"He found he was unable to print out a boarding pass […] when he approached ticket agents, they were blocked from producing a boarding pass for him without first calling a Secure Flight number at the Department of Homeland Security. […] ticket agents told him he was on a federal watchlist."
Don't mind the petition though, last I heard was that his family was getting him out of jail with him not being indicted for anything. The authorities seemed to get a good amount of public pressure.
"He found he was unable to print out a boarding pass […] when he approached ticket agents, they were blocked from producing a boarding pass for him without first calling a Secure Flight number at the Department of Homeland Security. […] ticket agents told him he was on a federal watchlist."
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/11/hacker-border-searc...
If it's not automated now it will be in a few years.