traveling with no ID??

[DrGonzo]

So I have this good friend back home who I keep in touch with via e-mail, and he was wondering, just as much as I am, would you be able to catch plains, trains, and automobiles (yea, sorry, i had to ) with just a photocopy of your ID? He unfortunately got mugged a year or so back and has NO photo ID, and thanks to the US goverment, got stuck in a terrible loophole leaving him not able to go and get a new one.

Either way, the point of the story is, can you get around with just a photocopied ID or do you need the real thing?

[marc873]

As far as I know, you won't get through any customs checkpoints in airports without an authentic passport. As for trains, staying in country, I have never had to show I.D.. As for car rental, that probably depends on the country. Some have very lax policies. Hope that helps a bit

[Elizabeth]

He should still be able to get a passport. They require you to have a photo id (aka drivers lisence for most people, or state id) so since he doesn't have that all he needs is someone to come to the passport application place with him thats known him for 2 years so they can vouch for his identity.

[xanthuos]

I fly domestically quite frequently without showing my ID to the TSA.
It is possible to do, even if they give you a little hassle. Traveling internationally is, of course, a different story. As for driving, no license means big trouble if stopped.

[mbo108]

I fly domestically quite frequently without showing my ID to the TSA

I travel monthly for my work and I always have to show ID when I'm entering the airport screening line. They match your ID to your boarding pass. How do you skip this step?

[noke_travel]

i've flown domestically (us) with a color photocopy of my driver's license and a student id. i've also used the fake id i had to buy beer when i was in high school to board a flight a few years back but it was at a tiny little airport.

[Majestic58]

Originally Posted by noke_travel

i've also used the fake id i had to buy beer when i was in high school to board a flight a few years back but it was at a tiny little airport.

Wow! I'm glad you didn't get caught! That situation sounds like it would end in all kinds of probing questions being asked with the aid of a rubber glove!

[DrGonzo]

Awesome everyone! Thanks for the info.

[LiveFreeorDie]

My dad was able to go from Mexico to Guatemala, or vice versa with no passport (it had been stolen). This was at a land border crossing, not an airport. He did have other forms of picture ID. I think the combo of a little cash ($50 USD or so) and his powers of persuasion he managed iy but obviously certain countries are more lax than others. This was a couple of years ago. I forget now why he even did it, versus just going to the embassy wherever he lost it. There was a reason, though, I just forget what it is.

[noke_travel]

Originally Posted by Majestic58

Wow! I'm glad you didn't get caught! That situation sounds like it would end in all kinds of probing questions being asked with the aid of a rubber glove!

let's just say security is a little more lax at a certain regional airport in southwest virginia

[xanthuos]

Originally Posted by mbo108

I travel monthly for my work and I always have to show ID when I'm entering the airport screening line. They match your ID to your boarding pass. How do you skip this step?

To make your statement more accurate, you just have to remove the italicized part. How do I skip that step? Well, it's pretty simple. "I don't have an ID to show you."

They'll either select you as a secondary then (probably after chiding you, but ignore this), or send you back to the airline (to be marked a selectee). If you truly don't have ID, then your best bet is to be proactive and let the ticket counter agent know this before you go to the security line. It's up to the airline to decide if you're who you say you are, based on what you're able to offer them as evidence (photographed ID, frequent flier card, credit card in your name, etc). Checking ID is not a security measure, contrary to most people's beliefs. It is a revenue protection measure. After all, the 9/11 hijackers all had IDs. It wouldn't have done ANYTHING to stop them by comparing their tickets to their IDs, because they all had IDs!

If you do have ID and get sent back to the airline, what I've always done is simply tell them the truth. "I'll show you ID, but per the Gilmore case, I refuse to show identification to the TSA, so if you can mark me as a SSSSelectee, I'll be on my way."

[xanthuos]

When writing that last reply, I forgot that quotes are automatically italicized. Substitute removing the bolded part below for my instructions above.

Originally Posted by mbo108

I travel monthly for my work and I always have to show ID when I'm entering the airport screening line. They match your ID to your boarding pass. How do you skip this step?

[Dantheman]

No way dude, you cannot go without a PP!

[Sijuki]

I would imagine that people get around it all the time. To say you can't, would be foolish. How then would people cross borders all the time without any sort of identification. We have people that get picked up in the U.S. and Immigration or Customs or anyone else have no record of such a person ever coming across a border even though they came through New York or Boston.

While probably not as easy today as it was... say 70 years ago. I am sure it can still be done.

I mean, while it's not traveling I have taken money out of the bank, without knowing my account number, without an ID. It wasn't cause they knew me either. Actually one time I took money out of the wrong account on accident... belonged to a total stranger. Astoundingly amazing I thought it was. No ID, no account number, just gave a name, took out a few hundred dollars. So if I can get money at a bank I am sure someone can get across a border.

As for the passport, yeah just bring a couple dopes that will sign the affidavit stating they know who you are, and presto... a passport. With that the sky is the limit.

[LiveFreeorDie]

To make your statement more accurate, you just have to remove the italicized part. How do I skip that step? Well, it's pretty simple. "I don't have an ID to show you."

They'll either select you as a secondary then (probably after chiding you, but ignore this), or send you back to the airline (to be marked a selectee). If you truly don't have ID, then your best bet is to be proactive and let the ticket counter agent know this before you go to the security line. It's up to the airline to decide if you're who you say you are, based on what you're able to offer them as evidence (photographed ID, frequent flier card, credit card in your name, etc). Checking ID is not a security measure, contrary to most people's beliefs. It is a revenue protection measure. After all, the 9/11 hijackers all had IDs. It wouldn't have done ANYTHING to stop them by comparing their tickets to their IDs, because they all had IDs!

If you do have ID and get sent back to the airline, what I've always done is simply tell them the truth. "I'll show you ID, but per the Gilmore case, I refuse to show identification to the TSA, so if you can mark me as a SSSSelectee, I'll be on my way."

This is 100% accurate. I just went through this a couple of months ago. Right before a flight, I went to put a deposit down on a new apt. They took a photocopy of my ID and forgot to give it back. I got to the airport and NO ID. I thought I ws screwed. I went to the counter and explained what happened. They just asked if I had a credit card or something else with my name on it. They then write SSS on your boarding pass and your luggage tag. That means both you and your luggage are automatically selected for manual screening/searching. That's it, it was no problem.