On-board Passenger Identification Verification Options

[RailHaRRy]

From Amtrak via Gene Poon in e-mails:

On-board Passenger Identification Verification

Amtrak, in compliance with a security directive issued by the federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA), will implement a random passenger identification verification policy on board trains.

Beginning in November, adult passengers (18 and older) will be randomly asked to produce valid photo identification by conductors on board all trains. The random identification checks will be based on a passenger's ticket number and will be conducted on approximately 10 percent of all passengers. If the name of the passenger on the ticket and the passenger's identification do not match and a reasonable explanation is not provided, conductors will be required to alert Amtrak Police for further investigation.

Train crews will continue to periodically make announcements on board the train informing passengers that they may be subject to random identification verification and that they should have their photo identification readily available, if requested.

Federal TSA guidelines specify that the following are acceptable forms of passenger identification:

Photo identification issued by a government
authority, or, Two other forms of identification, at
least one of which is issued by a government
authority

Passengers purchasing tickets from Amtrak ticket offices or on board trains must be 15 years of age or older and possess valid photo identification in order to purchase an Amtrak ticket. Examples of acceptable forms of photo identification are:

Driver's license Valid passport Official government-
issued identification (e.g. federal, state, or
county government, or foreign government) Military
identification Student identification (e.g.
university, college, or high school photo
identification) Job Corps photo identification
Canadian federal or provincial identification
Mexican government issued identification or papers

-source: AMTRAK security advisory

[winwithceltics]

I understand most of the forms of identification. But, the foreign forms of ID should NOT be accepted. Anyone who is LEGALLY in this country should have a passport, visa, green card etc,etc. and should be expected to produce it.

It is widely known that the Mexican Matricula card is easily stolen and even more easily "purchased". I'm sorry to sound so hostile, but it is about time this country stopped cow-towing to ILLEGAL ALIENS (sometimes referred to in the PC world as "undocumented immigrants") and rewarding them for breaking the laws of this country.

Terrorists can easily slip into the US and get favourable treatment with this phoney Metricula card.

[ICGsteve]

Pretty much indicates that I was correct about why AMtrak is making trains all reserved. Now is AMtrak going to get a increase in funding to cover all the extra work the reservations, ticketing, on board crews and police must do????

What are we getting for this cost of millions (or is it tens of millions-who knows and why is no one talking?) bucks a year...evildoers who don't want to hassle with Amtrak police now must fork over $50 for fake IDs. Great idea! Keep up the good work of wasting our tax money.

[LouChamplin]

Win...celtics complained abouit phony Mexican Matricula cards. I agree with him that phony cards are not acceptable. However cards issued by the Mexican government should be acceptable. Phony US IDs are also not acceptable.

Lou Champlin