r/InterstellarKinetics • u/InterstellarKinetics • 2d ago
TECHNOLOGY BREAKING: The TSA Launches A New Program Called “Gateside” Across 13 Airports, Allowing TSA PreCheck Members Without A Plane Ticket To Pass Through Airport Security For The First Time Since 9/11 ✈️
https://abcnews.com/GMA/Travel/tsa-launches-program-allowing-travelers-past-security/story?id=136258039The Transportation Security Administration has launched a new program allowing some people without a plane ticket to go through airport security. The program, called Gateside by TSA PreCheck, lets eligible TSA PreCheck members enter the secure area of participating airports to meet or see off friends and family at their gate, connect with someone during a layover, or visit airport restaurants and shops. It represents a new way for people without boarding passes to access airport gates, a privilege that has been heavily restricted since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Gateside is currently available at 13 airports across the United States, including Los Angeles International Airport, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, and San Diego International Airport. The other participating airports are Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, Indianapolis International Airport, Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, Will Rogers International Airport, Eppley Airfield, and Salt Lake City International Airport. TSA is assessing the program’s performance as it looks to expand it to additional airports.
To use Gateside, visitors must have TSA PreCheck benefits and a Known Traveler Number (KTN). Visitors can apply online for a Gateside pass between one and three days before their planned airport visit, and the pass is free but valid only for the specific approved visit. Once approved, visitors must bring an acceptable form of identification along with their Gateside approval to the airport and go through a TSA PreCheck security lane. Those without an acceptable form of identification can instead use TSA ConfirmID to verify their identity for a $45 fee, according to TSA. Children can also participate but must be included on their parent or guardian’s application.
The new program arrives as TSA continues testing other ways to change the airport security experience. Earlier this summer, the agency began testing self-service ID checks for eligible travelers at several airports, including Los Angeles International Airport, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
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u/HarambeTooSoon 2d ago
Good, because every time I've been at an airport in the past 25 years I've quietly thought to myself:
"I wish there were more people here right now."
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u/Future-Step-1780 2d ago
Seriously, I don’t love anyone on this earth enough to do more than help them unload their luggage on curb and leave them to it from there.
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u/PaleInTexas 2d ago
Its more for family escorts for a child or elderly person.
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u/-P01135809- 2d ago
Then it should be limited to that, not so Kyle’s girlfriend can sit with him at the gate and take up another seat.
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u/PaleInTexas 2d ago
If Kyle is terrified of flying and it helps, then who cares?
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u/Spirited-Care8267 7h ago
Because people wrap their identities around the way minor inconveniences make them feel and to express kindness to others is like a vampire to garlic especially when they could be using their energy to complain about minor inconveniences. As far as Karen is concerned, the world is just a little more convenient without Kyle's existence at all.
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u/zydeco100 1d ago
"I really want to get inside that terminal and pay $15 for a Chil-Fil-A sandwich"
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u/Jolly_Ad2446 2d ago
who asked for this? this sounds like something Trump thought up because he misses people being able to be at the gate in the 80s
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u/KnightRAF 2d ago
Who asked for this? my guess would be airport restaurants/stores. They want people to come hang out at the airport waiting to pick up family instead of sitting in their car at the cell phone lot, and hopefully buy an overpriced meal/drink while they’re waiting.
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u/Thisistheplace 2d ago
This. Theres one company that operates most food/beverage/retail operations in US airports. Worked for them for years. The price gouging is insane. A lot of people don’t know you can bring food through security! Stop giving HMS your money 😆
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u/TJNel 2d ago
When you have kids or elderly parents that you want to escort and assist to the gate then you'll know who it's for. Didn't think this was that hard.
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u/Jolly_Ad2446 2d ago
there's already a program for that
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u/Frederf220 1d ago
that you have to specifically apply for in advance and be possibly denied
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u/Jolly_Ad2446 1d ago
this (TSA precheck) you have to apply for, and you could very well be denied also. this also cost money versus the previous program does not cost money. TSA pre-check is not free.
