Half-Assed Implementation of New Security Procedures JFK Terminal 4
 

I flew out of terminal 4 at JFK last week. They had the equipment in place for the new type of security where there are multiple stations where you can load the tray, and after x-ray the trays selected for secondary are routed to the other side of a plastic partition.

One of the major advantages of this system is that multiple people can load their belongings into trays at the same time off the conveyor belt, then when you are ready you push the tray onto the belt. This way slow people do not slow down others to the extent they do with the old system

This was my first time seeing the system at Terminal 4. I had seen the system before at LGW and AMS. At both LGW and AMS they had personnel that would guide people to vacant tray stations which insured that all tray stations were in use at all times.

Not at JFK - there were no personnel guiding people, nor were there any signs saying use the first available tray station. Instead, people seemed to be afraid of "cutting the line" so they would not go to tray stations that were further along than those that were being utilized. The result was that about half of the tray stations were not being used at any given time, even though there were people on line ready to use them.

Is this the way it usually is - or was the person who is supposed to move people along on a coffee break? Seems like a waste to invest in a new system and then not utilize it properly.

They have the same system in terminal C at LGA, and, when I've used it, there has usually been a person telling pax to step down to the next available slot.

One would think that the TSA would take any opportunity to repeatedly yell instructions at us and wave their hands around, but I guess they have to maintain some amount of inefficiency or else staffing levels will start getting cut or something. Well, they've already been saying that they're short-staffed so maybe not having someone directing the line at times reflects that.