TSA: Say your name

sba55

sba55

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sba55
When I am in doubt, I ask "How do you say your name"?

one example "Uda"
 
I had the "say your name" question at least twice, at SFO. My last name is actually pretty easy to say, phonetically. People just panic when they see all the letters.
 
It's worse now that they've started interrogations at a couple of airports.
 
Teller1900 said:
TSA: "Say 'I agree to a colonoscopy and a thorough trashing of my bag'."
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Sigh. They do the search and trash thing enough to me I may as well tweak their tail a little too.

The past two weeks I gave webinars instead of going to customer sites partly so I didn't have to deal with the TSA. WebEx is a good thing.
 
I guess if you need to look at your ID to figure out what your name is they get suspicious.
 
Matthew said:
What - they can't read?
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Yes, but ... they are hoping that the bad guys can't read, memorize, or think, either! I guess if one can't do something, it only makes sense to assume that the next guy is just as stupid :D

I think I'll write my name on a piece of paper and read it out aloud from it when asked. "Is that right?" :goofy:
 
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On a more serious note: How the heck are they going to determine a properly pronounced name? I can pronounce my name with either a Mexican or American accent naturally.

I've also heard the name "Koch" pronounced about 5 different ways by their owners.

--Carlos V.
 
I like the article that came out the other day: something along the lines of we're trying to be unpredictable in our procedures to keep the "terrorists" guessing. So, you're protecting us with your incompetence? :dunno:
 
Well, at least they're apparently trying to do something more logical than patting down little kids...a little Q&A session wouldn't bother me in the least, especially if I got to keep my shoes on.
I've heard that simple interrogation techniques are being used in other countries, and I support that- you can't read minds, but I suppose with the right questions, you can get a peek inside somebody's head. Most cops in the USA know how to do this, apparently... they have to, seeing as how they're not allowed to randomly do searches. And altlhough I've only been through US Customs once, years ago, I'm pretty sure those guys use similarly subtle tactics.

But I agree that due to the level of training and expertise typically shown by TSA agents (about a negative 3 on a scale of one to ten), the "say your name" thing is not going to work. For example,I've noticed that my name, which I used to think was as ordinary and recognizable as any Irish-American's, has become some sort of exotic rarity. It's most noticeable when dealing with government clerks and minimum-wage "security personnel". Most of them seem completely dumbfounded by it.
I probably could claim it's pronounced "Throatwarbler Mangrove" and they wouldn't know that it was wrong.
But maybe I'm wrong... this question could trip someone up, as has been pointed out. If I were the one asking the question, I'd pay less attention to how they pronounced it and more attention to their face and body language... especially if they were so poorly prepared as to look again at the ID to read the name, LOL!

Unfortunately, the team of hijackers who precipitated this whole circus were much, much better prepared than that. That's what really irks me- none of the measures in place now would prevent a repeat performance, because the security has not actually improved.
 
Names are easy. They should ask people to state their date of birth. I saw someone get caught by this when he tried to buy beer with someone else's ID. The cashier called the cops when the guy couldn't tell him the date of birth on 'his' driver's license.
 
When I flew out of Dallas Love Field couple weeks ago, he goes "Say your name", I just say first and last not thinking, he stares at me, and goes "say your full name"... I do.... They also threw a fit about how I sent my laptop through the machine....

Flying back from BWI, they didn't say a word. They also didnt throw a fit about the normal way I put stuff through the machines...
 
Hm...this is scary. I didn't think we would have these ignorant "yes please make my life more miserable in the name of fake security and political gain" on PoA. :( Politicians 1 : Citizens 0.
 
bigred177 said:
I like the article that came out the other day: something along the lines of we're trying to be unpredictable in our procedures to keep the "terrorists" guessing. So, you're protecting us with your incompetence?
Click to expand...

It's not just the terrorists they keep guessing. Have you ever noticed that every time a new TSA procedure comes out, we all sit around speculating on how it could actually do anything to improve safety?
 
I'm digging on the idea of my last name being pronounced "Smith."
 
Just tell them it's pronounced "Mohammed." :devil:
 
shenanigans said:
Names are easy. They should ask people to state their date of birth. I saw someone get caught by this when he tried to buy beer with someone else's ID. The cashier called the cops when the guy couldn't tell him the date of birth on 'his' driver's license.
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What complete idiot doesn't memorize the DOB of the fake ID they're using?

I also agree with the "It's not about the answer but how you give it" notion of this "test". It's about watching inflections in the face and general body language as the question hits as well as when they answer. People are much more simple in some ways than we care to consider. There are some very simple techniques to it that with a simple question, simply trained screeners would be able to have around a 70% chance of spotting a lie. Name is actually a perfect question here because it takes many of the complexities out of the picture.

Desmond Moore's "The Naked Ape" should be required reading.
 
Henning said:
What complete idiot doesn't memorize the DOB of the fake ID they're using?
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Don't forget that law enforcement benefits greatly for the stupidity of criminals.
 
