New and notes from around the interweb:
- Sad state of American literacy: TSA finds it suspicious when passenger carries books.
TSA got a lot of criticism for demanding that passengers take out their books for special screening back in spring 2017. They even claimed the whole thing was a misunderstanding and it wasn’t policy to do that, because the backlash was naturally around citizens having to declare what they read to the government.
Six months later when nobody was paying attention anymore they brought back the practice. There is some concern that the density of books might obscure objects hidden inside, but in practice TSA has been known even to search magazines — which, even when they’re mostly advertising, tend to be far less thick than they used to be.
- Opting out of facial recognition boarding.
To figure out how to do so, I had to leave the boarding line, speak with a Delta representative at their information desk, get back in line, then request a passport scan when it was my turn to board. Federal agencies and airlines claim that facial recognition is an opt-out system, but my recent experience suggests they are incentivizing travelers to have their faces scanned—and disincentivizing them to sidestep the tech—by not clearly communicating alternative options. Last year, a Delta customer service representative reported that only 2 percent of customers opt out of facial-recognition.
- BP’s mileage-earning partnership with United will end September 30.
- I’m amazed, sometimes, what you can accomplish at an airport. For the last several years I’ve gotten my flu shot each fall at Chicago O’Hare. You can get CPR training at LAX:
If you're traveling through Tom Bradley Int'l Terminal at #LAX, stop by the #HandsOnlyCPR training kiosk near Gate 150. You can get trained to save a life while waiting for your flight. It only takes five minutes. #FlyLAX @AmericanHeartLA @AnthemFDN @CareMoreHealth ❤ pic.twitter.com/aH5e165XTx
— LAX Airport (@flyLAXairport) July 3, 2019
- How payment transactions get flagged as potential fraud
- The evolution of flight attendant style over the past 100 years
You got your fly shot at the airport? Hoping it was closed at the time.
@DaveS: I wear a bulletproof condom at all times so I don’t have to worry about such things
“For the last several years I’ve gotten my flu shot each fall at Chicago O’Hare.”
Well, stop doing that. It’s basically a waste and largely ineffective.
Obviously an impressively stupid move by the TSA. Who sets these rules?
There’s a CPR training machine just outside the SNA Admiral’s Club also.
@James pro disease much?
Dd has for the last couple of years had her carry on pulled to look at her books after they were scanned. Its become a family joke because it happens every time she flies. One TSA agent said it was due in part to the holographic cover on one that made it hard to scan but usually her books do not include this. If she traveled with just one book it would not flag but she has 4-6 heavy hardcovers stacked on top of each other in the bottom of her pack so it never fails to need an extra look.
regarding magazines, maybe they are simply looking for porn. This would be in line with their sexual abuse
Finding it amusing that the car in the photo with your BP deal with United ending… is a Tesla. Wouldn’t use BP at all with that!