Originally Posted by
roberino
I can't quite work out how I feel about this so I thought I'd share and get everyone else's perspective. I was travelling from BZN to EWR on 7/14 and found that two out of four checkpoints were operational with around a five minute wait to get to the belts, although this was probably going to increase over the next ten minutes as the EWR, LAX and ORD bound pax moved airside. Most pax appeared to be travelling for leisure.
A TSO came through the checkpoint and started asking pax if they had any questions about the screening process, and also asking conversational questions like "are you going to Disneyland?" and telling me about how his son was just finishing a posting to a USAF base not far from where I live.
The guy was totally pleasant, polite and professional, but a part of me wondered if his time couldn't have been better spent expediting pax through the checkpoint. Having said that, the two checkpoints that were open were well staffed and he clearly couldn't have opened another one on his own. On the other hand, if he wasn't fulfilling an essential role then why was he there at all? Presumably it takes (your) tax dollars to have him there?
Thoughts welcomed.
A guess only, but I get the feeling you had an encounter with a Behavior Detection Officer (BDO). Their job is in particular to observe passengers for behaviors that might signal a threat to an aircraft. Asking questions and providing advise enhances the officers ability to observe actions and reactions, and therefore assists them in their job. Being nice while doing so also helps them by not presenting a threatening presence when talking with the passengers.
Just a guess mind you, but it sounds about right to me.