I guess I didn't know that fake IDs were so big a problem at TSA airport checkpoints.

Reminds me of one of the questions I got at the Canadian border when I was heading there for a trip. The Canadian border guy asked a couple of basic questions like "what's in the car", "why are you here", then followed it up with "do you have any guns at home?" Best I can figure, he was just trying to see my reaction.
 
Henning said:
What complete idiot doesn't memorize the DOB of the fake ID they're using?
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I have no idea. I asked a bouncer that same question when he pulled the 'when were you born?' trick on me. He gave me a look for a couple seconds, then returned my ID and let me in.
 
Matthew said:
I guess I didn't know that fake IDs were so big a problem at TSA airport checkpoints.
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If you are on the "no fly" list (or have the same name as one of the thousands on the list) you buy tickets under a different name and print a fake bording pass to match your ID to get you past the "document checker". (Use the real boarding pass (that you printed on your own printer) to get on the airplane.)
 
Matthew said:
I guess I didn't know that fake IDs were so big a problem at TSA airport checkpoints.
Click to expand...

That's the elegance here, they aren't. That's why if someone falls under suspicion here, the most likely reason would be they are on the No Fly list.

The problem is not with the concept and idea, the problem lies in the implementation. If this is going to be effective, it can't be part of daily protocol (because it is simple to prepare for) and should be reserved for instances when you have a heightened credible threat. The question needs to come as a surprise to be effective.
 
"Leeloominaï Lekatariba Lamina-Tchaï Ekbat De Sebat"
From the movie Fifth Element

Or how about some of the character names from Terry Pratchet's Discworld series?
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
If you are on the "no fly" list (or have the same name as one of the thousands on the list) you buy tickets under a different name and print a fake bording pass to match your ID to get you past the "document checker". (Use the real boarding pass (that you printed on your own printer) to get on the airplane.)
Click to expand...

See - now you just gave it away! The terrorists have won.

Henning said:
That's the elegance here, they aren't. That's why if someone falls under suspicion here, the most likely reason would be they are on the No Fly list.

The problem is not with the concept and idea, the problem lies in the implementation. If this is going to be effective, it can't be part of daily protocol (because it is simple to prepare for) and should be reserved for instances when you have a heightened credible threat. The question needs to come as a surprise to be effective.
Click to expand...

The seem to be pretty limited in what they can ask at the check-in, since the only info they have is the ID and boarding pass you hand them.

I was in the security line at SEA a couple of weeks ago - there was a family in front of me, with a couple of minors. Minors do not need to show ID, so the the TSA guy asked them the names of their parents and other siblings and compared answers to the IDs of the others.
 
SCCutler said:
Please expand on this...
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Link

Boston Herald said:
The TSA is vowing to hire better-trained ex-air marshals, cops and soldiers schooled in the art of interrogation if they find that their current pool of agents isn’t up to the task of sophisticated Israeli-style behavioral screening.

“If we don’t have the talent, we will hire from outside,” said George Naccara, TSA’s director at Logan International Airport. “We’ll look for prior military experience, law enforcement, air marshals. We’ll hire a different pool force.”
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Matthew said:
The seem to be pretty limited in what they can ask at the check-in, since the only info they have is the ID and boarding pass you hand them.

I was in the security line at SEA a couple of weeks ago - there was a family in front of me, with a couple of minors. Minors do not need to show ID, so the the TSA guy asked them the names of their parents and other siblings and compared answers to the IDs of the others.
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Not true.... they are asking a lot more in-depth questions. See this: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/16953627-post75.html

rottydaddy said:
Well, at least they're apparently trying to do something more logical than patting down little kids...a little Q&A session wouldn't bother me in the least, especially if I got to keep my shoes on.
I've heard that simple interrogation techniques are being used in other countries, and I support that- you can't read minds, but I suppose with the right questions, you can get a peek inside somebody's head. Most cops in the USA know how to do this, apparently... they have to, seeing as how they're not allowed to randomly do searches. And altlhough I've only been through US Customs once, years ago, I'm pretty sure those guys use similarly subtle tactics.
Click to expand...

The questions & methods that TSA is employing 1) put travelers at risk personally, and 2) are a MAJOR problem for corporate folks who, by virtue of the nature of their job, must travel confidentially.

How does it put you at risk personally? By being asked to speak your full name loudly, why you're traveling, where you live, and how long you'll be gone, you've just given a crook or burgler all the information they need to raid your home while you're gone. Not a huge deal for someone named "Smith", but a big deal for folks with a unique last name. The smaller the town, the worse it is. (Posting name, city, and travel itinerary on an internet board or Facebook is also risky, but I digress).

I know I've noted it before, but I have personally had my identity stolen by a hotel clerk that insisted on seeing my driver license on check-in. He had all the elements he needed to commit identity theft - name, identification number, address, and how long I'd be gone. Given the history of criminals in the TSA, do you trust them? Do you trust the passenger at the podium next to you, or the one in line behind you? Do you?

