TSA Airport Security - CHL saved me

[redsectora]

Last week some co-workers and I were flying to Vegas out of Bush. Standing in the security line it was my turn to approach the TSA checkpoint. I handed over my Tx DL and boarding pass.
The lady scoured over my indentification and then looked up at me and said "Sir, your Drivers license in expired". Knowing my license was not expired I was quite puzzled! I looked and it was my expired license from 07!
I stepped back out of line and searched my backpack and wallet. By this time a TSA supervisor approached and I told him that I indeed have a current TX DL and that I possibly left it at baggage check-in.
( I used my license for the boarding passes at the automated kiosk). He was very professional and calm and suggested that I go back to the kiosk and see if i left it there.
By this time my 3 friends were already through security wondering what the heck was going on. I went to the kiosk and asked the Continental desk employee if anyone found a license and she said "no".
I had a sick feeling in my stomach, the feeling of losing your wallet or keys and started to think the worst, they are not going to let me through security!!

I walked back over to the extremely long security line, flustered, worried and not knowing what to do! The TSA supervisor approached me and asked if I had found my license.
I said no and he said "ok, follow me" and he took me back up to the checkpoint where the lady checks boarding pass and DL with the ultra violet pen. It felt like all the people in line were watching me
thinking to themselves " who is this guy cutting in line". The supervisor asks me if I have any other form of picture ID. I said I have my CHL and handed it to him.
He said " ok, that will work, enjoy your trip".

My whole 4 days in Vegas I was worried about the TSA security in Vegas, going through the same thing. Funny thing is I handed my expired TX DL over the the Vegas
checkpoint along with my return boarding pass and nothing was said. I was relieved.

What happened was while preparing for my trip I mistakenly left my current TX DL and grabbed my old expired one, identical license, same picture.

Props to the TSA, especially the supervisor in Houston. Very professional, very calm, and never once made me feel like a bad guy for not having the proper credentials.

rsa

[suthdj]

Try getting to the check-in counter for an international flight and find out you left your passport and ticket at home it is the worst sinking feeling in the world. luckily I only lived 30 minutes away and arrived 2.5 hours early.

[jimlongley]

Try getting to the check-in counter for an international flight and find out you left your passport and ticket at home it is the worst sinking feeling in the world. luckily I only lived 30 minutes away and arrived 2.5 hours early.

I did that flying out of O'Hare to Barbados. Talk about panic mode, and my wife, a very competent driver, did not know how to get from our house to the airport.

[suthdj]

Try getting to the check-in counter for an international flight and find out you left your passport and ticket at home it is the worst sinking feeling in the world. luckily I only lived 30 minutes away and arrived 2.5 hours early.

I did that flying out of O'Hare to Barbados. Talk about panic mode, and my wife, a very competent driver, did not know how to get from our house to the airport.

LOL, I was lucky my boss gave me a ride I called him back before he got to far away and then called another guy to meet me at my house for a ride back to the airport. I was on my way to Shanghai for a 2 week vacation.

[cohiba550]

Have always been paranoid about leaving my ID/Passport home and missing my flight. Glad to know the CHL will at least work for domestic travel.

[MegaWatt]

Just curious,,,,,,,, why do you still have / carry a drivers license that expired in 2007?

[redsectora]

Just curious,,,,,,,, why do you still have / carry a drivers license that expired in 2007?

I don't normally carry a expired license. Before my trip I was going through my wallet clearing old crap out, taking out credit cards. (was going to vegas).
I have a box full of crap, old mail and it happens to have 4 or 5 old expired Drivers Licenses in it. I put my current license in the crap box and grabbed the expired one like a dummy.

rsa

[Keith B]

Just curious,,,,,,,, why do you still have / carry a drivers license that expired in 2007?

