California is considering bipartisan legislation that would ban CLEAR in its current form at California airports. While CLEAR has certainly lost some of its competitive edge over the last few years, this is still shortsighted legislation that will not meaningfully address the larger goal of trying to streamline and simplify airport security screening.
California Considers CLEAR Ban
A bill authored by Orange County Democrat Josh Newman, a member of the California Senate, would ban CLEAR members from funneling into airport security lanes. Instead, CLEAR would need to arrange its own dedicated security lanes if it wanted to continue to operate in California.
Newman frames the problem as one of equity:
“The least you can expect when you have to go through the security line at the airport is that you don’t suffer the indignity of somebody pushing you out of the way to let the rich person pass you.”
“The least you can expect when you have to go through the security line at the airport is that you don’t suffer the indignity of somebody pushing you out of the way to let the rich person pass you,” said Senator Josh Newman. #CALeghttps://t.co/fddDSkJeif
— Senator Josh Newman (@JoshNewmanCA) April 22, 2024
His colleague, Republican Janet Nguyen who is running for a seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, agrees:
“I do understand the frustration stated in Senator Newman’s bill. It becomes a haves vs. have nots where those who can afford it jump in front of the rest of us. They even cut in front of TSA Pre-boarding pass travelers who have been screened by the TSA.”
Even if this bill passed, security checkpoints are regulated by the federal government via the TSA, making it possible the bill could not even be enforced.
Why This Is Focusing On The Wrong Priority
Yesterday was a busy day for me and time did not permit me to cover this story, but I read with interest the takes of my colleagues like Ben from One Mile At A Time and Gary from View From The Wing.
I’m largely in agreement with Gary (and Gib from God Save The Points) that this is a foolish, hypocritical, and misguided measure. And yes, I do use CLEAR when I travel, but also note that the bill under consideration would not ban priority checkpoints, VIP escorts, or other means by which the “haves” cut in front of the “have nots.” In that sense, I truly view the specific targeting of CLEAR as strange.
Will airports also ban in-terminal parking since it costs twice as much as economy lot parking? You know, for equity…maybe we should all park two miles away.
But Ben’s reaction puzzled me. He is “supportive of this because I just find CLEAR to be a ridiculously inefficient concept, and I just don’t find there to be much value to it.” He further contends:
“Now we’re at the point where basically everyone has CLEAR, and when everyone can cut the ID check, no one can cut the ID check.”
For what it’s worth, that has not been my experience. He tends to fly American and I tend to fly United, but CLEAR routinely saves me time at Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Washington Dulles (IAD), and Newark (EWR).
At my home airport of Los Angeles (LAX), the Pre-Check lines tend to be so short that you don’t save much time, but I’d rather tap my index finger and scan my mobile boarding pass than fish into my wallet for my ID.
Bottom line: I still find great value in CLEAR every time I fly.
Let’s Focus On Better Security Screening, Not Class Warfare
But we may reach a point in which CLEAR becomes much less relevant. It is true that the TSA no longer needs both our ID and boarding pass: it’s just our ID that is scanned. Facial recognition is being tested at several airports and I think we will one day reach a point in which our faces are scanned and we do not need to swipe any ID or boarding pass.
I look forward to that day…I figure “Big Brother” is already watching our every move and this will just make it easier.
Could the space currently occupied by CLEAR be used more efficiently? Maybe. It would be nice if the “CLEAR Ambassadors” did not have to log in themselves. I’d love to see a simple system like the new Global Entry machines. The next-generation CLEAR machines are really no different than the old ones.
But the fundamental premise of the bill: that CLEAR is unfair – is just wrong and a curious targeting of a tool of efficiency that helps to better distribute and lessen other lines at security checkpoints.
I hope this bill fails and I point out this is why people love mocking my home state…the idea that we should all suffer equally is a foolish perspective. Instead of working to ban programs that make security more efficient, these two clowns should be working on initiatives that make security easier for every single traveler.
And while outside the purview of the California Senate, isn’t it time for US regulators to take the bold move of no longer regulating liquids or forcing laptops to come out? That alone would revolutionize security in a very positive way. It’s time for that, not gimmicks meant to make frequent flyers inefficently wait amongst infrequent travelers.
It’s California, of course it’s class warfare. Nothing more really needs to be said. Between how much they hate success and the taxes I’ll never understand how someone like yourself would stay there and raise a family.
And I will say it is one of the most beautiful states in our country. And I’m guilty of visiting often. But would never consider living there.
