Flying with Clear

Today was my first experience using the Clear travel service. If you are not familiar (or haven't flown lately), Clear is a service that utilizes fingerprints and/or iris scans to bypass the long lines of airport security.

Despite my leftist obsession with privacy, I decided when I first looked at the Clear program that I thought it would be better if I voluntary signed up for the service since ultimately the government and TSA can find whatever they want about you anyway. I'm also fairly convinced that's it better to have some alternate form of identity verification should something go wrong.

There are multiple aspects of air traffic that remain baffling. Things that are supposed to help, such as United's bizarre non-time-saving baggage drop (it's at the way far left in SFO in case you, like me, find yourself searching for the mystery location), or the fact that I have to surrender my shoes, for example.

My Clear experience:

• Head to the dedicated Clear line at security
• Show boarding pass and ID to Clear representative
• Verify fingerprint
• Bypass the 45-minute line to security screen in less than 2 minutes

The one thing that I didn't like was that the Clear representative put my bag, shoes, and jacket on the screening table for me as I went through the scanner. It doesn't make a lot of sense to verify my identity only to take my belongings away from me. I think they were just trying to be helpful but my paranoia wins out.

Regardless, for $100 the service is well worth it.

[Matt Asay]

Are you kidding me, Dave? Aren't you a frequent flier? If so, you get to skip that 45-minute line, anyway, without also going through the hassle of the Clear process. It actually takes me less time to get through without Clear than it does with Clear. It's not a question of privacy. It's a question of competence and convenience. You still have to do the same take-off-the-shoes routine. All you miss is the 45-minute line, which you miss anyway if you fly at least 25K miles/year.

[TinaHillinston]

I work as TSA officer in one of the busiest airport of the nation. For, I have seen after about four yeras working here is that Clear is not the best way to speed your way through the checkpoint. Like Mr. Asay said, it takes less time without Clear. But for your mental sanity, the Clear representative intention is to keep your belongings with you all the time. The person will stand with you and that the same time that you pass the metal detector, they will send your bags to be screened. When you get to the other side, your bags should be there or at least at your sight. In that way, they make sure, your bags are safe all the time. www.screenersconfessions.com

[billmosby]

You used "leftist" and "privacy" in the same sentence without negating one of them. Cute!

[daverosenberg]

I'm not sure that I am convinced about Clear but I am sure that it took me only 2 minutes to get through security at SFO which is not possible considering that United is my main carrier.