So, if you’re showing a passport and its being scanned and vetted against a database of Bad Guys, okay, I see there is some incremental level of security.
But . . . when a commercial or government security operation merely requires that you show some form of govt. identification – how much incremental security does that provide, when:
(1) They don’t do much to verify that the ID is genuine or that you are who you say you are; and
(2) Even if it’s totally legit ID, they don’t check it against anything.
Example: I enter large federal building. Guard requires my identification. I show him out of state driver’s license. Now, put aside the fact that he has no real way of knowing, other than an eyeball test, if this other state ID is genuine. Let’s say it is – and that I’m known in my home state and lots of other states for trying to, I don’t know, burn down federal buildings, or beat the crap out of judges. Well, tough luck, because once I show him that I have ID, he lets me in. What’s the point?
I can see some very marginal incremental benefit to making it slightly more troublesome for people to get in where they ought not to be. And maybe the real purpose of ID checks is to make sure that at least one (sort of) sentient human confronts you so that they can make a judgment call about whether you’re an obvious lunatic. But what else, really, is the point of “show your ID?”
The purpose of checking ID is that it looks like you are doing something for security, and 99% of people don’t question it further than that. Everybody is happy: there are jobs created and people get another little piece of fake security that makes them feel comfy walking into a federal building knowing that if Timothy McVeigh (even though he’s dead) won’t walk in, because, well they check ID.
A couple of incremental benefits: it allows them to screen for specific bad guys they are looking out for, which may further deter those who know they are already wanted by law enforcement for something and, if the names are logged on a sign-in sheet in addition to checking ID, it would narrow the list of suspects.
We have a winner in this answer. I have not seen any security precautions publicly implemented since 9/11 that do anything real to improve security. Feel good “We’ve got to do something to protect our phoney baloney jobs!” type action.
What good do you think it does to prevent law abiding people from taking nail files onto an airplane? None. Everyone who has any hint of imagination knows that a terrorist would be able to find a way to smuggle a 3" knife onto an airplane no matter what conceivable security checks are in place. And there I will be sitting with no nail file to fight back.
Keep in mind that in security, it’s a race to see who is the stupidest. Note that all the 9/11 terrorists showed ID to get on the planes. One group of them was even stopped by security since their names were on a watch list. After a bit of stumbling around, they decided to let them on the planes anyway. So ID+lists mean little.
OTOH, most low level criminals are incredibly stupid. A surprising number don’t use fake IDs in situations where they are clearly called for and could be easily caught.
So, the US gov. is banking that our people are not as stupid as their people. Such ambition!
And how is the DMV supposed to catch somebody? Do they have a magical “criminal detector”? I mean obviously if they do rudimentary checking they can find outstanding warrants, but that’s about it. If you haven’t comitted a crime yet, and nobody is actively looking for you, how is the DMV supposed to know you are planning something? Is it written on your forehead?
I’m saying that there are already systems in place to catch people who have outstanding warrants. I’m also saying that a system that requires you to have valid ID will only catch a small percentage of people with outstanding warrants(you would have to run those IDs, because most people with warrants have valid IDs to begin with, why wouldn’t they?). So any system that requires valid ID is an expensive hassle that infringes on everybody’s civil rights(to be anonymous, to travel freely in some cases, etc.) aimed to catch a very small percentage of criminals that we already have an entire law enforcement establishment looking for? That makes it not only worthless, but actually detrimental to society overall.
What if I don’t want to have ID? I can’t lead a reasonable lifestyle in a modern society without having government issued ID, yet why should I be subjected to that? What does it accomplish other than employing millions of people in the process of creating, verifying and checking those IDs?
Like most security measures, ID checks are a feel-good, do-nothing measure. On a recent trip, I managed to catch an earlier flight home after my bags had already been checked on the later flight. I went back to the airport the next day to pick up my bags, which were waiting in the United office along with a bunch of other unclaimed luggage. The person at the desk asked for my ID, but then made no effort to write down what I showed him, or even compare my ID to the bags I was taking (which had prominent tags on them). Had I walked off with someone else’s luggage, the guard would not have been able to say anything more about the luggage thief other than “he had a valid driver’s license.” Totally useless.
On a related note, what’s the point of having to show your boarding pass with your ID when you enter the security line, and then just your boarding pass again when you walk through the metal detector? What conceivable purpose does this serve?
Because you are already in the secure zone. If you wanted to go into the pilots lounge or some other area that was more secure you would have to show additional ID or badge. You would only need to show ID when moving up in security zones. The plane is considered part of the concourse. If your boarding pass is lost or stolen you could go to the gate and let them know there. Last few times I’ve flown the tickets were all scanned in while boarding.
As far as the ID thing is concerned though - it is only one level of security. WAG - if someone is going to commit a criminal act remaining anonymous or inconspicuous is probably important. When you show someone an ID that person will look at you and you may be captured on surveillance cameras. Maybe they won’t look at you but why take the chance? You also may be nervous, won’t look the person in the eye, sweating, etc.
And that is only for general security. Access to more secure or critical areas may require your name to be on a list or to have additional ID. Showing an ID may get you into the Santa Barbara Courthouse but it won’t get you into see Michael.
The real question is what is the goal of the ID check? To prevent terrorism or to solve the mystery after the fact? If it is to pevent terrorism, how easy is it for a terrorist to get a valid ID? Seems the only benefit of checking IDs is to check for fake IDs. Can your local airport security guard really tell if that is a valid German passport? I would think not. And yet, such a passport would serve to get them through security.
If it is to solve the case afterwards, seems a little pointless. After all, assuming a valid ID and a credit card, Terrorist A and B can both get into security. Terrorist A then gives his boarding pass to Terrorist B. Terrorist A sets up an alibi. How would anyone know who was on the pane?
This is like at Wal-Mart when they stop you at the door and ask for a receipt. Then all they do it mark it with a highlighter without checking anything. It provides a illusion of security, especially for small-time evildoers who don’t think about how pointless it really is.
I’m pretty cynical about security and I’m usually the first to rant against pointless security theater. However, in some cases these seemingly pointless ID checks do accomplish something. Unfortunately it’s trivially easy for bad guys to get valid ID, so checking everyone’s ID against some master database just slows everyone down. But forcing each person to pause and look the security guard in the eye is a pretty good security measure with very little “cost”, and many places accomplish this with an ID check.
For comparison, ask anyone who has worked as a club doorman about checking IDs. Many underage drinkers have valid or nearly-valid IDs, but they get bounced because the doorman can tell from their eye contact, body language, and many other factors that they bear closer scrutiny. No, this doesn’t catch everyone, but as Patty points out, it doesn’t have to catch everyone to be a useful layer in a security policy. Now, I’m willing to bet that most good club doormen have much more experience with this sort of profiling than airport rent-a-cops, but that’s another issue…
Sorry, I don’t buy it. The terrorist that would be thrown by this minor inconvenience would be just as easily spotted by talking to them as they go through security.
And it would be no obstacle at all to the genius terrorist master minds that we have been asked to believe are hiding around every corner waiting to steal our freedom.
And I submit that the cost to our society is much greater than you perceive. I am one of those whackos who fear that this is the leading edge of a “papers please” society.
What are you basing this information on? My personal anecdotal experience is that the only people to be denied entry/service are 21+ people who FORGOT their IDs and look young. Out of the wide variety of people I’ve met who used fake IDs to drink, not one ever got denied service, bounced or got found out. Unfortunately I don’t think anybody does any sort of studies on people “Bounced from clubs with authentic looking IDs for acting underage”.