Originally Posted by Boggie Dog (Post 26212373)

The airlines, baggage and ramp workers, fuelers, food service, and all of the other jobs around the airports seem to be able to manage these variations with the exception of TSA.

Why is that?

Originally Posted by HawaiiTrvlr (Post 26212526)

While you are at it, please explain the reported problems at Denver several weeks ago. Specifically, all the checkpoints were closed except for a few lanes at 1 checkpoint. The wait times were over 2 hours. At first, the TSA said the airlines changed their schedule and the TSA were not told about the changes. As it turns out, management at TSA DEN "clarified" the issues and took responsibility for the staffing shortages.

Originally Posted by eyecue (Post 26212795)

You are correct, the 3 checkpoints are not 24 hour operations. Two of the three are closed by 9 PM and the remaining one is staffed for airport personnel that need to come and go. When they closed the others and let the screening workforce leave at the end of the shift, there was no consideration for changes that were being made due to the weather, and existing passengers being stranded and incoming flights to take them out and cancelled flights. They would have had to hold the workforce over and authorize overtime to do that. They did not do that and it was a mess. A manager got let go for that decision.

Originally Posted by jkhuggins (Post 26212579)

As much as I'm a critic of TSA, this comparison isn't fair. All the other jobs you name can overstaff their positions in order to be able to handle peak load without anyone complaining about them when they're underused. A ramp worker with nothing to do can hide out in the break room, so nobody sees the idleness. A food service worker with nothing to do stands at the counter and waits for another customer; nobody seems to mind if McDonalds has a bunch of its employees standing and doing nothing, if in fact there's nothing to be done at that moment.

A TSO with nothing to do, however, becomes a poster child for "Thousands Standing Around". It becomes a convenient image for those who already dislike the TSA to put forward as evidence against them, when it's really just the ebb and flow of normal work cycles.

So, if y'all want to criticize the TSA for long waits at peak times, y'all have to give up the right to complain about overstaffing at off-peak times.

(Not that there isn't a host of other things to complain about when it comes to TSA.)

Originally Posted by Boggie Dog (Post 26213182)

No employer with an eye towards profit hires people they don't need.

Originally Posted by RatherBeOnATrain (Post 26213230)

Nonsense -- if you're a contractor being paid by the government on a Cost Plus basis, then you hire as many employees as the government will pay you for, regardless of whether or not those employees are needed....

Originally Posted by Boggie Dog (Post 26213182)

No employer with an eye towards profit hires people they don't need.

Originally Posted by petaluma1 (Post 26212867)

Sorry, there have been reports of close to two hour TSA wait times just this week in the morning. Care to try to explain that away?

Originally Posted by eyecue (Post 26212795)

You are correct, the 3 checkpoints are not 24 hour operations. Two of the three are closed by 9 PM and the remaining one is staffed for airport personnel that need to come and go. When they closed the others and let the screening workforce leave at the end of the shift, there was no consideration for changes that were being made due to the weather, and existing passengers being stranded and incoming flights to take them out and cancelled flights. They would have had to hold the workforce over and authorize overtime to do that. They did not do that and it was a mess. A manager got let go for that decision.

Originally Posted by eyecue (Post 26214031)

You really want know? PM me

Originally Posted by Boggie Dog (Post 26220707)

ATL is not the only airport seeing long delays at TSA checkpoints. Reports of significant delays today at EWR.

Is TSA's motto "We Can't"?