Originally Posted by Global_Hi_Flyer

What is a Diamond Lane supposed to be?

According to TSA it is:


Well, not at IAD.

At IAD, it appears to be the default line for special-needs, wheel chairs, etc, and the repository of slow, less customer-service oriented screeners.

Went through yesterday AM about 7:30. 3 wheelchairs in front of me, and a traveler with a cane that didn't know about the process. Two more wheel chairs came up behind - and were escorted to the front of the line.

(For those unfamiliar, the IAD Diamond screening point is separated from the regular lanes - it's where Clear used to be, down in the baggage claim area. You have to follow the signs & know about it to make the effort to go there.... this isn't just a "cut in the ordinary line" thing.)

So, my bags finally cleared the X-ray itself - I was waiting for one bag to come off the caged conveyor - and the X-ray called a bag check on the next bag.... stopping the conveyor. One of the other screeners called back to him that "we don't have the staff to even transport empty bins, so just hold the line up, it'll be five to ten minutes". I looked at the x-ray guy, asked him to fish my bag out of the cage (which he grudgingly did), and I recomposed myself and headed to the gate. As I was leaving I noted 3 other wheelchairs and one other pax with cane in line.

To top it off, there were swarms of blue-shirts at the gates harassing passengers.

If they're going to do this crap, then eliminate the concept of diamond lanes.

This isn't the first time the screeners have complained to each other and to passengers about the place needing more staff. I smell a work slowdown. Oh joy, the wonder benefits of a union.

(So why was I going down the diamond lane instead of elite? Because I was on an airline I don't have elite status on, and the dragons on the elite line refused to let me in on either my DL Platinum or AA EXP cards. Said it had to actually be printed on the BP).