Law and the Circus

[ClubMed]

Have bad credit? You're probably a terrorist.

[Epidemic]

"passenger's financial records, along with other sources, then assign travelers a color-coded terrorist risk level."

I do not know, it sounds bad they way they write it.

However the reality of a pre-screening is that you should take as many sources to try and assess ones likelyhood to be a terrorist.

The fact that the other sources is put second is kind of funny as I am sure that the credit report is the least factor in the algorithm.

Assumed prioritization
1) inter poll (membership in terrorist organization)
2) Police record (arrested for civil unrest)
3) IRS evaluation (no source of income spending alot of money)
4) Immigration status
5) CIA
6) FBI
.
.
.
100) credit record (recently spent up credit limit on fun activities in preparation to die for example)

It really depends on how the info is used now doesn't it. This also does not say you can't fly it just says that you should be more carefully screened. This is the same stuff they do to you when you are going for secret clearence to some degree.

[M_Six]

It's like the old days when they used the shape of your head to determine if you were a criminal.

EDIT: Anyone checking my recent credit history would think I spent all my time driving all over creation buying computer parts. The two major expenses on my cards are gas and PC stuff.


"Watch it, Joe. We've got a well-travelled geek here.

I think terrorists have been successful.

They made the US Government go nuts.

[Theophylact]

I dunno, Epidemic; if all of us who had maxed out our credit cards couldn't fly, the roads would be even more jammed than they are now. And even more airlines would be bankrupt. Not to mention the overcrowing at Guantanamo...

[Epidemic]

First off this would not be a ticket to guantanamo it would simply be more scrutiny.

Secondly the other sources are likely the main tool and the credit check merely added to the indicators.

No one item would be the key trigger but all of the profiling put together would trigger a more intense check.

The roads would probably not be perceivably more crowded as the hundreds of thousands of people flying would be a small fractional increase in road traffic nation wide.


I am simply trying to point out that the article is politically motivated and bears extremely few facts as to the usage of the information gathered. It is an overly melodramatic personal opinion piece. The conclusions of this are disingenuous.

If the information gleaned from the credit check includes large purchases of nitrates or tremendous life insurance policy or a series of uncharacteristic purchases beyond ones means then perhaps that would be a valuable addition to the FBI, CIA, IRS, INS, Police and inter poll profile generated.

I do not believe that even a red would exclude you from flying it would simply trigger a cavity search

[M_Six]

I do not believe that even a red would exclude you from flying it would simply trigger a cavity search