Frankly, as we have seen in Brussels, long lines outside of the secured area are a security risk and a tempting target for terrorists.

From AskTSA in response to a question about more security checks in the wake of the attack in Belgium:

OK, so first they claim they don't have enough screeners so people have to wait in hours-long lines and now they are saying they are "deploying additional security". More dogs vs. more people to actually do the screening?

ETA: Has anybody seen any evidence of this extra security?

Not to argue with you, but the vast majority of cell phones alarm the WTMDs. Even the little flip phones or the polymer outer shell versions alarm almost every single time.

Most of my cell phones alarm most of the WTMDs at the airports I use.

My iphones have never once alarmed. Now I am wondering why. Weird.

I note AskTSA seems to have finally dropped the "spring break" excuse for long lines and is now using this one:

In other words, "If all of these stupid passengers would quit coming to the airport, there wouldn't BE any lines at security, and then everyone could get through real fast!"

Congress controls the the number of screeners TSA has.

Understaffed TSA and long line....first blame Congress.

Under John Pistole TSA response to line and staffing was to create an attitude of SPEED at the expense of securiity.

Under Neffenger, as he claims, TSA is REFOCUSING on security. This means - supposedly - diligent alarm resolution.

TSAs working culture has been described as "toxic", and the proofs have been abundant.

First blame Congres for not allowing adequate staffing of screeners.

Second blame TSA for creating a toxic culture that seeks to punish those who raise red flags about security.

That isn't the issue. TSA has more then enough screeners. The issue is they don't use them properly.

Having congress approve more screeners will not fix the problem of useless positions (eg BDO, TDC) and people standing around doing nothing.

TSA has way more than enough money and more than enough screeners.

To fix this mess, TSA management needs to ditch the travel and ID document check and make PreCheck LLL screening the default norm for passengers while supplementing it with truly random ETD use. And scrapping the pseudo-"intelligence" and pseudo-"law enforcement" trappings could free up resources too. That would go a long way to ending this current TSA mess that is a dream come true for terrorists wanting to unleash mayhem (a la BRU last week but even worse) at airports.

TSA doesn't properly use the manpower it is authorized to have.

GAO has recommended that the BDO program not be funded yet TSA continues pouring money down a useless hole. That is just one example of waste. Look around almost any TSA checkpoint and you will see people standing around doing nothing. Then you have the administrative side of TSA which is overstaffed. TSA needs to have an efficiency group come in, identify the waste, and TSA should be forced to implement since TSA hasn't the ability to do this itself.

If they were doing the best they can with the resources they have you would be right. They aren't, though.

A short story on the DFW Fox affiliate this morning covered the long lines at TSA checkpoints and pointed at TSA for reducing screener employees by 10% over the last three years and the expectation that Pre Check would make up for the decrease in screeners.

It is pretty clear that not only has TSA fouled up the roll out of Pre Check coupled with a public that just isn't buying into Pre Check.

With numerous closures and unavailability at many airports TSA Pre Check it is looking more like a scam every day.

I have to wonder just what TSA has ever done well?

There is not a shortage of clerks. The 10% reduction was a step in the right direction, but nowhere near enough. I can increase the effective clerkforce, though. They have a clerk standing in front of the WTMD keeping people from going through. What hazard is presented by an unauthorized passage through the WTMD? Take WTMD watchdog and set him to doing actual work. Take the risk that a passenger will pass through the WTMD. If that happens, they can either let the passenger through (recognizing that he isn't carrying anything dangerous) or else stop him and send him through the NOS.

Staffing shortage problem, solved.

I didn't say the claimed shortage was justified just passing along what is being said in the news. As far as I am concerned we don't need any BDO's, TDC's, nor any of the screeners standing around not being productive.

Perhaps a shock collar that fires if they aren't moving would be helpful.