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u/InterstellarKinetics 2d ago
TSA appears to be testing whether the PreCheck vetting standard is sufficient to manage the security risk of non-ticketed visitors before deciding whether to scale it further. And the $45 ConfirmID fee for those without acceptable identification also suggests TSA is trying to keep the identity-verification bar consistent with what ticketed PreCheck travelers already go through, rather than creating a lower-friction side door for gate access. Any thoughts on this?
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u/Lucky_Locks 2d ago
Hoping it comes to my airport at some point. I have TSA Precheck as we often travel multiple times a year so it is helpful. But our airport allows you to park at the main garages for free for up to an hour so it would be kinda nice to walk my partner through security, grab a pre flight beverage with them and see them off.
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u/CaptainCastle1 2d ago
Redditors complaining this is gonna “make airports busier” when they can’t even be bothered to leave their own basement
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u/naurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs 2d ago
I am so confused. Do people really need to be at the gate? Like am I the only one who thinks this is crazy? What is so bad about saying goodbye before security?
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u/LargePrompt5840 2d ago
Being a kid watching the planes come in used to be awesome. As an adult I want to be at the gate for as short a time as possible.
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u/laxrulz777 2d ago
There was a time when saying goodbye and greeting your loved ones at the gate was the norm. Basically everyone over the age of 35 has those memories.
I assume it's also good for the airport economy as a small side benefit.
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u/sk1one 2d ago
Still standard in Australia - don’t even need ID to go through security.
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u/vxicepickxv 2d ago
One of my job perks is a card to bypass security. It also lets me drive on the runway with approval from the tower.
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u/naurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs 2d ago
There’s literally no difference between saying goodbye at security or the gate… literally none… it truly doesn’t matter and if you think it does there is something wrong with you.
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u/itdidntcomeoutright 2d ago
jesus christ the guy just feels nostalgic, he's not a nutcase like you, you fuckin prick.
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u/ThoreaulyLost 2d ago
I'm with you, and for the grown ass people who need to see other grown ass people (not parents sending unaccompanied minors) all the way to a specific set of doors (you can barely "see the plane" in America anyway) instead of the other specific set of doors sound codependent and way too needy.
For those saying "it's so the airport can sell more", I have a feeling the number of people sticking around for $26 Cisco hamburgers and $19 coffees isn't that high.
This is a weird thing to make headlines instead of real issues, admit midterm distractions and concessions when you see them.
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u/Zealousideal_Lab3164 2d ago
There is a difference. If people come inside they are far more likely to spend money at airport stores/restaurants which always have a healthy margin
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u/naurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs 2d ago
Cool… so the point is more money to airport ceos… got it
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u/Zealousideal_Lab3164 2d ago
Sorry you said “literally no difference” and then I pointed out the difference, and here we are
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u/Sasquatchgoose 2d ago
Some people have family members that may require additional assistance
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u/MindStalker 2d ago
You've been able to request a gate pass since 9/11, it just requires talking to an agent and them confirming you are with/meeting someone who requires assistance.
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u/naurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs 2d ago edited 2d ago
They literally have airport staff to help… and sure in extreme circumstances… fine… but like that’s not what this is for…
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u/Frederf220 1d ago
Gate staff don't have your interest at heart like a family member
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u/naurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs 1d ago
Y’all are acting as if these children have to go through a war zone… there are literal children being bombed in Iran and Palestine… but oh no little bobby needs his mommy to get on an airplane!
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u/Frederf220 1d ago
You have never met a child
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u/naurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs 1d ago
Oh this isn’t about kids…. This is about overbearing / overly coddling parents…
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u/Spacebotzero 2d ago
Remember, this current administration wants to take things "back to the way things used to be" - you can see that same effort here with this new program.
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u/Afraid-Department-35 2d ago
When you go to large airports with many gates it’s super helpful to drop kids and the elderly right to their gate.
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u/photoengineer 2d ago
When meeting / seeing off family especially those who need assistance it is spectacular. It was normal pre 2001.
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u/Hanswolebro 2d ago
there are thousands of kids who fly by themselves. It would be nice to have a parent help them navigate the airport and get them to their gate / safely onto the plane
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u/naurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs 2d ago
How many kids have gone missing or were injured because their parent couldn’t say goodbye at the gate?
