Comments on: TSA To Demand Every Traveler’s First/Last Name, Blood Type and First-Born Child http://www.vagabondish.com/tsa-to-demand-every-travelers-firstlast-name-blood-type-and-first-born-child/ Dubious tips & essential ephemera for today's curious traveler Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:37:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: whitey http://www.vagabondish.com/tsa-to-demand-every-travelers-firstlast-name-blood-type-and-first-born-child/comment-page-1/#comment-7712 whitey Sun, 24 Aug 2008 22:16:48 +0000 http://www.vagabondish.com/tsa-to-demand-every-travelers-firstlast-name-blood-type-and-first-born-child/#comment-7712 You posters just don't get it yet. The people doing business as the government of the US are dishonest, reprobates who are in the process of doing here what they helped to do to Russia during the Bolshevik revolution. Most of you will probably never get it as you spend too much time engaging in "entertainment" activities rather than being responsible adults just like your parents and grand parents. Thanks for dragging the rest of the responsible population down. Now go back to your TV! You posters just don’t get it yet. The people doing business as the government of the US are dishonest, reprobates who are in the process of doing here what they helped to do to Russia during the Bolshevik revolution. Most of you will probably never get it as you spend too much time engaging in “entertainment” activities rather than being responsible adults just like your parents and grand parents. Thanks for dragging the rest of the responsible population down. Now go back to your TV!

]]> By: Jacob (Fusiler) http://www.vagabondish.com/tsa-to-demand-every-travelers-firstlast-name-blood-type-and-first-born-child/comment-page-1/#comment-4627 Jacob (Fusiler) Tue, 11 Dec 2007 20:39:47 +0000 http://www.vagabondish.com/tsa-to-demand-every-travelers-firstlast-name-blood-type-and-first-born-child/#comment-4627 Thanks for drawing more attention to an increasingly serious issue! TSA and DHS don't have the manpower to screen people individually. What they need is for the information to be processed through a database in order to look for patterns, and to positively match you. Thus, while an individual may be able to figure out that "Peter" is a male by looking at you, their databases cannot. It also creates a more accurate file through which to track you. For example, while there may be 10,000 "Jamie Johnsons" that fly this year, only 2 were born on the 27 of July, 1972, and only 1 is a woman. And, perhaps only one is flagged as a threat. DHS has dumped a lot of stock into automated "profiling" systems. While I am a fan of profiling, I don't think its automation is a smart move. In order to look more into this, do a search on CAPPS II and its history. There are some MIT researchers that found the "mathematics" behind automated passenger screening leave our airports--ultimately--more vulnerable than with manual random screening. I don't understand the last statement, "no prizes for guessing where this opposition comes from." I can think of three completely different groups that could be vehemently opposing or supporting this for a wide variety of reasons. Who is opposing this, specifically? Thanks for drawing more attention to an increasingly serious issue!

TSA and DHS don’t have the manpower to screen people individually. What they need is for the information to be processed through a database in order to look for patterns, and to positively match you. Thus, while an individual may be able to figure out that “Peter” is a male by looking at you, their databases cannot.

It also creates a more accurate file through which to track you. For example, while there may be 10,000 “Jamie Johnsons” that fly this year, only 2 were born on the 27 of July, 1972, and only 1 is a woman. And, perhaps only one is flagged as a threat.

DHS has dumped a lot of stock into automated “profiling” systems. While I am a fan of profiling, I don’t think its automation is a smart move. In order to look more into this, do a search on CAPPS II and its history. There are some MIT researchers that found the “mathematics” behind automated passenger screening leave our airports–ultimately–more vulnerable than with manual random screening.

I don’t understand the last statement, “no prizes for guessing where this opposition comes from.” I can think of three completely different groups that could be vehemently opposing or supporting this for a wide variety of reasons. Who is opposing this, specifically?

]]> By: Mike http://www.vagabondish.com/tsa-to-demand-every-travelers-firstlast-name-blood-type-and-first-born-child/comment-page-1/#comment-4621 Mike Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:00:46 +0000 http://www.vagabondish.com/tsa-to-demand-every-travelers-firstlast-name-blood-type-and-first-born-child/#comment-4621 I'm 100% with you, Peter. If people feel they have any modicum of privacy over their "first and last names, birth date and gender", they're crazy. I’m 100% with you, Peter. If people feel they have any modicum of privacy over their “first and last names, birth date and gender”, they’re crazy.

]]> By: Peter http://www.vagabondish.com/tsa-to-demand-every-travelers-firstlast-name-blood-type-and-first-born-child/comment-page-1/#comment-4620 Peter Tue, 11 Dec 2007 17:28:51 +0000 http://www.vagabondish.com/tsa-to-demand-every-travelers-firstlast-name-blood-type-and-first-born-child/#comment-4620 I think TSA would be able to figure my gender by looking at me and guess my age within a few years. I feel better when the passengers on my flight have been thoroughly vetted. This is a lot less info required than a driver's license application. So I have no problem with giving the additional info. I think TSA would be able to figure my gender by looking at me and guess my age within a few years. I feel better when the passengers on my flight have been thoroughly vetted. This is a lot less info required than a driver’s license application. So I have no problem with giving the additional info.

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