TSA spokeswoman Sterling Payne characterizes the changes as having more effect behind the scenes than at airport checkpoints. "What we care about at the checkpoint is what we've always cared about: that you are who you say you are," she says. "And that means having a valid government ID."

Unfortunately, TSA knowing who you are doesn't improve your security at all. Either you are carrying the means to interfere with the flight, or you aren't. If you aren't, then why waste extremely limited resources preventing you from flying on the plane? If you are, why not spend the resources making damn sure that the means are detected instead of playing Big Brother games?