Actual identification requirements finally arrive at American airports

The panels inside Terminal B of Laguardia airport told the story on Wednesday morning: “Real Id, improved, passport” with an arrow pointing to the right, and “all the others” with an arrow pointing to the left.

After years of warning and postponement, “all the others” are no longer enough to pass the control points of the airport security. Travelers are now required to flash a real ID in accordance with the federal government, a passport or another form of approved identification to board interior flights.

The deadline started calmly in Laguardia, with many passengers arriving until three hours earlier, dealing with warnings of delays or complications of the real deployment of identification. A large number of employees of the transport of transport, airport and police staff flanked the entry of security, advising travelers to prepare their identity documents.

Arthur Perlman, 61, a former Queens teacher who described himself as “slightly worried”, came four hours earlier for his flight to Texas. He had recently obtained a state identity card and presumed that it was a real identity document.

But he had neither a star nor a American flag, which means that he was not in conformity. “A week ago, I thought about it and said to myself:” Oh my God! “” He said. “I did a verification of reality.”