Loophole allows minors to bypass airport security – The Oregonian
When an Oregon teen talked his way onto an airplane bound for Chicago last weekend, he unknowingly revealed a little-known hole in airport security.
Kids don’t have to show photo ID.
That may come as a surprise to many air travelers. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, travelers are accustomed to removing their shoes, not carrying liquids and otherwise coping with strict protocols of airport security.
But when it comes to conducting minors through airports, security and efforts to preserve air passenger convenience intersect in a highly unusual way.
The Transportation Security Administration requires all air travelers 18 and older to show a boarding pass and government-issued photo ID to enter security screening.