LOL!! Really? You don’t understand why anyone would live in a state that 39+ million people call home, has the 5th largest GDP in the world, and the best weather of any state in the USA? You really think a sane, rational thinking person is going to give up that opportunity because the state legislature is interested in banning people paying money to jump ahead in the security line at the airport? A small minded person might fall for that, but an adult will not.
California does what it does because it can, and there will always be more people that want to come here. Those people that cannot handle some of the madness that goes on here are best to stay away as it is not going anywhere. That’s what makes it what it is, and the success that it is.
Michael, The people in calif has NO CLUE!! Many have never left the state and the government does a great job of Propaganda via TV news,Local information sites,radio and of course the newsprint… Pick up a Press democrat and see for yourselff!! and the Bad air quality,the flooding,rock slides,crime,TAXES …. more Taxes and fires makes it NOT so Great to be living there
Leave it to creepy homosexual moron Ben Schlapig to say something stupid.
Enoough with the insults against Ben. He’s my friend – someone I trust – in many ways, a better person than me. So unless you know him better than I do, the comments are not helpful.
NEVER!
Chi has the fundamental right to the freedom of hate speech. And even with his mental condition, he also has the right to buy as many weapons as he wants.
God bless America, Sure it’s going to be great again.
So sad.
That’s right baby, exercising my first and second amendment rights (And believe me, do I ever). If you can’t take the freedom, get out of America. MAGA!!
Chi, you sound jealous of Ben?
He probably didn’t graduate high school.
I don’t know, Matthew. With all due respect, if an idiot on my blog posted an offense of that level to a friend, I would delete it. It wouldn’t be censorship, it wouldn’t be an offense to free speech, it would just be the right thing to do.
If I was Ben, seeing that you left that message posted would make me really sad.
I think Ben knows me well enough to know that I have great respect and admiration for him, full stop.
I don’t censor ideas on this blog – I believe Chi only makes himself look bad. But sorry, we don’t delete content that makes us feel uncomfortable. The answer to speech is more speech.
Matthew for all I must irritate him, has principles.
YOU Ricardo, don’t. You’re the typical
Leftist who wants to censor everyone with whom you disagree, because what you suggest WOULD be censorship. Don’t delude yourself into thinking otherwise.
“I don’t censor ideas on this blog”.
Sorry Matthew, if you think that “creepy homosexual moron” is an idea, what can I say?
For me, you are a bad friend.
Authoritarian minded people always rationalize shutting other people up.
@ Chi Hsuan
Is everything ok? While we may disagree on a lot of things, I do respect (and often enjoy ) and your interactions here. Many times you make my day. ; ) just wanted you to know that. And please don’t bring orange ( now not so orange man back) : (. Let’s work it through!
Everything good here, and yourself?
I enjoy our interactions as well, though we certainly disagree on the orange man.
Glad all is well. Election aside. Be good
Surprised it saves you time at IAD. As my home airport I rarely ever use it as the PRE line is much faster. Clear is usually lined up 20 deep waiting for a kiosk with two people handling it all. Complete waste of time. In fact, I revert to using Clear maybe 10% of the time anywhere in the U.S. as it’s such a clunky process.
When I read something like this, I wonder what the real cause for this proposed legislation is.
While Newman frames it as a “Robin Hood” of the airport act, he’s not going after any of the other ways that financially privileged people get through the airport faster. Also, Clear costs effectively about $16/month– significantly less than parking for a day at LAX costs, so the idea that Clear isn’t affordable to those who fly with any regularity seems silly too.
So if this isn’t actually about helping “level the playing field”, what is it really about? Maybe Clear refused to pay up for these politicians, or something like that?
You nailed it.
Clear wasn’t paying the bribes…er…the campaign donations required to keep the greedy Communists in CA government happy.
Right ON!!!
This is a good story for travel blogs, but is it really being considered?
Two Orange County politicians proposed it, but hundreds of bills get proposed and they’re DOA. The goal of the authors of this bill isn’t to get rid of CLEAR, it’s to look like they’re working for poorer inland voters while hobnobbing and taking money from wealthy donors in Newport and Corona del Mar who really call the shots. The idea of Orange County of all places eliminating CLEAR on equity grounds is laughable.
You have to wonder whether this all comes from someone cutting in front of Newman at SNA last week…
CLEAR is a toll road operator with ambitions to become gatekeeper of the entire highway. I’ll milk their credits for all they’re worth but long term I’m rooting for them to fail, we’d all be better off for it.
Agree the class warfare argument is unpersuasive.
I have seen the line for CLEAR at SFO United domestic longer than TSA Pre multiple times. For me there doesn’t seem to be much value.
