The signs in Terminal B on Laguardia Airport told the story on Wednesday morning: “Real ID, improved, passport” with an arrow pointing to the right, and “everyone” with an arrow that points to the left.
After years of warnings and delay, “everyone else” is no longer enough to make the security control points of the airport beyond. Travelers are now obliged to flash a federal conforming ID, a passport or another Approved form of identification To go on board domestic flights.
Deadline Day started calmly in Laguardia, with many passengers who arrived up to three hours early, warnings for delays or complications of the real ID expansion. A large number of employees of transport security, airport staff and police officers flanked the security entrance and advised travelers to prepare their IDs.
Arthur Perlman, 61, a former teacher from Queens who described himself as ‘somewhat delivered’, came to Texas early four hours before his flight. He had recently received a Staats -ID card and suspected it was a real ID.
But it had neither a star nor an American flag, which means it was not compliant. “A week ago I thought about it and went,” Oh my God! “He said. “I did a reality check.”
He briefly panicked until he heard that a passport is also valid. He had brought that to Laguardia.
Real ID enforcement will be delayed by the concern of states about privacy and steep costs after 15 years of delays, as well as the COVID-19 Pandemie. Despite all the warnings and deferred deadlines, the government still has trouble persuading people to get real IDs.
States reported various rates of Real ID -Compliance prior to Wednesday’s deadline. In California it was more than half of all licenses or ID cards from the row. In Pennsylvania it was 28 percent.
Travelers also received mixed messages about what they can expect at security control points for airports when the deadline arrived. While the Transportation Security Administration repeatedly declared it Full enforcement would start on WednesdayKristi Name, the secretary of Homeland Security, said on Tuesday that travelers who did not have a real ID compliance with document could still flyAfter extra screening.
At Chicago Midway International Airport, Anthony Harris, a 19-year-old from Chicago who had just completed his first year at Hampton University in Virginia, flew home early on Wednesday morning without a real ID.
Mr. Harris, who had drawn an excellent air to make his flight of 5:45 am, said he was not aware of the real ID-Deadline when he arrived at the airport at 4 o’clock
“It was out of sight and out of the heart. It was a while since I went to the airport, so when I got there, I saw the plates and said,” Oh, it’s May 7, “he said.
He was allowed by the security after going through extra screening, but, he said, a TSA agent gave him a notification warning: “The ID you were presented is not really conform.”
Inside Busy Terminal C on Newark Liberty International Airport, where errors of equipment and problems with air traffic management staff more than one Week of heavy delaysSecurity lines moved fairly quickly, with an average waiting time of 16 minutes early Wednesday, and not a clear individual line for travelers whose documents were not met Real ID.
Several travelers said they were more concerned about the news that the air traffic controllers who had aircraft at Newark had a short time Lost contact with aircraft last weekWhich encourages some of the controllers to take trauma leave of the work.
“It is not so much the delays; it was safety,” said Marty Springer, a resident of New Jersey who flew to San Francisco with his passport. He could not have obtained a real ID yet. New Jersey has one of the lowest real ID rates in the country, with alone About 17 percent of the IDs Allegedly compliant from last week.
The port authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates Newark, Laguardia and Kennedy International, said it had enlarged the staff and worked to increase the public awareness of the deadline. “The port authority has worked closely with TSA, our terminal operators and all stakeholders of the airport to guarantee a real ID as smoothly as possible if the federal government starts to require a real ID at TSA Checkpoints,” said James Allen, the Chief Communications Officer of the Agency, in a statement.
The demand for real id’s has risen as the deadline appeared, which led to long lines and frustration. On Tuesday, in the real ID Supercenter in the center of Chicago, Juanita Yost, 53, waited to apply for two of her adult children.
Mrs. Yost, a nurse, said she went on vacation in a few weeks, and her daughter, a student, was planning to fly to Minnesota soon.
It was their third attempt to get real id’s. They were previously rejected because they did not have the required documents. “Yesterday was freezing and we arrived here at 9 a.m. and only arrived almost 1 p.m.,” said Mrs. Yost. “They have not communicated anything well.”
Eventually, after about four hours, they had completed the application process, just before the center for the day was closed. The only catch? Their new cards last approximately two weeks to arrive by post.
Christine Chung And Nate Schweber reported from Laguardia Airport, Michael Levendon from Newark Liberty International Airport, and Robert Chiarito From Chicago Midway International Airport.
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