sethb

At most airports, the TSA hires people who are apparently too incompetent to perform any job that's useful or productive, to watch people walk out the exit.

At JFK, they can't even hire people competent enough to do that.

When exiting T4 through the "no checked baggage" exit, there's an airlock that lets a bunch of people in, the entry doors close, and then the exit doors open. When all of the people have exited, the exit door closes and this recycles. Unlike other airports where people just walk out, this adds (at times like 7:30AM this morning) a several-minute delay to the process.

For anybody who think the TSA might be saving money by not needing a person at the airlock: they have one anyway. Saving money is not what the TSA does. I wonder which TSA-related company manufactured the airlock, at undoubtedly a ridiculous cost to the taxpayers.

miraclebear2003

Can we call this an oxymoron??

jalves

Not to defend the TSA, but they need a person because the "air lock" doors would not prevent somebody from coming from the opposite direction. All that person would need to do is wait until the outer doors open and people exit, then go inside the airlock and wait for the outer doors to close and the inside ones to open.

BHArt

I encountered this 2 weeks ago while exiting and thought it was temporary and being used to count people for some reason when they'd allow 6 and only 6 people in per round. The agents at every other airport exit seem to work well enough to prevent people from entering that way, slowing down pax as they leave seems entirely ridiculous.

flyerCO

No person is needed. A sensor can tell if it's empty. Seen this type of door deployed outside the US before.

Exiled in Express

A one way revolving door with a pressure mat to prevent return would work wonderfully. And it does in some airports (LEX, ALO), I am not sure why TSA is continuing to staff and use layouts as though they are on a temporary mission.

31693884

Because the TSA is a jobs program, not a security agency.

Often1

As the new systems come on line, the "airlocks" are phased out. Stations such as SEA and PWM have them and they work well. Passengers keep moving towards the exit and the doors keep swinging open. Nobody can enter or reverse direction. If they do, alarms go off, the doors lock and the system shuts down.

No extra contractors and no time waste.

ATLMike1234

PHL has has this setup for the better part of a decade now - no attendant needed and passengers flow through continuously... it works somewhat like a subway fare gate. Nothing about this system is new or even really that high-tech in this day in age, and any airport that is still putting in any system that requires an agent to supervise is doing so purely by choice.

sethb

No; the inner door won't open while there's anybody inside.

OnTheSlopes

SEA and PHL exits are great for this - and move people very quickly with no delay. Hopefully they are just testing and/or optimizing settings. But, it is TSA and its all theatre anyway. Why do what makes sense?

anon2k2

This. Exactly this.

TSA isn't about security, it's about theatrical impersonation of security. If it works correctly (which it only does 4% of the time) then it prevents a type of terrorist attack which no longer worked 2 hours into 9/11.

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/trav...ection-n401011

NoStressHere

Exactly.

On 9/11 it was POLICY to let hijackers do what they wanted.
Now it is policy to NOT allow them into the cockpit. So, bring all the weapons you want.

GRALISTAIR

+1

yep

cbastian

I spoke to a friend at the PA who said the Airport General Mgr had been caught in this and was annoyed. Can't imagine how DL could make T4 worse, but they seem to find ways...I've been pondering taking the shuttle over to T2 and existing there, which would also make it easier to pick up a car service or a taxi.