Last two Sunday nights in a row I had a late night departure out of IAD. Both times, same scam. Very few pax around, natch, but take the escalator down to security and it's a madhouse, with loooooooong lines in front of ID checker podium.

Why? Same story both times. Only 4 security lines open, so ID checkers check a few people, then get the signal to "stop the line," as the back-up at each of four (4) open security lines gets too long. Some of the idle TSA's hanging around the ID checker podium actually depart (!) to help out the security lines. No one's ID is checked for quite a while, as line grows longer and longer.....

The "new" (now 7 months old) security set-up is too small (not enough space for lines to form at security lanes) to accomodate small Sunday night crowds due to lame TSA staffing. MWAA and TSA team up to FAIL.

Two Sundays ago, elapsed time from hitting bottom of escalator to passing through security: 43 minutes.

Last Sunday: 28 minutes.

Even though I arrived at the airport more than an hour before departure, I had to hustle to make each flight (thanks to f'd up Aerotrain, with the long walks from security to train to gates from the train--and no train at all to D gates).

MWAA sucks.

Also, BTW, unrelated (except that again, MWAA sucks)--on return trip, I arrived after 10:30 pm Thursday night. Took 45 minutes from plane wheels hitting tarmac to reaching car in parking lot. Why? After long walk to Aerotrain depot, found empty and "out of service" Aerotrain. Eventually, a staffer came down and sent empty train on its way. Then a second Aerotrain arrived. Also out of service. By now, platform was getting veeeeery overcrowded. Finally, third train arrived, filled with pax.....and waited, and waited, and waited, and finally departed.

Other pax tell me late night arrival hijinks with endless waits for operating Aerotrains is SOP at IAD.

MWAA (and TSA staffing officers)--baaaah! Humbug! New security lines, new Aerotrain, same old miserable IAD, worst airport in America.