http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2007-11-29-secure-flights_N.htm

TSA plan to gather more data protested
By Thomas Frank, USA TODAY

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WASHINGTON — A government proposal to start collecting birth dates and genders of people reserving airline flights is drawing protests from major airlines and travel agencies that say it would be invasive, confusing and “useless.”

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) wants passengers to give the additional personal information — as well as their full names — so it can do more precise background checks that it says will result in fewer travelers being mistaken for terrorists. Travelers currently must provide only a last name and a first initial.

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Well, instead of just admitting failure and going out of business like any normal failure. They’re going to do an Avis.

(shaking my head in disgust)

From a technology pov, this thing is just fraught with flubs.

OK, instead of me being “Public, John Q.”, how does adding “YYYYMMDD” add to the accuracy?

Please don’t tell me that you are using name as an identifier? How inaccurate is that mathematically. That assumes that everyone tell you the truth. Ditto for adding bday.

What makes you think I’m going to tell you my REAL birthday? You know the one that people use to prevent identity theft on their credit accounts. Like I trust the gooferment to keep my info safe! Note VA and the many other flubs.

(If I was credit reporting agency, I’d be jumping for glee. When they lose the files, how many people will have to buy my “credit protection service”? Ya have to love it.)

And, like Abdul, the local terrorist, won’t know to buy his ticket as “Public, John Q. YYYYMMDD”!

Please, gimme a break. Please TSA just go away.

Storing 20M birthdates is going to cost at least 20 grazillion dollars, and unless you’re getting it from Google, it’s going to cost more for programming. And, it’s going to be wrong.

Just go away.

Great concept — government should protect its citizens — lousy idea. It can’t. Stop hi jackings? Give the pilot a gun. End of problem. Net cost — nearer to zero than grazillions. Certainly nothing close the overt and hidden costs we are enduring now.

Make the airlines responsible security. Make them have insurance should their plane hit a building. Ever seen an insurance company do risk mitigation. No, imagine an organizational colonoscopy.

Just go away!

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