If you have a common name, then you already know the story: every flight, every security check, every rental, you brace yourself for that "routine verification" that isn’t routine at all. Having a common name means you’re often mistaken for someone else—or worse, someone suspicious. I can’t count the number of times I've had to step aside to verify my identity, answer extra questions, and in extreme cases, sit in a cold, cramped room for hours as airport officials scrutinize my travel plans.
My experience in Mexico City’s airport stands out. It was supposed to be a quick layover, but instead, I ended up detained for FIVE HOURS. Five hours of just sitting in a holding area with a mix of other travelers, some of whom clearly had issues with their paperwork, others just caught up in the same absurd, confusing process as me. When my name came up in the security system, I was asked to “step aside”—a phrase I’ve grown used to but dread hearing.
In that cramped room, there were travelers who clearly were not who they said they were, fidgeting uncomfortably or avoiding eye contact, some of them traveling with small children. When they were questioned, they stumbled over simple answers or gave contradictory information, and it was obvious to the officials that they were traveling with someone else's identity. It was both infuriating and humiliating to watch; security personnel shouted at them, scolded them, and acted in ways that felt degrading. But as uncomfortable as it was, I had no choice but to sit there and wait, thinking, Again? Here we go.
When it was finally my turn, the officials tried to “catch me off guard” with rapid-fire questions, flipping between English and Spanish. They even tried to make me stumble by switching languages mid-sentence, but being fluent in both, I kept my cool. I aggressively rolled my eyes, but overall, kept my cool. After confirming details, verifying my documents, and answering every question correctly, they finally let me go.
I wish I could say that experience was isolated, but it wasn't. Different airport, same story. Apparently, my name is on some list or is similar enough to someone else's that it raises a flag every time. As I sit through endless checks, I wonder if they give “John Smith” the same treatment. There are thousands of people with common names, yet the process seems like it's set up to catch people with anything.
For anyone with a common name, the phrase “routine verification” is anything but. It’s an exhausting, repetitive process, and there’s no real fix aside from hoping the next airport visit is smoother. But, if you share my story, know you’re not alone in the endless game of identity checks and hold-ups. And, maybe one day, they’ll streamline the process so that the rest of us can travel with a little more ease and a little less dread.
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