How ironic. Last week I posted about the other Joshua Baers on Internet, today I was confused with a Joshua Baer on the FAA terrorist watch list while trying to board a plane to Portland for RailsConf.
I checked in for my flight online last night and printed out my board pass. With no bags to check, I went straight to the security line and then to my gate without a problem. Then when they called my group to board the plane I handed the gate agent my ticket to scan before boarding. She handed it back to me and I started down the ramp.
After 3 steps she called me back. Looking at her screen, I saw the entire screen flashing in red, with "WATCH LIST" in all caps and then some other instructions in the middle of the screen.
My stomach sank. Visions of arguing with TSA officials in some back room started running through my head. "No, I'm not that Joshua Baer!"
Fortunately, the gate agent didn't seem that phased by it. "I haven't seen this before," she shrugged and called for another agent to come look. She asked me for my driver's license and gave that with my ticket to the other agent. She then explained that sometimes if my name matches one found on the watch list they flag my ticket and need to verify with my driver's license that I'm not the person they are looking for.
After waiting for a few minutes, they scanned my ticket again, it beeped acceptingly, and I was on my way.
Phew!
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