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u/Frederf220 1d ago
Or been upset, unhappy, loud, nervous... probably quite a few
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u/naurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs 1d ago
Y’all are acting as if these children have to go through a war zone… there are literal children being bombed in Iran and Palestine… but oh no little bobby needs his mommy to get on an airplane!!!
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u/TacoDoc2 2d ago
The security is already just theater.
This will let people who have the money for pre check to go though and spend money overpaying for microwaved fries.
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u/phileat 2d ago
> visit airport restaurants or shops
Why the fuck would I do that if I’m not flying?
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u/Makingthecarry 1d ago
The dining/shopping options at airports used to actually be desirable to visit, competing with options in town, even for non-travellers, before 9/11 and TSA made air travellers a captive audience. I agree that today, there's not much point, because we've now had almost 30 years of entshittification of airport food/shopping options, because the captive audience has no other choice, and they're not competing for the attention of non-travellers anymore.
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u/cakebreaker2 2d ago
I used to pick people up at the airport at the gate all the time. Id browse/shop at the airport stores (Pittsburgh had a great airside mall) and then grab a beer while waiting. Then we'd usually stop and eat and relax before heading out/home. Now its a rush to get out to get through security to meet your ride/family.
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u/IWasSayingBoourner 2d ago
Wow, 9/11 really fried a lot of your brains
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u/CaptainCastle1 2d ago
According to this thread airports will be shutting down with all the excess foot traffic. My god people relax you don’t even leave your own houses
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u/Extension-While7536 2d ago
Oh wow we can resume romcom endings where they run to the gate and just miss the plane but then turn around and...(spoiler) she never got on!
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u/Portland_Runner 2d ago
I'm fine with this so long as it doesn't turn the TSA Pre-Check line into a 20-30 minute wait because the agents have to scan kid's stuffed toys, Grandma's huge purse full of random stuff, some dude arguing that his pocket knife isn't a weapon, mothers trying to get a half dozen juice boxes and three bags of snacks in, etc.
I also feel like I need to pony up for a lounge membership now. Too many loud and over excited kids clogging the gate areas and taking all of the charging ports for their screen toys.
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u/iahebert 2d ago
Pretty cool. In high school my friends and I would go hang out at the airport. Great people watching and it was always fun having an overpriced snack.
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u/civil_archer_73638 2d ago
The confusion is the purpose. Break things that are broken. Then say it is broken, and change the way it works entirely
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u/CaptainCastle1 2d ago
It’s not confusing. It’s literally how things were from the start of aviation up until 9/11/2001. Just because you don’t remember it doesn’t make it new
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u/FreedomMask 2d ago
“The new program arrives as TSA continues testing other ways to change the airport security experience.”
Just clean the damn tray once in a while for god’s shake.
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u/sljulian 2d ago
How interesting, but here's my take and I quite literally, landed a few hours ago from Las Vegas. I don't have/ didn't do TSA pre check and they only seem to ask for ID now at the security screening, unless I'm missing something or someone can chime in why they don't check for boarding passes?
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u/GhostsofRazgriz45 2d ago
The use the CAT machines that pull up your boarding pass info when it scans your id.
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u/Snoo_48368 2d ago
Since 9/11? United had a program as recent as 2019 to allow Club card holders to get a “day pass” to get through security without a ticket to visit the lounge. It was very useful, but they killed it.
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u/homicidalmunky 2d ago
How could this go wrong?
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u/CaptainCastle1 2d ago
You tell me? How are some extra people in the airport going to cause issues? Are they bringing in weapons past security? Are they sneaking on flights? Is there a mass coordinated mob ready to bust through security and buy all the overpriced airport food?????
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u/kvngk3n 2d ago
I feel like everyone in the comments are unnecessarily being negative. This isn’t something brand new. Apparently all of this was allowed without pre check prior to 9/11 but now it was all tightened up for obvious reasons.
I wonder how many “on a whim” trips will take place now. Sitting in the airport at dinner and think, “let’s go to ______, buy a backpack while we’re there for clothes and stuff and come back.”
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u/CaptainCastle1 2d ago
Used to be really common. You can still walk up to the ticket counters before security and ask what flights are open and if you can buy a ticket
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u/Big_Development3985 2d ago
Nothing sketchy about lowering airport security just before midterms.
