Practical Travel Safety Issues - TSA Takes Over ID Checking at PBI

I haven't flown in about a month, so I'm not sure when the exact change took place, but I wasn't sure it was ever going to happen at PBI since they were certainly among the last to use the contractors. The old ID checkers at PBI were extremely friendly and very efficient. Never at an off peak time like a Friday afternoon would there ever be a line for ID checks. Today as I approached, I saw that all but one of the red-uniformed contract ID checkers were all gone. The purpose of the one who was still there was questionable at best. In addition to seeing TSA doing the ID checks...guess what else there was for the first time in years by the ID checks....a LOOOOONG line. Thanks Chertoff and Kippie. Thanks for not only making me waste 10 minutes of my life that I wouldn't have had to two weeks ago, thanks for putting some decent people out of a job only to replace it with your tax payer funded bureaucracy.

Sorry about that...rant off.

So are you saying the long lines are to blame for the ID checkers? How long do the ID checkers take to check someone's ID? I went to DCA today and studied the TSA ID checkers, and they took an average of 15-30 seconds to check everyone's ID's, which isn't too different from the contractor's. Anyone know how long the contracted ID checkers took to check everyone's ID's in general?

Let me preface this by saying that I'm not criticizing the PBI TSA'ers but the TSA as a whole. For the most part, PBI has some of the nicest and most "efficient" (one has to use that word loosely when referencing the TSA!) screeners systemwide. That said, they were definitely taking a lot longer...I'd say upwards of 30 seconds per person. The contractors usually took about 5-10 at most.

How does a general increase of up to 10 add'l seconds really slow down the line, though?

How does a general increase of up to 10 add'l seconds really slow down the line, though?

About 20 seconds...multiplied by 35 people in front of me, it adds up! lol

Mmm yeah...but if the lines are long then why don't TSA just speed up the ID checking then? Why is it so goddamned hard for them to check an ID quickly unlike their predecessors?

Mmm yeah...but if the lines are long then why don't TSA just speed up the ID checking then? Why is it so goddamned hard for them to check an ID quickly unlike their predecessors?

I loved it when we had contractors checking I.D's. Some of them were very good, very fast, and never missed a discrepancy. Others were slower, a little less organized at juggling 6 I.D's and 6 BP's, trying to match them to their rightful faces. The good ones kept the lines flowing, the bad ones had them backed up. Same as TSA. We got people out there who have it down to a system, can quickly verify what they need to, and get people on their way. Then we have the ticket checkers who act like it is their first day on the job, every day. Not much had changed after TSA took over I.D checks, but since they added the black lights and loupes it is a totally different story.

Mmm yeah...but if the lines are long then why don't TSA just speed up the ID checking then? Why is it so goddamned hard for them to check an ID quickly unlike their predecessors?

...'cause they is now Guvamint workers.

TSA-Confusing the Confused to Keep Tewowists and Amerika Confused.

I also heard that since TSA took over ID checking, there's less x-ray lanes. Is that true?

Do you think TSA really needs the black lights and loupes, from your perspective as a TSA'er? How exactly does this benefit TSA and passengers?

I loved it when we had contractors checking I.D's. Some of them were very good, very fast, and never missed a discrepancy. Others were slower, a little less organized at juggling 6 I.D's and 6 BP's, trying to match them to their rightful faces. The good ones kept the lines flowing, the bad ones had them backed up. Same as TSA. We got people out there who have it down to a system, can quickly verify what they need to, and get people on their way. Then we have the ticket checkers who act like it is their first day on the job, every day. Not much had changed after TSA took over I.D checks, but since they added the black lights and loupes it is a totally different story.

I also heard that since TSA took over ID checking, there's less x-ray lanes. Is that true?

The number of lanes are not less, but with two screeners checking I.D's, there may not be enough available to operate a lane.

Do you think TSA really needs the black lights and loupes, from your perspective as a TSA'er? How exactly does this benefit TSA and passengers?

No, I think the lights and loupes are stupid. Im hoping that they become more of a problem, and they just get rid of them all together. If they want us to check tickets, fine...we will check tickets. The police, customs, and bouncers at bars are the only ones who should have any interest in fake/false I. D's. Everyone knows that an I.D is not required to travel, why waste more time on something that isn't even necessary.

Do me a favor? Take Kip's place next year. ;)

I agree - I don't see anything wrong with TSA checking ID's (in fact, I always thought TSA checked ID's until I came to this forum - if I didn't know any better, I probably wouldn't know the difference), but black lights and loupes are simply a waste of time and resources.

