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Abbey Marie
12-15-2008, 10:30 AM
Which do you value more? The Clear program lets you avoid long security lines at the airport. But you must have a background check, and submit a finger scan and an iris scan every time you use it.

It costs over $100 per year to use.


Clear’ing Through Airport Security
By: Tango Diva (View Profile)

When Orlando single mom Lori Booker read about a man who started a company that could send her through airport security faster she was intrigued, but not persuaded.

Then she went on family vacation with her nine-year-old twins.

Upon arrival at the airport, Lori saw the longest security line she had ever seen. After two long hours, when she reached the front of the line, she told a Clear attendant she wished the company had a card for children. The attendant informed her member’s children under twelve didn’t need a card to use the fast lane.

”We could have slept for another hour,” Lori exclaimed.

Upon their return, Lori applied for her Clear membership.

Clear, a nationally registered traveler program with over 180,000 members is a “fast pass” through airport security, allowing members to zoom through security at lightening speed while the rest of us wait in long, slow-moving agonizing security lines.

The company pre-screens their members through the Transportation Security Administration, vice president of media relations Cindy Rosenthal said. Once approved, members use Clear fast lanes at airports, which use high-tech equipment like iris and fingerprint scanners to verify identities and go through security in as quickly as five minutes.
“What it gives them is predictably,” Rosenthal said. “They know, with the Clear card, it will take them five minutes or less to go through security, every time.”

The concept of Clear was dreamt up by CEO Steven Brill while he was writing his book, “After: How American Confronted the September 12 Era,” about the aftermath of September 11.

Brill thought there should be a way to manage the risk of passengers and provide faster service. He came up with the idea to pre-screen passengers so the government would know who they were. Clear began operations June 2005 at the Orlando International Airport, and now operates Clear lanes in sixteen U.S. airports.
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Full article:
http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/22240/55545-clear-ing-airport-security

Noir
12-15-2008, 10:40 AM
I'd value privacy far far more, at the end of the day, you may not have to wait in queues but at the end of the day you are not going to get to your destination any quicker, and given private details to a private company can only go one way, wrong.

Binky
12-15-2008, 11:31 AM
Big brother crapola. Just one more step into gaining more control over the citizens. I'd sit and wait.

Yurt
12-15-2008, 12:25 PM
they have the same thing at canadian borders, many business people, sales people, transport people use it. if i travelled frequently, i would have no problem with it. i've done so many background checks in my life, one more wouldn't make a bit of difference.

manu1959
12-15-2008, 01:37 PM
it is less invasive than a background check to work on government projects ....

Hobbit
12-15-2008, 03:35 PM
Eh, I've already had background checks for back when I had a security clearance. If I flew half as often as my dad, I'd pay the hundred bucks. If it was free, I'd do it anyway.

5stringJeff
12-15-2008, 06:12 PM
I'll wait in line, thanks. And I'll make sure to buy a Fourth Amendment luggage tag (http://www.securityedition.com/lugbuy.php) before the next time I fly.

April15
12-15-2008, 10:09 PM
I'd value privacy far far more, at the end of the day, you may not have to wait in queues but at the end of the day you are not going to get to your destination any quicker, and given private details to a private company can only go one way, wrong.Very true.