As for the business aspect, let's say a person works in M&A, or is quietly chasing a big contract. Knowing who he/she is, who they work for, etc. is sufficient to tip off a competitor. In a town like DC, where major defense contractors have key offices, you may be standing in line next to a guy who works BD for a competitior. That person may pick up on an M&A guy traveling to the HQ town of a smaller defense company. Same for a BD guy going to a key customer. Not hard to put 2+2 together, putting a deal at risk. Could result in a violation of an NDA, or (if serious enough) an SEC disclosure issue. Not cool. (Wonder if we'll see a screener gigged for insider trading...)

Heck, I was in an airline club in ORD one day, and a guy nearby was talking loudly on his cellphone about the management team for a company his fund was trying to acquire. The terms used for a certain management person were not flattering - the name was never given. But the phone user said enough that I was able to quickly ascertain that I personallly knew both the company AND the individual he was speaking of. Whether I tipped my friend off or not is immaterial, the fact that I could have was not cool.

And we won't even talk about folks that must travel confidentially due to government classified work.

There are huge risks here to passengers....
 
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wsuffa said:
As for the business aspect, let's say a person works in M&A, or is quietly chasing a big contract. Knowing who he/she is, who they work for, etc. is sufficient to tip off a competitor. In a town like DC, where major defense contractors have key offices, you may be standing in line next to a guy who works BD for a competitior. That person may pick up on an M&A guy traveling to the HQ town of a smaller defense company. Same for a BD guy going to a key customer. Not hard to put 2+2 together, putting a deal at risk. Could result in a violation of an NDA, or (if serious enough) an SEC disclosure issue. Not cool. (Wonder if we'll see a screener gigged for insider trading...)
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Wasn't there an incident a few years go with a guy in his own airplane? He said he was flying from point A to point B, but didn't want his business competition to know about it. So he turned off his x-ponder and diverted to point C, his real destination, instead. I think some F-16s were sent after him? Now I have to find that...
 
wsuffa said:
Link

And we won't even talk about folks that must travel confidentially due to government classified work.

There are huge risks here to passengers....
Click to expand...

Back in the day (many, many years ago) when I had various tickets, all my luggage tags had my university faculty business cards, not my company business cards. And I never, even now, travel with a briefcase or anything that screams "I'm a computer, steal me!". Do I get ignored because I don't look like I'm traveling for a multi-national, global company? You bet! And I like it that way! Anyone who asks me questions, I'm always happy to discuss what's going on in university computer science curricula...that conversation lasts about 30 seconds...
 
TSA - Reckless cluelessness, or Clueless recklessness. We'll never know.

It's entertaining when the real security pros audit the fake security organization though, if it weren't costing us so much money.

From SANS NewsBites today...

--Audit Finds Holes in TSA Wireless Security
(August 22, 2011)
An audit of the systems at the headquarters of the Transportation
Security Administration (TSA) by the Department of Homeland Security's
Inspector General (IG) discovered a number of security weaknesses in its
wireless networks. The audit found a number of high risk
vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows XP laptops and the BlackBerry
Enterprise Servers (BES) used to support BlackBerry devices. The audit
also found the TSA had not complied with the baseline configuration
controls required by the DHS for wireless devices and systems, including
issues "regarding the disabling of unused router interfaces and a
disallowed service" and that there were "high-risk vulnerabilities
involving patch and configuration controls". In response to the audit,
the TSA said it has already implemented corrective measures to the
issues raised.
http://www.infosecurity-us.com/view/20238/tsa-probed-for-wireless-security-lapses/
http://www.hstoday.us/industry-news...g-audit/bfbb824d3c2fac205ac7abcfe8fd2988.html
 
Ghery said:
Is that you, Chuck?
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*chuckle* I'm surprised Michael & Stefan Strasser and other cartoonists don't riff on the TSA more often. Plenty of material there for humor and to make a political point.
 
Got the 'say your name' at IAH in Houston today. Hadn't seen this thread.

Said my last name.

She said, "say your FULL NAME, please sir."

I said it, then apologized, saying I thought she was curious about how to pronounce my name. She said "no, we're required to do this now."

Okay. We should ask THEM a challenge question, and gauge their response and facial reaction, to confirm they are a REAL TSA agent before volunteering personal information. Open to suggestions on which question to ask.

I wonder if holding out your ID, then pulling it back when they reach for it, and saying "I'll show you mine if you show me yours!" would cause a delay in reaching the gate...
 
rottydaddy said:
...
Unfortunately, the team of hijackers who precipitated this whole circus were much, much better prepared than that. That's what really irks me- none of the measures in place now would prevent a repeat performance, because the security has not actually improved.
Click to expand...

I know we're supposed to have lost the flick now that we have to memorize the rules on carrying shampoo, but allow me to remind that The actual 9/11 hijackers USED THEIR REAL NAMES and were already suspected by the authorities.
 
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