Photo IDs (Re: A Libertine Question)

Timothy C. May tcmay at got.net
Wed Jul 31 13:54:13 PDT 1996


At 3:12 PM 7/31/96, Duncan Frissell wrote:

>was allegedly requiring *two* pieces of ID for flights.  If they are talking
>about two pieces of photo -- government-issued ID, I wonder where the 80% of
>Americans without a Passport (x the 90% of Americans who are not government
>employees) get the second piece of ID. [Is it a violation of something if
>you Heil Hitler od Sieg Heil the airline clerk when they ask to see your ID.
>It's not a threat, it's an expression of honor.]

Yeah, this "two photo IDs" is strange, given that:

a. many ordinary people have only one form of photo I.D., namely, their
driver's license (and many don't even have that)

b. terrorists and other such persons are _very_ likely to have multiple
forms of I.D., though of course not in their "true name."

Hence, the policy looks ineffectual and just a sop to public relations.

And just what is a "true name" for the purposes of this law, anyway? Birth
name? And what is that? What about people who marry, change names, etc.?
Given that there is no "standard" for photo I.D.s, will my Official
Cypherpunks Card count?

I can easily make my own photo I.D.s, or even order "fake I.D.s" from
various mail-order outlets advertising in the Usual Places. If I show up at
the airline with two photo I.D.s, one showing me to be "Security Officer
Mickey Mouse" and the other showing me to be "Mickey Mouse, Internal
Security Agency," will I be violating any laws?

--Mickey Mouse (I just changed my name--if you don't like it, FAA, fuck off)








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