34 seconds ago 2009-12-03T23:19:44-08:00
William Shatner recently portrayed a lawyer fighting to get his name cleared from a government terrorist watch list on the prime-time TV drama "Boston Legal." But there are plenty of real cases of travelers being misidentified on watch lists, and few of them have experienced the happy Hollywood ending Shatner's character did.
In recent weeks, the Homeland Security department has issued a few tidbits of good news for these victims of misidentification. First, the Transportation Security Administration announced Jan. 17 that it had reviewed its notorious no-fly list and trimmed it by half. The list is classified, but estimates of its size range from 50,000 to 350,000 names.
In addition, Homeland Security said it will launch TRIP (traveler redress inquiry program) on Feb. 20. which will let travelers who have been misidentified or unnecessarily detained at security checkpoints to submit and track redress inquiries. According to Business Travel News, the online system will use a Traveler Inquiry Form that will request a review of the person's security status.The plan does nothing, though, to address real security concerns, like the complete lack of screening of passengers who fly chartered business jets. And, as satire Web site Homeland Stupidity points out, the new initiatives don't promise to untangle your airport security knots, only that you can request redress. "The First Amendment says you have a right to petition the government for a redress of grievances, but says nothing about the government's responsibility, if any, to respond,'' it says. Still, filling out a form can at least provide some sense of control in a frustrating situation.
Has your name come up on a no-fly list? What happened? Write to Barbara Correa at bboydstoncorrea@yahoo.com
