When the TSA first came out with a pre-approved clearance line for low risk travelers it was all very exciting. The thought of racing through security and not taking off your shoes, not taking off your belt, not taking off your jacke, and not even removing your computer from your bag sounded quite appealing. And it was… at first.
Airlines decided to award the TSA Pre✓™ to their premier members. If you were an elite member of any of the American carriers you were automatically enrolled. This was great but… you see with travel there’s always a but.
But then the TSA decided to allow anyone to sign up for a fee and the whole system slowed/changed/crapped out.
In the good old days of TSA Pre✓™ going to the airport was a breeze knowing you’d get through security in less than 10 minutes. For a brief shining moment you no longer needed to get to the airport two hours before a flight and that was HUGE for frequent travelers.
Then it all started to slow down. I realized this is on one of the last few trips I made out of Minneapolis-St Paul Airport. I was standing in a very busy TSA Pre✓™check line expecting to get through at quite a fast pace when I looked over and saw that there was no line whatsoever at the first-class security entrance. This seems unacceptable to me.
And now every time I travel I see this same pattern repeating over and over again; virtually no one in the first class lane while the TSA Pre✓™ line is packed. Heck even the regular security lines are shorter now.
So all in all, they have now just shuffled around the travelers. There is still the same amount of people flying, there are no more security agents and there are no more extra x-ray machines. It’s all just a big push around.
So what can they do to make this system work? Well one of the most obvious solutions is to deploy full body scan machines that you walk through with your bags in hand. There is technology for this and so it’s only a matter of time.
Until then all they need is extra staff and to double the length of the table before the x-ray. Why is this not being done? It’s obvious that the security slow downs are a result of how long it takes people to get organised. If everyone had time to put their things on the belt with a longer table then the entire process would be for more efficient.
And lastly we also now need a TSA Pre✓™ approved line for the first class lane.
Daniel Green, the Model Cook is a Celebrity Chef known for his healthy approach to food and living well. With TV, books, magazines and live appearances, Daniel spends his time helping fans to cook better, feel better and live better. He’s also an avid traveler and a self-confessed Foodie.
To contact Daniel or learn more visit www.themodelcook.com or follow on Twitter @themodelcook.
