If you're from 1 of these 4 states and plan to fly in 2016, Homeland Security has a memo for you.
Heads up to travelers from New York, New Hampshire, Louisiana, and Minnesota — and also American Samoa.
We may all get why airport security is important. But it's safe to say no one enjoys it.
What's to like about lines, partially disrobing, radiation pods, and the occasional invasion of your personal space?
You know the drill. Photo by Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images.
In Psychology Today, Jack Schafer, a former behaviorial analyst for the FBI, posits a theory on our common tiffs with the TSA:
"Americans are used to unrestricted freedom. Any loss of freedom causes frustration. Airport security restricts our liberty. We cannot walk directly to the gate. We cannot possess more than three ounces of liquids or gels. We cannot carry utility tools or other sharp objects. In addition to restrictions, mandates force us to take off our shoes, subject ourselves to invasive personal searches, and luggage examinations at will."
"Yep, that's just my boob." Photo by Jeff Topping/Getty Images.
The Department of Homeland Security is making the hassle a little heavier for freedom-loving fliers from four states.
Make that four states and one U.S. territory. Travelers from Louisiana, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, and American Samoa may soon be unable to board domestic flights with a standard driver's license from their departments of motor vehicles.
Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images.
Yes, domestic flights.
Once the rule goes into effect, if the affected states haven't drank their DHS-flavored Kool-Aid, travelers from those states will need a passport, enhanced driver's license, or other second approved form of ID to catch flights within the U.S.
New Yorkers, Louisianians, Minnesotans, New Hampshirites, and American Samoans be like...
This is the fourth phase of a nearly decade-long delay in enforcement of the REAL ID Act, which Congress passed in 2005 to "set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver's licenses."
DHS says the new restriction is scheduled to take effect "no sooner than 2016," which is a vague way of saying maybe next year, maybe a few years down the road, as Mashable's Jessica Plautz notes.
How big of a deal is this?
On the surface, it doesn't seem terribly urgent. Between the absence of an actual deadline and the equally vague promise of "ample advanced notice," there's no need to bum-rush your passport offices or DMVs.
Photo by Kat/Flickr.
At the same time, only 38% of Americans hold valid passports, which means this could affect millions of people. So if you're familiar with the DMV, you might be doing yourself a favor by getting ahead of the game.
GIF via "Beetlejuice."
Is fighting the hassle worth the hassle?
In other words, do these states have legitimate reasons to refuse REAL ID?
Human question mark and governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal. Photo by Gage Skidmore/Flickr.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo thought his state was in compliance with the act because they offer the option of an enhanced driver's license, which apparently isn't enough. But the state does seem to be falling in line, one extension request at a time.
There are, of course, holdouts on REAL ID. The debate has spawned unlikely alliances in Louisiana, where the Tea Party and other states' rights lobbies have found common ground with the American Civil Liberties Union:
"REAL ID creates a national ID card that has nothing to do with the ability to drive and everything to do with government snooping on innocent people. We don't need that, and never have. If it were so essential to national security, it would have been enforced years ago." — Marjorie Esman, executive director of the Louisiana chapter of the ACLU
Gov. Bobby Jindal vetoed a 2014 bill to implement REAL ID, calling the policy "unnecessary federal oversight of our driver's licenses." For now, he's pinning his hopes on an eternal waiver of responsibility from the DHS. (Good luck with that, bro.)
In Minnesota, legislators are hung up on both the cost of the policy and federal collection of personal data. State Sen. Scott Dibble went on the record with a weaker brand of skepticism:
"There was real concern over whether we make ourselves more or less safe if we become part of a large, national ID registry system. ... I continue to have all the concerns I had back then. I just don't know if we should be playing chicken like this with the feds at this point."
Because if you're gonna play chicken, play chicken. GIF via "Pearl Harbor."
The National Association of Airline Passengers is not thrilled about REAL ID, either. Executive director Douglas Kidd says he doesn't agree with the added costs to passengers and the lack of evidence that the REAL ID will make the country safer.
The good news is we still have time to sort it out.
Since the government isn't taking action until a yet-to-be-determined date in 2016, there's a window for state and federal officials to find a compromise.
And perhaps those of you who may end up needing a passport or enhanced license can see the glass as half-full. Maybe it's a good time to plan a trip?
Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.