NoS vs WTMD decision
 

Here's a question that could be answered by people who frequent airports more often than I do, or even by a resident TS"O":

http://tsastatus.net/search.php?q=TL...r+this+airport!

The two "WTMD only" posts here were me, at 1830 and 1939. This "late" in the day, there are more TS"O"s at the checkpoints than passengers entering at any given time, and the WTMD is being used for what few passengers they have.

Another post from 1400 shows that they are NoS only. Reports from people going to TLH for morning departures, similarly, tell me that they are sending 100% of non-opt-out pax through the NoS during these busier hours.

How do the TS"O"s decide which of the two devices to use? I'd think that they'd use the faster WTMD during busier times, but then again, this _is_ the TSA we're talking about, and long lines aren't really of their concern.

Could it be that they want to maximize NoS use during busy times? Or do some "collective punishment" by making all pax wait longer every time there's an opt-out?

It may be as simple as manning. WTMD takes 1 to watch the PAX walk through.

AIT takes a decider on the input side, a director on the output side, an opposite sex person than the director for the resolution pat down if of different sex and possibly someone in the booth, 4 total.

If they do not have enough people, default to WTMD. If they do, AIT for everyone.

Huh...makes sense now.

Oddly enough, the security checkpoint at the county courthouse is manned by only two deputies running a WTMD and bag X-ray, and even with my belt buckle triggering a HHMD, they still got me through faster than the TSA and without having to touch me.

Government efficiency at its finest. Pay four people to do the job of one.

I'll take the over when it comes to the TSA.

I have a question about the staffing. Do machines with ATR take as few staff as WTMDs? My hope is that the addition of ATR software does not make it where the default, when there are few passengers, becomes body scanners instead of metal detectors.