The number of lanes are not less, but with two screeners checking I.D's, there may not be enough available to operate a lane.



No, I think the lights and loupes are stupid. Im hoping that they become more of a problem, and they just get rid of them all together. If they want us to check tickets, fine...we will check tickets. The police, customs, and bouncers at bars are the only ones who should have any interest in fake/false I. D's. Everyone knows that an I.D is not required to travel, why waste more time on something that isn't even necessary.

I also heard that since TSA took over ID checking, there's less x-ray lanes. Is that true?


In my experience, there aren't fewer x-ray lanes, but there are more cases of 2 x-ray machines feeding into a single WTMD.

This slows down the line quite a bit with laptop carrying passengers like myself, because I refuse to release my laptop onto the x-ray belt until the WTMD screener waves me through. I often end up waiting--and totally stalling the x-ray line--while Pa Kettle from the other side divests himself of his giant alarming belt, or Ma Kettle divests herself of jingling jewelry.

In my experience, there aren't fewer x-ray lanes, but there are more cases of 2 x-ray machines feeding into a single WTMD.

This slows down the line quite a bit with laptop carrying passengers like myself, because I refuse to release my laptop onto the x-ray belt until the WTMD screener waves me through. I often end up waiting--and totally stalling the x-ray line--while Pa Kettle from the other side divests himself of his giant alarming belt, or Ma Kettle divests herself of jingling jewelry.

Yeah I've seen this a lot too...not at PBI though. Funny thing is a few years ago there were only 2 metal detectors, then they expanded it and probably spent millions, and now there are something like 5 or 6. Yet since that time I don't think I've ever seen more than two open at any given time.

Looking for a thread where I could share this. The other day at BDL the TSA ID checker purple lighted my OLCI boarding pass. I thought maybe the TSA had been conspiring with Staples to sell special secret paper.

TSA security is senseless. I went to a federal court building yesterday morning for something-none of this no liquids, take your belt off crap. The guy waved me through, of course my belt alarmed the metal detector, the guy checked my belt and saw that it was a belt, I retrieved my stuff and I was on my way. By the way, my ID was not requested.

Can we get these guys to take over airport security?

In my experience, there aren't fewer x-ray lanes, but there are more cases of 2 x-ray machines feeding into a single WTMD.

This slows down the line quite a bit with laptop carrying passengers like myself, because I refuse to release my laptop onto the x-ray belt until the WTMD screener waves me through. I often end up waiting--and totally stalling the x-ray line--while Pa Kettle from the other side divests himself of his giant alarming belt, or Ma Kettle divests herself of jingling jewelry.

2 x-ray lanes per WTMD makes sense to me. I always wait for my laptop to go into the x-ray before I walk through the WTMD; waiting for the WTMD is a lot less common.

TSA security is senseless. I went to a federal court building yesterday morning for something-none of this no liquids, take your belt off crap. The guy waved me through, of course my belt alarmed the metal detector, the guy checked my belt and saw that it was a belt, I retrieved my stuff and I was on my way. By the way, my ID was not requested.

Can we get these guys to take over airport security?

That pretty much sums up my visit to the White House, though I did briefly show my ID.

The TSA should be destroyed and its leaders caned and deported.

So are you saying the long lines are to blame for the ID checkers?

Yes.

There has been a noticable difference in the time required to go through security @ PBI (I fly out of there every week) since the TSA took over ID checking.

It is partially a result of the length of time they spend slowly scrutinizing the ID, more a result of the reduction in # of lanes open -- but also very much a result of the TSA ID checkers "chatting" among themselves about work issues, gossip, last night's tv show, etc. while passengers stand in front of them with boarding pass and ID extended waiting for them to do their job....

TSA security is senseless. I went to a federal court building yesterday morning for something-none of this no liquids, take your belt off crap. The guy waved me through, of course my belt alarmed the metal detector, the guy checked my belt and saw that it was a belt, I retrieved my stuff and I was on my way. By the way, my ID was not requested.

Can we get these guys to take over airport security?

So much for the scare tactics being used by DHS and TSA to force Montana and the other 3 states to the RealID program...."...you will be denied access to federal buildings....blah, blah.."

Wait until some federal judge gets mad because the Goons prevented his witness, juror, or lunch from arriving....contempt time.!

The other day at BDL the TSA ID checker purple lighted my OLCI boarding pass.

OMG, your OLCI BP did not glow in the dark? How is the weather down there in Gitmo this time of year? :D

Next time get a UV marking pen and add your own "KHIAI™" watermark. And a :).