Matthew, why are you are surprised that perceived inequity in airport security lines should be a priority for some politicians in our state? Meanwhile, the high speed rail project has swallowed Billion$ with no tracks yet laid, and may require up to $130B plus to be finished, if ever. Yet, no one in the controlling party in the state legislature or senate can muster the strength to call it a boondoggle and kill the project, even with California’s multibillion dollar deficit (is it $40B or $78B?). And don’t forget, the same party that passed a bill requiring shareholder utilities to charge for electricity based on income, which supposedly was to incentivize our poor folks to rush out and buy EV’s; thank goodness that plan is being revised…hopefully. Better be damn good weather here in SoCal this year to justify all of this!
Clear is a life saver in Denver. By a mile. Not much in other places but it depends on the time of the day. At MSP, if you get to the airport around 6am, Clear is life saver, not much at other times. I will keep it.
If the proposal originated in California, then you know it it just another brainwashed liberal DemocRat idea.
I don’t see what good will come from the state government banning Clear. Clear is only around at airports because it has commercial partnerships that airlines and/or airports of value to its counterparts and some of its retail customer subscribers value in much the way some of us used to value premium passenger security screening lines at US airports and value having and value when getting the “all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than other animals” Precheck line/screening access. The market/public and the federal government can eventually put Clear out of business, so the state should just let it be for now where and when an airline and/or airport thinks it is commercially worth it to have Clear in operation at an airport/terminal.
Pardon the crazy amount of typos in the above comment.
Cities overrun by drugs and homeless, unaffordable housing, inadequate electrical infrastructure, $71 billion deficit, highest cost of living in the US, public education ranked #40 in the country, mismanagement of forestry and water supplies and exodus of citizens to better managed states, hey, I know what will fix everything, let’s ban CLEAR!
Well, NY is ahead of them in banning individually wrapped cheese. Yes, priorities, right?
My thoughts exactly
And if you are going to ban Clear then i suppose you’ll need to also ban TSA pre-check and toll roads. I mean, not everyone can afford those either right? I guess you’ll have to ban valet parking too, VIP tiickets, first and business class seating? Right? I mean fair is fair right?
Dumbest idea I’ve ever heard. I’m sure there’s an agenda somewhere that has more to do with campaign contributions than anything
Are toll roads in the US operated by private companies? I think the thing is Clear is a private company that sells line cutting in an airport built by all taxpayers.
Yes some of them are.
@PT: And pays California millions of dollars a year in order to do so. It is a company that works in cooperation with airports to streamline security and does so, in my experience, in a very effective way.
It it up there with the banning of straws,gas cars(when electric goes off very frequently in the summer when it is over 100 degrees)and so many other things… vs dealing with homeless and illegal populations tho they keep raising taxes to fund helping these entities..to NO avail..
As I don’t visit the US frequently, I don’t even know what this is.
What has baffled me in the rest of the Americas (and I do visit Latin America with some regularity) is the complete absence of ‘fast track’ security queues for premium passengers (typically those in business class and/or holding *G/STE+/OWS/OWE status) which are ubiquitous in Europe and often available in Asia.
Are those also unavailable in the States? If they exist (and I do think that I used a priority queue when recently travelling with UA from IAH), why would anyone need to sign up to a service like this?
True. It’s not logical to assume that someone is more secure with a membership to these security programs. Everyone should be treated equally (equally suspicious).
These security programs are nothing more than a money-making scheme by the government; the American way.
CA government is insane. I live in ATL and often use the Clear+TSA Pre Check. It is a very valuable service. Is CA going to ban TSA Pre Check also? You have to pay $85 for that service over 5 years. Granted, it isn’t a yearly fee of $129, but the concept is still the same. I have to travel to and from CA regularly and this will absolutely suck if implemented.
Just like the CA government to tell you what you can and can not spend your hard earned money on…and very few of the Clear customers are “rich”…WTF?
I dislike that TSA is so unreliable a service like Clear saves time in surge situations.
But the logic is poor – by the senators’ logic the 405 Freeway Express Lanes should be banned
Ironically the Express Lanes use the same logic Clear does about greater good – that both reduce congestion in the main lanes. In Clear’s case each Clear user takes up less of a TSA agent’s time to verify, and removing that time from the overall queue.
They should focus on getting rid of the ID check altogether, which is pointless and does nothing to increase security. If everyone is screened properly, then what does it matter who it is on the ID? Major airports in Europe don’t check IDs at security, and things are just fine there…
@Ryan, I strongly agree.
If you ban Clear you need to ban TSA Precheck and Global Entry as well. Why should your shoes and belt be more secure than my shoes and belt just because you paid for a security membership?
Not sure what Ben’s specific reasoning is for agreeing with the ban in calif???