Earlier today, I flew out of Clarksburg, WV (CKB), on one of only three daily flights, all of which go to IAD. Those three daily flights (only two on Tuesdays) are tiny prop commuter planes, holding only about 30 people. Today, maybe 10 people boarded in Clarksburg. The plane already had some passengers who had boarded in Morgantown, but it was far from full. Screening the handful of departing passengers took maybe 10 minutes. I counted four TSA staff, but others may have been in their little office. I didn't see a supervisor.

Anyway, getting to my point, one of the passengers departing with me is apparently friendly with one of the TSA guys (not surprising in such a small community), and they were chatting away just a few feet from me while we all waited for the plane to arrive. The passenger asked the TSA guy, "How's it going?" to which the TSA guy went off on a rant about how stupid it is for the government to pay him (and, obviously, his colleagues) to "sit around all day." But he acknowledged that he's not going to turn down what amounts to free government money for doing no work, except for 30 minutes a day, tops. Things are tough in West Virginia!

How can the government waste money like that? Couldn't they hire part-timers? Or drive people around from one small airport to another? Or even, heaven forfend, let the United Express staff do the screening? There's got to be a better way.

Bruce