davie355

Flew out of OAK Terminal 1 this evening. The dedicated Precheck line was unmanned. As I waited in a regular line, I noticed a woman ahead of me get three beeps. The TSA document checker picked up a handheld radio and mumbled, "Precheck."

Two minutes later, it was my turn at the podium. I scanned my boarding pass. Three beeps. I asked the document checker if Precheck were available.

"The Precheck lane is closed," she said. As she finished her sentence another TSA employee (holding a radio) appeared to escort the aforementioned woman.

"Precheck?" the escort asked. The woman nodded.

I asked my document checker if I could follow that woman. I was rebuffed.

"What line should I wait in?"

The document checker stalled for a bit, looked around, then pointed to the same woman and said "Follow her." Okay... maybe she misunderstood my initial question. (Digression: This was the second puzzling about-face I'd experienced in 24 hours in the SF bay area. Is it a regional custom to say "no" but reverse course three seconds later?)

I walked up behind that woman. The TSA escort noticed my presence and asked if I had Precheck too. I said yes. The escort led me to the front of the regular line (cutting everyone queueing for the millimeter wave scanner) and instructed me to empty my pockets, take out my laptop, and walk through the metal detector.

Is this standard procedure for giving Precheck customers "expedited" screening when the dedicated Precheck lane is closed? I can understand having to take out my laptop, as it went through an x-ray used by non-Precheck passengers, but I am not sure why I had to empty my pockets for the metal detector. My wallet and headphones never set it off.

chollie

Random and unpredictable, not clear if it's growing pains or permanent.

I've seen the Pre lane closed at SEA. TSOs were telling people who got the three beeps that they would get 'Pre-check lite'. Most shoes on, outerwear off, belts off, laptops out, not sure if they all got WTMD or not.

BSBD

I've had "expedited screening" at airports that don't have a PreCheck lane (laptop out, liquids out in kippie bag, belt off, shoes on).

There have been a few times for me when a PreCheck airport had the PreCheck lanes shut down. I wasn't offered anything special - just told, "PreCheck is closed right now," and sent to the regular lines.

CREN

The other week I flew out SAT and the Precheck lane was closed despite being within the hours in which the TSA website said it would be open.

I mentioned about it at the first TSA ID check and the lady placed a stamp on my boarding pass which gave me Quasi-Precheck in the normal security line.

gobluetwo

The empty pockets thing is just to ensure people don't forget their phones and things. Much easier than telling people to take out only things that will set off the wtmd. They do similar at lga except there you get a piece of paper to indicate precheck. Laptop out but shoes, belt, jacket on.

YEGTigger

I got that at PHX T2 this week. Pre-Check lane closed, but the document checker said I'd get "Pre-check lite" which meant my bags to be screened as normal, but my person was to be screened like Pre-Check. He highlighted the Pre-Check words at the top of the BP and told me to point that out to the TSO at the scanner.

So, my laptop and and liquids came out, but my shoes, belt, jackets stayed on and I was directed through the WTMD when I showed my BP.

ctporter

PreCheck at Oak is iffy. The times I fly out of there the separate TSA pre line is always closed due to lack of staffing. However, when I get the triple beeps as my ID is checked most of the time they do call up a TSA who "escorts" me to the front of the line, has me take out only the laptop (not liquids) and walks me over to the other metal detector. But, that does not always happen. The TSA ID checker can be extremely surly and acts pissed off if you ask about precheck when she says nothing, I once asked if she was going to call for the TSA guy (like they have done often in the past) and she rolled her eyes, and said if I want to stand here, hold up the line and wait until someone "might" get free I could but that it could take a half hour or more. Just get in the line ma'am.
(wow! so, I went in the non-precheck scanning line) So, now if that happens I just ask quietly, no precheck today? I just get a rolled eyes response and a curt no.

Mats

The problem I've found here in Seattle is that the metal detectors for "real" PreCheck are at a greatly reduced sensitivity. In the case of "PreCheck Light," I set off the metal detector with my shoes.

There were a number of passengers grumbling about this last time. We're all told not to take off our shoes, but we're aware that our shoes will alarm the "fake PreCheck" machine.

chollie

Ah, SEA. I've seen a pax in the Pre lane take shoes off, put them on the belt. Belt monitor made the pax put the shoes back on because (that day, that TSO) you didn't need to take them off. Everyone in line waited while the pax put the shoes back on, walked through the WTMD and set it off.

I've also seen an extra TSO stationed by the entry side of the WTMD (plus another one on the other side) to tell people whether or not they need to remove their shoes (this is in the Pre lane).

It's too much inconsistency for me. I don't like scrambling to disrobe and safely stow my BP/ID between the TDC and the WTMD/NoS, never have. I always remove my shoes, outerwear (if any) and kippie bag before the TDC. Then all I have to do is put my BP/ID in my bag and lock it. That way it doesn't matter if I get Pre, Pre-lite, Pre-of-the-day, or the full Monty - I'm ready and I don't hold up the line.

I was, however, very surprised when I got Pre recently and was told to keep my hat on.

Mats

Thanks chollie,
I now feel a little less annoyed (it wasn't just me!)

I wish I knew when the REAL PreCheck line closed. I could time out my airport arrival accordingly if I'm taking an evening flight.

They claim to have "24-hour" PreCheck but it's a particularly annoying shoe and belt carnival. It avoids the MMW machine, but it's really pretty screwed up.

Why can't they just reset the WTMD to the PreCheck setting?

chollie

Last time I went out of SEA on an evening flight (earlier this year), they announced that Pre was closed, but if you got 3 beeps, it was Pre-lite. On that occasion, it was belts and some shoes and outerwear off and hand swabs for everyone.

IIRC, I was going through around 8:30 PM.

There's a difference between randomly selecting someone who is eligible for Pre for a thorough going-over, but when the randomness involves disrobing and unpacking - or not - or partially, I'd just as soon take the conservative approach and do it all ahead of time every time.

The one benefit for me, personally, is that I don't get the grope I always get when I get directed to the NoS because I am physically incapable of assuming and holding the position.

alphaod

I am usually just told to get in the regular line. Even though I have Pre-Check, I do it like a regular person.

CDKing

Did TSA get rid of the laminated cards they give out when you triple beep at a non-precheck lane?

davie355

I did not get a card at OAK.

I saw TSA giving out red cards at SEA last weekend. A dedicated line for PreCheck was open but these cards were for people who entered the regular line and got three beeps.

USCTrojan83

LAS T3 had their Precheck lane closed so the guy wrote a big E on my card, let me basically use any lane as Precheck (except no escorting to the front of the line at the scanners/metal detector). Laptop had to come out though.