June 16th, 2005
well, no wonder
The last few times Mr. Angst and I have traveled, we’ve had strange problems–for instance, not being able to use the self-check-in kiosks, or check in at curbside. Our waits at the check-in counter have been longer, too.
Today, we found out why.
One of us is on the TSA watch list.
Mr. Angst knows for a fact that his name is similar to someone on our state’s list of people who aren’t allowed to buy guns. I’m pretty sure, therefore, that he’s the one who is causing our travel problems.
So now we have to send something like 45 pieces of identifying information to the TSA to get this rectified. (OK, maybe it’s only five. Still.) We could blow it off–it’s not like we travel every month or anything–but I am not a patient person and Mr. Angst is not a patient person in airports. So it’s probably better to take care of this now.
You’d think I’d be annoyed or pissed. I actually think it’s kind of funny. We asked why, today, we had been unable to self-check-in, and she very matter-of-factly said, “Oh, well, one of you is on the TSA watch list!” And I laughed. It’s so bizarre and strange that it’s laughable.
I guess when I have internet access again (I’m typing this out without access; I’ll post it later), I’ll look up what I’m supposed to do on the TSA website. Stay tuned; I’ll keep everyone informed on my adventures with government bureaucracy.
comments
Wow. What a pain in the rear for you.
And yet, you’re right, too funny. Good thing it’s probably Mr. A., or you might have trouble with the whole character and fitness thing.
Them: “Have you ever willfully violated the law?”
You: “Do you mean aside from my terror campaign?”
It is pretty funny… in a twisted way…
But Citations is right, it could have real problems that wouldn’t be so funny… like issues with bar character/fitness review. Or if the person with a similar name got bumped up to the No-Fly list and suddenly, you couldn’t travel together at all. That would suck.
Wow. You guys are more serious about this than I am. I guess it’s a good thing we are planning to clear it up.
Sasha and I just got back from a weekend trip, too. I’d bought the tickets over the phone, and discovered that they’d accidentally spelled our name starting with a Z instead of a V. I thought we were going to have trouble at the security checkpoint, when they compare your ticket to your ID, but nobody said a word.