Mentally disabled man flew with store card ID
As a frequent long-distance flyer, I just don't understand how someone was allowed to board a plane with only a VISA and a Costco card as ID. Really? Nothing to verify his citizenship, real name, place of birth, address? I've never flown anywhere without presenting at the very least my valid passport! Apparently Doug Tiedeman isn't the only on in this situation operating at the mental capacity of a 12-year-old. The difference is that Mr. Tiedeman cannot help his condition, the person who checked him in can.
I suppose that now when someone asks me for a piece of ID, that I can present my Costco card. It doesn't matter that the blurry, black and white picture on the back doesn't look a thing like me, the card has absolutely no personal information on it but my name and the only date on it is the date I got my initial membership. Heck, I know people who have borrowed other people's Costco cards and had no problems at the check out!
The next part is what really gets me going - because the kid has no ID, Air Canada wouldn't release information to his parents? Maybe they should have thought of the ID problem before allowing him to fly halfway across the country! They claim that because he is 21 and his parents no longer have legal guardianship that privacy laws prohibit them from releasing information. How do they know he's 21 if he had no ID?
While I have made use of Air Canada's services, I will have no problem at all if they're slapped with a $25,000 fine. The Tiedeman's should also be compensated for the hassle they've been put through in trying to locate their son. It's one thing if the guy was a terrorist on the no-fly list, but a kid with mental limitations? Did he really pose that big of a threat?
In a day and age when airlines are being bombarded with safety and security procedures, this little slip up goes to show just how easy it is for people to fly under the radar, so to speak.
As a frequent long-distance flyer, I just don't understand how someone was allowed to board a plane with only a VISA and a Costco card as ID. Really? Nothing to verify his citizenship, real name, place of birth, address? I've never flown anywhere without presenting at the very least my valid passport! Apparently Doug Tiedeman isn't the only on in this situation operating at the mental capacity of a 12-year-old. The difference is that Mr. Tiedeman cannot help his condition, the person who checked him in can.
I suppose that now when someone asks me for a piece of ID, that I can present my Costco card. It doesn't matter that the blurry, black and white picture on the back doesn't look a thing like me, the card has absolutely no personal information on it but my name and the only date on it is the date I got my initial membership. Heck, I know people who have borrowed other people's Costco cards and had no problems at the check out!
The next part is what really gets me going - because the kid has no ID, Air Canada wouldn't release information to his parents? Maybe they should have thought of the ID problem before allowing him to fly halfway across the country! They claim that because he is 21 and his parents no longer have legal guardianship that privacy laws prohibit them from releasing information. How do they know he's 21 if he had no ID?
While I have made use of Air Canada's services, I will have no problem at all if they're slapped with a $25,000 fine. The Tiedeman's should also be compensated for the hassle they've been put through in trying to locate their son. It's one thing if the guy was a terrorist on the no-fly list, but a kid with mental limitations? Did he really pose that big of a threat?
In a day and age when airlines are being bombarded with safety and security procedures, this little slip up goes to show just how easy it is for people to fly under the radar, so to speak.
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