Is the TSA smarter than a 5th grader?

[Kuan]

9-year-old Minneapolis boy runs away on flight to Vegas | Star Tribune

[Brian Carlton]

This must be BS or completely distorted.

You cannot get by the TSA without a boarding pass and you cannot get on the airplane without a boarding pass.

What are the odds that BOTH security procedures failed for the same person?

Another internet posting that is false.

[spdrun]

Originally Posted by Brian Carlton

This must be BS or completely distorted.

You cannot get by the TSA without a boarding pass and you cannot get on the airplane without a boarding pass.

What are the odds that BOTH security procedures failed for the same person?

Another internet posting that is false.

The TSA doesn't verify the boarding pass, just glances at it -- is there any reason why he couldn't have Photochopped a fake boarding pass or picked up one that someone dropped at the airport? Children do not have ID checked. (Actually, adults can get by without ID as well, but they'll be subject to much increased scrutiny.)

I wonder what he did at the gate, since they do verify boarding passes there. Him using a "lost" or stolen boarding pass would make sense.

[Brian Carlton]

Originally Posted by spdrun

The TSA doesn't verify the boarding pass, just glances at it --

That is a factually incorrect statement.


They spend 15 seconds looking the boarding pass and comparing it to the driver's license.

[spdrun]

Originally Posted by Brian Carlton

That is a factually incorrect statement.


They spend 15 seconds looking the boarding pass and comparing it to the driver's license.

If you had actually bothered to read my post, Mr. Einstein, ID is not generally checked for children. Secondly, comparing the BP with the driver's license doesn't mean it's a valid boarding card, just that the name on the piece of paper matches the name on the driver's license.

[P.C.]

Why did you edit your post?

[Brian Carlton]

Originally Posted by spdrun

If you had actually bothered to read my post, Mr. Einstein, ID is not generally checked for children. Secondly, comparing the BP with the driver's license doesn't mean it's a valid boarding card, just that the name on the piece of paper matches the name on the driver's license.

I read your post and it remains factually incorrect.

Unless you wish to postulate that the kid printed his own boarding pass using his own software, your premise has no substance.

Either he has a boarding pass issued by the carrier or he doesn't.

You think an ID or boarding pass of an unaccompanied minor won't be checked whatsoever? Who's the Einstein now?

[spdrun]

Originally Posted by Brian Carlton

I read your post and it remains factually incorrect.

Unless you wish to postulate that the kid printed his own boarding pass using his own software, your premise has no substance.

Either he has a boarding pass issued by the carrier or he doesn't.

You think an ID or boarding pass of an unaccompanied minor won't be checked whatsoever? Who's the Einstein now?

I postulated that he either created a fake boarding pass using an image editor (not so difficult if he had an existing old boarding pass) or he picked up a boarding pass someone dropped (more likely). Third option: he bought a ticket using a stolen CC #.

[spdrun]

Originally Posted by P.C.

Why did you edit your post?

Because I felt I should stick to the subject at hand, not use this forum to rail about my hatred of security theatre since 9/11 and the asshats who run it. Frankly, the ID/boarding pass check isn't really for security. It's for revenue protection -- the airlines had lobbied for it since the 80s, in order to keep people from re-selling tickets or giving unused tickets to a friend.

Anyway, congrats to the kid for outwitting the stupid. Congrats to the airline crew for returning the kid safely

[Brian Carlton]

Originally Posted by spdrun

I postulated that he either created a fake boarding pass using an image editor (not so difficult if he had an existing old boarding pass) or he picked up a boarding pass someone dropped (more likely). Third option: he bought a ticket using a stolen CC #.

OK genius, let's look at the possibilities of each of those figments of your vivid imagination:

1) A nine year old is going to create a fake boarding pass using an image editor..............???? You really want to believe this?

2) If he picked up a boarding pass that "someone dropped" how the hell did that "someone" get on the airplane?

3) The nine year old stole a credit card and bought a ticket. In this situation, he actually had a boarding pass with his name on it. In this situation, he clears both the TSA and the gate agent properly and neither can be chastised for failure to do their jobs.

How likely is is that a nine year old stole the credit card?


How about this:

The nine year old is trained in martial arts and he kicked the ass off one 32 year old IT tech and stole his boarding pass. Both the TSA and the gate agent didn't notice the names didn't match his ID (as you mentioned, they might not carefully check the minor). He gets on the airplane and travels innocently.

The 32 year old gets back into his 240D and drives home, too embarrassed to notify the authorities.

I like my scenario better than your three scenarios............each can be considered just as likely.

[t walgamuth]

[spdrun]

Originally Posted by Brian Carlton

OK genius, let's look at the possibilities of each of those figments of your vivid imagination:

1) A nine year old is going to create a fake boarding pass using an image editor..............???? You really want to believe this?

All nine year olds aren't stupid. I was editing images for school projects and dabbling in coding in assembly language on the Apple II when I was 9 or 10. Maybe you were stupider, who knows?

I was also really bored with staying in a sleepy beach town with my grandmother one summer when I was about that age. I hopped on a train to New York, changed trains at Amboy, and ended up going to visit my dad at work in NYC Just about scared the **** out of everybody.

2) If he picked up a boarding pass that "someone dropped" how the hell did that "someone" get on the airplane?

They printed another pass at the kiosk -- it's trivial to replace a lost boarding pass, and spent the next half hour arguing with the boarding agent that their pass really wasn't used already. By the time the argument was done, the airline apologized for the computer glitch, and rebooked him on the next flight out, the plane had already taken off.

3) The nine year old stole a credit card and bought a ticket.

Why would a 9-yr old knowing how to buy something online with mommy and daddy's credit card be so unlikely? Shopping online is as common in 2013 as going to the store was 20 years ago. Kids are imitative, and parents don't expect their kids to steal their CC.

Obviously it happened -- it's not being reported by just one media outlet. It will be interesting to find out how.

[Kuan]

Nine-year-old stowaway had scoped out airport day before his flight to Las Vegas | Star Tribune

The kid blended in with a large family, then slipped through while the gate agent was busy. He even managed to get himself lunch!

I like him.

[iwrock]

The TSA at my local airport scan the boarding pass at the security check to verify it...

Then again, anything is possible!

[t walgamuth]

Originally Posted by Kuan

Nine-year-old stowaway had scoped out airport day before his flight to Las Vegas | Star Tribune

The kid blended in with a large family, then slipped through while the gate agent was busy. He even managed to get himself lunch!

I like him.

Very clever kid. What he did would be very scary for his parents though.