The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post

RockSmoot · January 25, 2013, 09:32 PM

I'm in the computer industry and I have to tell you, data quality is a major issue with every single database in existence no matter who owns it, operates it or maintains it. I can't even begin to guess how many dollars are spent every year by businesses and governments grappling with incorrect, missing and stale data, and I have zero faith in the Federal or any other government's ability to insure a quality background check service.

I used to travel extensively for business, lived on airplanes and hotels more than my own home. One morning as I was checking in for a flight at a kiosk I was surprised to see a message on the screen telling me that I could not use the kiosk, but to see a gate agent. I went to the gate agent, showed my ID and had to wait while she made a phone call.

She chatted for a bit, hung up and told me to stand aside to let the other passengers check in. No explanations and no response when I asked for her supervisor. Only a terse warning to stand aside or security would be called. I stood aside and after everybody was checked in, another mysterious phone call was made and I was finally allowed through.

Thus began several years of frustration, delays, constant body searches and missed flights because my name was placed on the so-called no-fly list. There was no way to discover why my name was on the list. There was no process defined that would allow me to work with TSA to investigate and have my name removed from the list. None of the gate agents even told me that I was on this list for the first several months. It wasn't until one of them took me aside and at told me what was up that I finally understood what was going on.

Finally, after years of this kind of harassment, my name magically dropped off the list and I can now fly hassle free, but I still have no idea how I ended up there or indeed why my name was removed.

So no, I have no faith in a fair, just universal background check, and no, I have no faith that our great, unfeeling, uncaring federal government will even give a crap about implementing one.

But that's just me, and I'm just some guy on the internet.

January 25, 2013, 09:32 PM	#68
RockSmoot Member Join Date: January 22, 2013 Location: Rogers, Arkansas Posts: 36	I'm in the computer industry and I have to tell you, data quality is a major issue with every single database in existence no matter who owns it, operates it or maintains it. I can't even begin to guess how many dollars are spent every year by businesses and governments grappling with incorrect, missing and stale data, and I have zero faith in the Federal or any other government's ability to insure a quality background check service. I used to travel extensively for business, lived on airplanes and hotels more than my own home. One morning as I was checking in for a flight at a kiosk I was surprised to see a message on the screen telling me that I could not use the kiosk, but to see a gate agent. I went to the gate agent, showed my ID and had to wait while she made a phone call. She chatted for a bit, hung up and told me to stand aside to let the other passengers check in. No explanations and no response when I asked for her supervisor. Only a terse warning to stand aside or security would be called. I stood aside and after everybody was checked in, another mysterious phone call was made and I was finally allowed through. Thus began several years of frustration, delays, constant body searches and missed flights because my name was placed on the so-called no-fly list. There was no way to discover why my name was on the list. There was no process defined that would allow me to work with TSA to investigate and have my name removed from the list. None of the gate agents even told me that I was on this list for the first several months. It wasn't until one of them took me aside and at told me what was up that I finally understood what was going on. Finally, after years of this kind of harassment, my name magically dropped off the list and I can now fly hassle free, but I still have no idea how I ended up there or indeed why my name was removed. So no, I have no faith in a fair, just universal background check, and no, I have no faith that our great, unfeeling, uncaring federal government will even give a crap about implementing one. But that's just me, and I'm just some guy on the internet.