Flutterby™! : Evil or not?

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Evil or not?

2008-09-07 07:22:11.684714+00 by meuon 12 comments

Fly Clear - a speed pass for airport security and other things. Why is this better than my passport?

[ related topics: Aviation ]

comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):

#Comment Re: made: 2008-09-07 10:42:58.196855+00 by: ebradway [edit history]

Because you have to pay $100/year for the "service". It also involves a background check and biometrics.

What I don't get is: I now have passed a Government background check. In a few months, I will be issued a special Government passport to use when traveling internationally on Government duty. Why isn't that passport as good as "Clear"?

#Comment Re: made: 2008-09-07 13:58:14.829166+00 by: JT

Heh, amazing how people trust the TSA so much to give them all of this information... and yet people shy away from talking to the police. I don't understand why after 9-11, the airport security retards that let the terrorists though were magically transformed into competent individuals a couple of weeks later when they were given a new uniform and a TLA (three letter acronym) on their patch.

These morons can't even pass their own security tests most years, I don't want my information traveling around with former airport rent-a-cops where a hard drive containing enough information to impersonate me will magically disappear in 5 years.

#Comment Re: made: 2008-09-07 20:01:14.96226+00 by: meuon

"Clear" isn't even the TSA, it's a private company that appears to be paying for preferred treatment. At football games as well...

#Comment Re: made: 2008-09-07 23:50:29.583385+00 by: JT

reading their website, it says they were collecting information on behalf of the TSA. i'd only assume the TSA would have this same information that was collected.

#Comment Re: made: 2008-09-08 00:31:22.124212+00 by: meuon

As would your local NFL Franchise?

#Comment Re: made: 2008-09-08 01:14:02.299757+00 by: Mark A. Hershberger

> "Get Clear..."

Wait, is this the shortcut to Scientology bliss?

#Comment Re: made: 2008-09-08 01:15:27.698941+00 by: Mark A. Hershberger [edit history]

(Seriously, I'm flying enough now that I am thinking about doing this...)

(Except they seem to be at paltry few airports and certainly no international ones.)

#Comment Re: made: 2008-09-08 02:40:12.977432+00 by: Larry Burton

Mark, my last job had me flying at least twice a week. It didn't do you any good in Atlanta, LAX or Logan. La Guardia is the only airport that I was in and out of with any frequency that used the program and their security lines weren't usually that bad.

#Comment Re: made: 2008-09-08 13:51:46.04317+00 by: JT

I don't have so much of a problem with me voluntarily giving up my rights to a company to collect information about me. If someone wants to do this, it's fine... if someone doesn't want to do this, that's fine too. I personally fall into the latter group. What bothers me is more along the lines of companies that collect information on you without your permission or knowledge. The first time I applied for a loan I was appalled that there was a private company that knew where I lived, where I worked, how much was on my student loan, and supplied this information to whoever requested it. Credit reporting agencies scare the crap out of me not only because of how much society depends on them, but also the amount of information they have on me, my family, and my history... and I don't ever remember giving them permission to start collecting this information in the first place.

#Comment Re: made: 2008-09-08 20:28:26.112427+00 by: ebradway

I just went through a three-month background check by the government. I don't have (m)any secrets anymore ;)

I've also just started traveling often enough that $100/year and a little more info to get through security would be worth it. The Denver Aiport has Clear - but I haven't seen security lines longer than the ticket counter lines. Also, at Denver, there's a "hidden" security check point on the breezeway to Concourse A. If the big security cattle chute is at all crowded, I just go over to A. Not enough other airports have Clear to bother.

#Comment Re: made: 2008-09-08 22:22:00.81384+00 by: crasch

FYI, Clear lost the personal data of 33,000 Clear card applicants:

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/08/05/laptop-with-data-abo.html

#Comment Re: made: 2008-09-09 01:23:16.034053+00 by: meuon

yep, that cinches it. Clear is at least incompetent, which makes it evil.