Importance of multiple forms of ID when flying

Yesterday I was trying to catch a flight from Chicago to Columbus, GA, I handed my drivers license and credit card to the ticket agent at the Delta counter and in the rush to catch the plane I failed to notice he didn't give my license back to me, just my credit card. Imagine my horror when I went to hand my ID to the security checkpoint and I could not find my Drivers License. I quickly assesed my options and remembered I had my Concealed Carry Permit for my pistol; I thought what the hell it has my picture on it and it is issued by a government agency, I'll try it.

The agent who spoke a very accented English, looked at me like I was crazy while he was trying to figure out what it was. I told him that was all I had, because my license was lost. I couldn't believe it when he asked if I had something else like a SAM's or a COSCO card. I handed him my SAM's card. In the meantime the supervisor noticed that something was wrong and came over to investigate. When the supervisor saw the Concealed Carry Permit, he told the original agent, to let me go, he told the guy that the Concealed Carry Permit was much better than a drivers license since there was actually a background check done prior to issuing it, and if he saw another one let it go by as well.

After arriving in Atlanta I was paged to the Delta counter for a phone call. I was pleasantly surprised when the phone call was from a Delta agent in Chicago who told me she had found my license and I could pick up my license at the Columbus airport the next day.