I've had similar experiences with the airline contract employee folks.

Useless stuff anyway, doesn't provide any more security.

Don't forget to add in all the extra time now spent watching the ID checker/screener get up from his/her stool behind their spiffy podiums to switch out w/another ID checker/screener, as well as the (un)necessary conversation that happens between the 2 while doing so, which also slows down the line...

Every airport I've been in where TSA had taken over the ID checking I'm amazed that they've spent heaven knows how much $$ on podiums & stools for these people to do the same job the contractors did for how many years standing on their own 2 feet

Here is the reason: There are about 300 possible form of ID that could be used. TSA looks at
1. The person matches the photo.
2. The ID matches the name on the boarding pass.
3. The boarding pass is dated right
4. The ID is not expired
5. IT is a valid ID.

Numbers 4 and 5 above take the most time as the location of date of expiration is different from one to the other. There are some other aspects that I am not allowed to discuss.
NDSOL has it right though. TSA is limited to how many TSO's they can have at any airport. Now TSA has to check ID and in order to do that it might come at the cost of a whole screening lane being closed in order to put TSO's at the ticket checking posts. On a lighter side though the program is suspended for now.

No ID checking should be permitted at all at the checkpoint or anywhere else except by the airlines in question operating the flights for revenue protection.

The TSA should be kicked out of every US airport. Permanently.

Why the h*** is the Federal government doing revenue control for the airlines???

(Was in place at ONT yesterday, FYI)

50 US states, 10 Canadian provinces and 3 territories, 160-plus countries and other entities (e.g. the UN) issuing passports, Military ID, Merchant Marine cards, LOC reader cards, and so on.

All in the name of airline revenue control, Comrade!!

The TSA ID-checking program is suspended? No more DEN TSA checking IDs now?

It was the TSA checking them at the CO DO III on Saturday evening at IAH, which is a recent change.

It has nothing to do with revenue control and everything to do with only allowing people with a legit purpose to enter the security area.

But this can be totally circumvented with a fake boarding pass (easiest) or fake ID (not as easy but totally possible).

So in other words it does nothing. Sorry you guys have to be taken away from your primary duty to perform something that does ZERO for airport security.

Oh come on -- You can't still believe that drivel, can you? Of course this has to do with revenue protection. The airlines will never admit that, but they are all too happy to let the TSA enforce this provision of their ticketing policies.

Regarding having a legitimate purpose to enter the secure area, the ID check does nothing. I could be at the airport to steal wallets yet as long as I purchase a refundable ticket or get an airline to issue me a gate pass I can enter the secure area.

The process that you describe to go about entering the area is too much hassle for the common thief and it leaves a trail.

"common thief"? what do you think, someone's coming to knock over the airside Taco Bell?

It is none of the government's business who goes airside. Checking IDs is disgusting and should be terminated, along with those filthy Communists who instituted this policy.

C'mon, you and I know the TSA has been built on trying to prevent the terrorists from sneaking a bomb in. Branching out into eagerly looking for petty criminals is another distraction, just like the ID thing.

Screeners are way too distracted to look for that bottle of Head & Shoulders as it is.

Yesterday at the United security check point it was non-TSA checking ID. The queue was quite long and I heard others commenting about how it took them 35 minutes. I went from elite line to train in like 5 minutes. All the lanes were open, there was just a bottleneck at checking IDs.