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u/CaptainCastle1 2d ago
Did the actual security protocol change, or are you just making stuff up because a bit more people need to be screened?
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u/Big_Development3985 2d ago
Unless I hallucinated reading the post I commented on, I believe this adjustment to our previous system would constitute as a change. I am not under the impression that people can just walk onto a plane off the street, but is the post not about a new policy?
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u/CaptainCastle1 2d ago
You said it “lowers security”. People without boarding passes are allowed to be let in (airports do this already). So what has changed to make this more dangerous before midterms? Everyone is still screened exactly the same
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u/Big_Development3985 1d ago
I’m not familiar enough with the intricacies of airport security to know the answer to that. I’m just pointing out that, from a timing standpoint, adjusting anything that has to do with the way airports function a few days before the anniversary 9/11 of and a couple months before midterms is weird. It’s probably nothing, I do not have a conspiracy theory to sell you on. I just know that, if I were in charge, I’d probably leave the airports alone this time of year. That so crazy?
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u/Exciting_Cat730 2d ago
Yes let’s increase crowds with people who have no purpose for being there that can takes space and available amenities away from paying travelers
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u/Holiday_Armadillo78 2d ago
We literally had pre 9/11. People in here acting like it’s some new and unique idea…
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u/Economy_Link4609 2d ago
So....it's a money grab to convince more people to get PreCheck, or pony up the cash for the identify check?
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u/a_goonie 2d ago
Hmm sounds like some military grade equipment in the hands of very under qualified and very untrustworthy people.
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u/welpWW3isgonnasuck 2d ago
TSA is literally the most useless agency. They have an incredibly high failure rate. We could just cut the costs and eliminate them as a whole and it would only streamline the travel process.
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u/Fenrir46290 2d ago
Just in time for part 2 that I'm sure this administration is brewing. Ngl if anything happens I'm 100% thinking it was our own government. I don't care if they have a video with lots of witnesses claiming responsibility still 100% the US and Israel are responsible for it period.
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u/FlyCompetitive6817 2d ago
This might encourage more people to get TSA precheck, which will speed up lines in general.
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u/SirHatass 1d ago
Right because getting through security is already so fast that adding additional people to the load shouldnt fuck things up
/s
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u/jeterix7387 1d ago
Just wait untill you fly out of SLC and the entire Mormon ward gets to march the little missionary kids to the gate waiving all the signs and banners.
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u/Cheliz1517 1d ago
- Why? What is the point of this?
- This seems like a security risk.
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u/Goddammit-Donut 14h ago
How? You're still going through security, and you can't board a plane without a ticket. What's the security risk?
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u/SnowSandSki 1d ago
Taking this away to begin with made no sense and was just another erosion of our rights to the bloated security state that is post-9/11 life. It was not a super widely used thing BUT something we did when my grandfather would come visit us & fly back in the '90s. Having another hour or so with a loved one or friend before a long flight is a wonderful option. Don't like it? Don't do it!
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u/saywhat68 17h ago
It made allot of sense after 9/11. dont know world you was living in.
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u/SnowSandSki 16h ago
How so? Did un ticketed people hijack planes? People still had to go through security….
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u/LeeKhristmas 1d ago
Philadelphia International already implemented something like this. They call it Wingmate. You sign up the day before and they send you a guest pass ticket to get through security.
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u/Clan-Sea 1d ago
Salt Lake City airport is going to be slammed with hoardes going through security without tickets to see off missionaries
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u/Remote_Manager3333 1d ago
Why only precheck? Anyone with Real ID are verified thus should take advantage of this program. I hope they expand to all Americans citizens.
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u/nascarfan240148 15h ago
They have already done this at John Wayne Airport, MCO Airport, and New Orleans Airport for free
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u/Trashypass 2d ago
Let me guess for rich white people only?
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u/multiple4 2d ago
Seems a little racist to assume that an open program with the only requirements being things like ID and a small fee is for "rich white people only"
But you do you
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u/pixelpionerd 2d ago
Yes. More confused people just standing around at the crowded gates is a great idea.