fake bording pass

[evilgold]

Has anyone here actually tried getting past airport security with a fake bording pass. What are the actual legal consequences if you where to be caught. I'd really like to try this because my girlfriend works at the airport (behind security) and she would be greatly impressed by this.

[linear]

really? you're going to consider something this risky in our current hyperparanoid climate?

good luck.

[rbcp]

How do you plan to get a fake boarding pass?  With a fake ID?  When they check you in at the counter, they look at your drivers license.  And at the security gates, they look at it again and they shine an ultraviolet light on it to make sure it's real.  Your method of impressing your girlfriend is pretty dumb.  Buy her some flowers instead, because that's less likely to involve a full body cavity search.

[evilgold]

I'm talking about something like this: http://www.dubfire.net/boarding_pass/

I'm aware i'd have to use my real name and they would check my ID... but if that's all they check then it should be smooth sailing.

-edit-
Also: http://www.slate.com/id/2152507/

this information is a bit old though... that's why i ask.

[rbcp]

Oh yeah, that would probably work.  As long as the paper you use is the same type and thickness.  You might want to get a perforating machine from Office Depot so the edges look real.  They might be trained to check for things like that.

This might not even be illegal.  But even if it's not, it's still risky.  I read a lot of blogs that detail what assholes the TSA can be.  If they figure out that you're trying to trick them, they might keep you in a holding cell for a day or two.  They might strip search you and probe you.  They've done things like this to innocent people for really stupid reasons this past decade.

Also, they security checkpoint people like to randomly select people for extra screening.  This means another look at your ticket.  Maybe they even have a computer where they can scan your barcode and see that it's fake.  If they hold you in a room all day, asking questions, they might figure out that your girlfriend works for them and fire her.  They might put you on a terror watch list, making legitimate flight travel for you a huge pain in the ass for the rest of your life.

Seriously, just buy her some goddamn flowers, man!

[RushPwnsX]

Also, they security checkpoint people like to randomly select people for extra screening.

They only do that to middle to upper class white men.

[evilgold]

Well impressing my girlfriend wasn't the only reason, I've wanted to try this for a while... I'm still wondering if its a crime though, Its not like i can really call them and ask.

My (fool-proof) plan was this: I have a friend coming in town soon, when he is set to leave, he can use the online check in feature to print out his own boarding pass, then I'll also print a copy, but photo shop my name instead of his. I'll arrive at the airport with him, and go threw security before him, that way if anything bad happens at least he'll get to watch.

too bad i'm not old like brad carter, or I'd could have done this sort fun stuff years before 911.

[rbcp]

too bad i'm not old like brad carter, or I'd could have done this sort fun stuff years before 911.

We could even make bomb jokes to the security people and they would just look at us like, "Ugh, I hate my job."

Make sure you've got a digital recorder in your pocket so you can record the hilarity of it all.

[linear]

you don't actually print your boarding pass, you print your confirmation/itinerary and it has a barcode on it that you scan at the self checkout to get your boarding pass. the boarding passes are pretty standardized for each airport so security knows what they're looking at. any difference in paper weight or finish or anything will be easy for them to detect since they see hundreds of them a day.

[Magus]

Well impressing my girlfriend wasn't the only reason, I've wanted to try this for a while... I'm still wondering if its a crime though, Its not like i can really call them and ask.

Why not? Just call some random airport and ask if it's illegal. Simple enough.

Also, this: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/30/opinion/30dowd.html?_r=1

[MattGSX]

The last few times I flew, I didn't even get a boarding pass until after I checked in, so this would require leaving the airport (or just having the printer and equipment with you, which seems pointlessly risky). At Philadelphia, we didn't even get boarding passes; they were so far behind and had so many rescheduled flights they just told us to take our IDs to the gates where they printed the boarding pass and scanned it.

I have also never had a boarding pass that wasn't scanned, and every time it has been scanned, they have checked the name on the computer against my ID and then against the pass. It sounds like this isn't a universal thing, though, so I either look suspicious or have flown right around alert times.

One thing you could do is look up the airport online and check what information they have from TSA guidelines, as they usually tell you up-front what to be prepared for in the event of a security check.

In terms of crimes, this is definitely a form of forgery/fraud. Even if they don't charge you with some sort of crime (which is unlikely), TSA will probably take down the flight, gate, and seat #, have the gate pull the information, and revoke your friend's boarding pass when he tries to board.

In short, funny idea that may have worked a few years ago, but now it's probably not worth it.