I don't normally carry a expired license. Before my trip I was going through my wallet clearing old crap out, taking out credit cards. (was going to vegas).
I have a box full of crap, old mail and it happens to have 4 or 5 old expired Drivers Licenses in it. I put my current license in the crap box and grabbed the expired one like a dummy.

rsa

I would suggest destroying any old ID's that can be potentially used. If someone gets your old ID, they might be able to use it if someone doesn't look at the expiration date, just like in Vegas.

[chabouk]

I've never figured out why the government think a piece of plastic no longer identifies you after some arbitrary date.

I accidentally let my DL expire one time, which I found out when I went to pick up a gun from the dealer. It didn't matter if everything on the license was correct, or that it was only expired by two months, they had to have a current, valid DL or state ID card.

Luckily that was a slow day at the DPS office, so I was back within 30 minutes. Same piece of plastic, but now I had a little printed bit of paper that said I was a legal driver again.

[92f-fan]

I've never figured out why the government think a piece of plastic no longer identifies you after some arbitrary date.

I accidentally let my DL expire one time, which I found out when I went to pick up a gun from the dealer. It didn't matter if everything on the license was correct, or that it was only expired by two months, they had to have a current, valid DL or state ID card.

Luckily that was a slow day at the DPS office, so I was back within 30 minutes. Same piece of plastic, but now I had a little printed bit of paper that said I was a legal driver again.

Its valid now, Because you paid the fee....
And because you were supposed to have confirmed the accuracy of the info ....

I agree its Bull

[PUCKER]

Crazy isn't it? I remember about 8 years ago, a buddy of mine (age 30) and I went to have a beer, he got ID'ed, got refused as his DL was expired...talked the manager about it, he said "sorry, TABC rules." Hmmm....let's see, I guess you get YOUNGER when your DL expires???

So, went to another establishment and apparently he looked old enough to not get ID'ed.

[grumble]

I am 48 years old and I got carded in the Continental terminal of DFW a couple of months back. I had a PAPER Texas driver's license (I had just moved here and had not yet received my "tdl plastic"), and an expired (and hole-punched) NJ driver's license. The bartender would NOT give me a drink because I didn't have valid photo ID (he couldn't put 2+2 together). I was not happy. He wouldn't even accept my current and valid U.S. Passport. He told me "No Photo Texas Driver's License, No serve - TABC rules/law."

I just shook my head and walked to the next bar down the terminal.

[almostfree]

A few years ago my wife and I flew to Chicago to visit her grandparents and she left her DL at home. Thankfully she had her CHL with her and was allowed to board at Intercontinental. I was really worried about flying back out of O'Hare though. Since Illinois has no CHL, I figured the TSA person would turn her away, but they didn't even bat an eye lash.

[PUCKER]

I believe the bartender was incorrect regarding it being a TABC rule/law (I think I recall reading about it on the TABC website), I know that srothstein can provide the correct info.

I am 48 years old and I got carded in the Continental terminal of DFW a couple of months back. I had a PAPER Texas driver's license (I had just moved here and had not yet received my "tdl plastic"), and an expired (and hole-punched) NJ driver's license. The bartender would NOT give me a drink because I didn't have valid photo ID (he couldn't put 2+2 together). I was not happy. He wouldn't even accept my current and valid U.S. Passport. He told me "No Photo Texas Driver's License, No serve - TABC rules/law."

I just shook my head and walked to the next bar down the terminal.

[grumble]

I know he was "incorrect" - ha. But I could have argued with him all day and still not gotten a drink before my flight...

My "paper" temporary license was a VALID form of identification. It's a valid state issued drivers license, just no picture. I backed it up with a U.S. Passport (which is THE ultimate identification). He was just a moron.

Oh, and by the way, here is some helpful info if you ever fly out of Indianapolis. If you check in at the ticketing counter and hand your US passport to the lady as identification, and she says "I need to see your driver's license as well", do NOT say "If I don't have a driver's license, will my lifetime NRA membership card suffice?" If you DO say those things, make certain you have an extra 2+ hours before your scheduled flight leaves - and certainly do NOT ask me how I know this.