist, it will pass right over a smart one.

Psyloche · Post by **Psyloche** » January 13, 2004, 12:05 pm

Almost all the measures are to give people peace of mind. I'm sure a smart person could get away with a hell of a lot of stuff if they applied themselves.

Arborealus · Post by **Arborealus** » January 13, 2004, 1:32 pm

Very high potential for abuse...

Almost no utility...

Another "Your tax dollars at work" opportunity...

Is it just me or is all this "protection" beginning to feel a bit Germany 1930's?...And we all know we aren't safer...

....

Chidoro · Post by **Chidoro** » January 13, 2004, 2:01 pm

vn_Tanc wrote: So screw you USA you can do without my tourist dollah this year! And I spend money like a mad eejit when I'm on vacation

It's ridiculous to think how much tourist money the US may lose as a result of the inconveniences and expenses which are being put into effect. I know Manhattan is normally teeming w/ foreign visitors from Easter until the beginning of October. It will be interesting to see what it'll look like this year.

Keverian FireCry · Post by **Keverian FireCry** » January 13, 2004, 6:02 pm

they better not probe my "background" or i'll kick their "bakground"

Marbus · Post by **Marbus** » January 13, 2004, 8:30 pm

I'm 99.999% sure that database already exists

the real difference is they want to tie into it from remote and pull the records for random FBI agents etc... to view or have a computer rank them. While it sounds like a good money making opportunity to the data company that gets the business I can't say it makes me feel any more safe than I would otherwise. It's not like they are going to post the list so you can see if you are sitting next to a suspected terrorist or anything...

Marb

CalandraWindrose · Post by **CalandraWindrose** » January 15, 2004, 2:14 am

All this posturing and bs is doing little or nothing to make anyone safer

I work for an airline

I'm in airports all over the country 20 days a month

I see security holes you could drive a semi through often

if someone wants to do something they can and they will - period

is the casual non determined person deterred? sure

It is almost impossible to prevent someone from doing something - especially if they are willing to give their life in the execution.

Happy Flying!

VeeshanVault

Um...wow.

Um...wow.

Re: Um...wow.

Re: Um...wow.