MonkeyBrown

How bad is it going to be this weekend? The administration is threatening to take it out on us fliers. Janet suggested waits as long as 4 hours!!

tkey75

Maybe I'm wrong, but I am not buying into that hype.

Seriously, on Friday everything will be fine but by Saturday AM, so many TSA clerks are without jobs that the wait times are four hours? I guess we are talking about the government and TSA in particular, so anything is possible, but that scenario would be intentional and not due to any mandatory budget cut.

MonkeyBrown

I'm thinking of adjusting my schedule to be safe...thinking that very early on sunday morning and the redeye for east travel because those times are generally best for security. But maybe that would backfire and those times would be when the cuts are most dramatic.

tkey75

You've got me convinced. I'm going to adjust my schedule, too. To a time when the govt isn't run by self serving scheisters and the media isn't staffed by panic merchants.

JoeBas

Personally, I'd love to see this. Nothing will turn the sheep against the wolves faster than messing with their timetable. The public opinion of them, already on a par with IRS Auditors, will sink down to congressperson levels.

Seeing TSA go down due to sequester will be analogous to watching Al Capone, after years of getting off on murder and mayhem, going down to tax evasion.

Spiff

Remember, any time your "security" experience exceeds 10 minutes for any reason, contact the TSA Complaint Line: 1-866-289-9673. Don't accept any excuses, don't allow yourself to be directed to the useless blog/blogger. File a formal complaint. Name any malingerer(s) who contribute to your delay.

Then, in light of the sequester, contact your elected representatives and suggest a solution: 100% defund TSA, return security of airports and airlines to... airports and airlines. It's time for the federal government to get the hell out of the equation.

Boggie Dog

Another government agency I know of is requiring employees to take one day each per pay period off. That is no more than would be expected to be on vacation.

If TSA or any other agency can't handle the impact of this minor event then I would suggest the managers are not competent.

Obama and his puppets are just trying to scare the populace and gain support for higher taxes and more spending without doing anything about the excessive spending being done by government.

You can't borrow your way out of debt.

studentff

I think there's some lead time involved before federal agencies can furlough employees. (30 days?)

Of course, every department will be motivated to concentrate the impact as much as possible on critical (e.g., ATC), sympathetic (vaccines for kids), or public-facing (TSA checkpoints, but not check baggage screening) services to make the cuts seem terrible/draconian. TSA's case may be unique because they are uniquely hated and the public, though probably not the media, may be more inclined to blame Pistole/Nappy instead of Congressional Republicans for problems at airports. So *maybe* TSA will behave and just cut down on standing around, pointless gate screenings, etc.

My understanding is that these "cuts" still keep us at or above 2006 spending levels, and really are cuts in growth not cuts in spending. So if everybody were being honest, things would get not worse than they were in 2006. In a family of real people with real jobs who pay real taxes, a "pay cut" means your pay went down in absolute dollars (not inflation adjusted). In the government, a "cut" means you didn't get as much of a raise as you wanted.

redtigeriii

If there is one thing the public masses are, its impatient. People don't like to wait in long lines. I see so many people go through the NOS with smiles on their faces without a care in the world about the rights they are giving up... but if they have to wait a long time for something, they'll be pissed. When I debate body scanners with people who don't fly a lot or aren't very informed, I don't get anywhere with any arguments about safety or our personal rights as U.S. citizens. But when I bring up that the WTMD is faster, that always gets a good response.

Looks like the scare tactics are out in full force about this sequester. Back in the mid 2000's, the airports seemed to be fine with less funding and WTMD's only. Yet somehow now the sky will fall if we stop adding to the money being given to the TSA? Bunch of BS. I've never seen less than 5 TSA employees at a checkpoint doing nothing, and usually its 10 or more. If they all actually worked, the lines wouldn't be so bad.

OldGoat

I believe most TSOs are part time. Their hours can be reduced rapidly.

Of course, I could be wrong. Someone with more knowledge may want to chime in.

Spiff

Nothing would please me (and others) more than seeing TSA employees' hours reduced rapidly and completely.

Hit the Road

Beat It

Near Philly

+1, but I don't have a flight until the end of March.

JoeBas

I've stopped flying altogether until this farce is thrown out on its arse, so, long lines ahoy mateys!

SeriouslyLost

There's a shocker.


Actually, you can. The NZ & Oz governments did exactly that in the 1970's & 80's. It's an entirely feasible way to operate, although it requires more economic management skill than I'm willing to credit the US political system (because it basically doesn't function in any meaningful way.)

TheGolfWidow

So, there will only be Hundreds Standing Around effective 3/1/13? Got it