rant · moment 4 of 14
CLEAR Airport Security Is Becoming the Next Airbnb
from A Loud Shape | The Tim Dillon Show #370 · #370
12 min
Tim gives an extended rant about CLEAR, the private airport security company, detailing how its promised convenience has collapsed into long lines, unhelpful and seemingly high staff, random ID checks despite biometric enrollment, and a personal ordeal at Newark that forced him to fly private.
- Clear is a private company that lets you bypass regular security lines at airports by scanning your biometric data.
- Tim describes how Clear works: they scan your eyes and fingerprint, run you through a database, and you skip the line without needing ID.
- The Clear line itself has become so long that Tim has missed flights by underestimating how long it takes to get through.
- Clear promised to be everywhere but only operates in 51 airports, and some terminals within those airports don't have Clear service.
- Clear employees act like customers have done something wrong when they need help and show no interest in assisting people quickly.
- Clear now does random ID checks every time despite the whole premise being that biometric data makes ID unnecessary.
- Tim arrives at Newark 20 minutes before his flight closes without his ID, assuming his Clear membership and biometric data would be sufficient.
- The Clear staff run Tim through the system three times, each time demanding a random ID check even after scanning his eyes and fingerprint.
- Clear employees sometimes abandon their station entirely, leaving customers stranded even though they've paid for the service.
- Clear staff try to upsell customers and pressure them to add family members to their accounts while going through security.
- Tim suggests Clear should hire people who aren't fresh out of rehab or work-release programs, as the staff are visibly intoxicated during shifts.
- Clear staff act like Tim is insane when he doesn't have an ID, treating him as a potential terrorist instead of helping him as a registered member.
- Tim had to fly private to make his Carnegie Music Hall show because Clear couldn't resolve his ID situation and he would have missed his flight.
- These airport problems are only noticeable if you travel frequently, but traveling in general is terrible.