New Things to Consider During TSA Screenings

Periodically the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) issues new policies or practices which are meant to improve the screening process at airports across the country. It can be difficult and time consuming these days to go through security and though there are a dearth of signs (both visual and written) and announcements being blared over loudspeakers, there are still delays due to people not fully understanding what they should and shouldn't do or carry though a screening checkpoint on the way to their flight. Take for example the photo included herein; I am sure that despite all these signs, there are still the occasional oversmart jackasses who attempt to smuggle their bottle of water or soda through the machines and past the inspectors. Why?

Well the fact that they are a jackass notwithstanding, there are those who consider themselves expert travellers and likely feel that because the TSA is looking for terrorists or mothers carrying breast milk in illegal sized containers, they won't pay attention to Joe Businessman in his suit with his laptop bag filled with water. There are the occasional incidents where the person has managed to get through the line but most of the time they don't and then they behave like deer caught in headlights as they react in awe when TSA screeners tell them that they cannot carry water through the checkpoint. Well the latest set of rules that the TSA is trying out is intended to help speed up the process just a bit. What do they want to do? Well they want to split travellers up much like they do at ski resorts with experienced travellers in one line and casual travellers in the other.

What's the difference? Well a casual traveller is someone who goes on occasion, isn't familiar with all the rules and needs extra time. This is the category that most of us going on vacation would likely fall into. An expert traveller is someone who usually isn't wearing a belt by the time they get to the security checkpoint, they have their shoes in hand, jacket in bin, laptop out, boarding pass and ID at the ready metal and all cell phones and iPods within carryons and is ready for inspection. Were it such a world. Unfortunately I've seen business travellers for whom even this is too much. They will chat away on their cell phone just before walking through the metal detector and hem and haw over the fact that they have to switch off for a few minutes. Most of the time these conversations are not business related but bitching sessions about the meeting they attended or are going to attend.

Will this segregation of passengers be effective? Who knows. I would think that self-segregation would work if the person is objective enough but then again there are those who live in a state of denial about what they do and don't want to do. I think it has the chance of being effective due to the fact that parents travelling with kids wouldn't feel pressured by angry gazes from those behind them in line as they struggle with diaper bags and cranky kids making wise observations about the proceedings. Still, I think the casual line would be appropriate for those who still don't realize that perfume in a bottle is a liquid and that moisturizer is a gel. I think some people take it literally and think that gel means only hair gel and that liquid is limited to drinks. Wise up people! Have a complaint about the process? Then learn the rules so that you can speed things along. Don't flaunt the rules, follow them to make the process a bit easier.