I was at DCA yesterday morning at the gawdawful hour of 5:15 am waiting in a security line that was WAY longer and slower than it had any right to be at that hour.

About 15 minutes in, a couple of hotel shuttles of airline crew must have arrived, because suddenly there were about 20 crew members cutting to the front of the two open security points. We lowly passengers were all delayed an additional 15 minutes or so.

So i look at the guy next to me, just as exasperated as I am and say: "Do you get the feeling that these folks have the service-provider/client relationship backward here?" Unluckily for us, four or five of us in line had about 15 minutes to discuss this question.

Especially when there is no specific crew/elite security line, what sense does it make to allow crew to inconvenience passengers????

Yes, they have to get to the plane to get to their job, but so do I.
Yes, they have to do this practically every day, but so do I.
Yes, standing in line would force them to get to the airport a little earlier, but so do I.

These folks work for me. I am their customer. Why are they inconveniencing me solely for their own convenience?