60 Minutes this week aired a segment about the TSA and their efforts to remake their image as hardworking, friendly people doing a thankless job to ensure the safety of cranky, rushed passengers.
No doubt that these folks get the sharp end of the stick… often we ARE cranky (even when we’re not rushed).
I find myself stressed and anxious as I have to semi-disrobe in front of sometimes hundreds of people. I take off my belt, my shoes, my jacket. I empty my pockets. I pull out my 3 ounce containers of liquid and my laptop. And then I walk barefoot (yuck) through the security area clutching my boarding pass in-hand. They’ve somehow made me feel like a high maintenance woman when I never feel this way otherwise. Why WOULD I feel calm and friendly ready to make happy small talk to the individuals who hold my fate in their hands?
Bruce Schneir, an expert in security measures and an advisor to the TSA, was interviewed on the 60 Minutes segment. He questioned whether these measures are even necessary. He calls it “security theater”. The process looks good but doesn’t do much.
This point really resonated with me. When I was returning from a trip a few weeks ago and flew through Idaho Falls, my peanut butter was confiscated. The point that Mr. Schneir makes is that if an item is so dangerous as to not be allowed on the flight, then why do TSA employees simply dump it in a garbage bin along with pounds and pounds of other “dangerous” items that sits next to them in the security area? Great point.
There have been programs implemented since 9/11 that were supposed to help the more experienced and frequent travelers get through security more quickly. However, these don’t seem to be working. Fly Clear, a program created to allow passengers to bypass regular security at airports suddenly shut down last month. Participants, some who paid for multi-year memberships, were left high and dry without the possibility of a refund.
Some airports have set up lanes for Expert and Casual travelers. But I’ve noticed that the Expert lines are rarely open and that there’s usually only one line for all travelers other than Elite and First Class fliers.
Really, I DO feel put out when traveling. It seems that airports, security and even airlines continue to make the process less pleasant. You’d think they’d be bending over backward to woo travelers from their staycations. Rather, it seems they are making the process more stressful (more restrictions on who gets to walk through priority security lanes, fewer flight options, overbooked flights, less amenities, etc.).
I will keep flying. I will continue to show up at the airport early so that I don’t feel rushed. And I’ll keep trying to smile through the process. But, until the travel industry gets the same kind of overhaul (and consumers start to be heard), I’ll continue to question these processes and their value. Security theater? Perhaps. But sometimes it feels more like an out of control circus.
Travel Well,
Beth
Photo credit: Airport Security – Fabio Mascarenhas
Photo credit: Clear card – hyku
Related links:
Airline Fees (Fi Fo Fum)
Pretty Young Thang
Medical Tourism: Dental Work in Bangkok
Understanding Travel Insurance
How Not to be a Trashy Tourist
Tips for Reverse Culture Shock
Using Your Cell Phone Abroad: A Primer
Booking Advice in Today’s Climate
Geogypsy says
We should just fly naked.
Nomadic Matt says
traveling through an american airport is like witnesses a greek tragedy. it’s painful. Great points about the “dangerous items”
It’s no wonder why people don’t fly in the states or even want to come to America.
Mark H says
I’d never thought about the dangerous goods bin but that is so true. It still amazes me that flying has gone from pleasureable to seriously unpleasant in just ten years.
Dominique says
I’m a nervous flier on a good day…and now it’s so unpleasant I will only fly when it’s absolutely necessary. We don’t put with this kind of treatment when we purchase other services, I don’t see why we should consent to be treated like crap in order to get from point A to point B.
pe. riche. says
As someone who flies at at least 8 months out of the year, I have learned to take joy in the “little things” when flying. For instance, I am elated when my flight is delayed only a few hours as opposed to over night (this happened in LaGuardia), or when I am forced to sit on the runway for only 30 minutes rather than three hours (like in Atlanta), or when my baggage may be damp but still free of any major gashes and torn pockets (this luxury was awarded to me by American).
I can not imagine being able to walk to my gate without having to get dressed. If it weren’t for my mom telling me about how years ago a ticketed passenger could be walked to their gate by someone who isn’t also traveling, I would never believe it.