TSA Idiocy: You Can't Clear Security Until Midnight for a 12:30 AM Flight!
 

So here I am tonight, looking to go through the empty North security checkpoint at SEA at 9 PM. The agent scrutinizes my boarding pass and says I can't pass through until after midnight, because my flight is on a different calendar day. Well, ya! It's at 12:30 AM, and boarding begins on SEA-MSP at 11:45. I show off these math skills to the agent but she remains unimpressed. She calls over a supervisor to see if the 'rules' can be waived. He says "No". The fact that I do this every two weeks also leaves them unimpressed and I am turned away until midnight. Issue resolved when I proceed directly to the central TSA checkpoint and breeze through with a cheery wish for a good flight. Just amazing.

Any point in following up with the TSA on this lunacy?

T2

Did you make it? Try a different checkpoint...

Only reason to follow up is if you want SSSS on future flights.

My rule for living in a totalitarian society, I've lived in a few, is: never, ever do anything to stand out to a bureaucrat. The TSA counts! Do nothing, object to nothing. Find another entry if possible. They always win if they want to. One wants to believe better, but it just ain't so. Never complain, you'll end up on a list. Remember that their version of the story will be the one that rules, not yours. If you do complain do it anonymously.

Please continue to follow this thread in the Travel Safety/Security forum. Thanks for your understanding.

Jouy31
TravelBuzz moderator

Unfortunately the TSA foolishness is without a time limit -- it needs to be expired yesterday. If some passengers were to encounter such TSA foolishness and have a 12:05 or 12:10 a.m. scheduled departure time, they would never make their flights in the absence of flight delays and/or gate agents waiving rules meant to help get flights out on time.

Very easy: next time say they are wrong, it is the NEXT day already and you are 23.30 hours late for your flight. So tell him that you're in a terrible rush now and really need to get through since you might still make it if your run to the gate. That should be good enough to confuse the poor guy to an extent that he will just let you pass.

In real life make sure that you complain both to the TSA and the airline. If the airline incurrs delays because of TSA behavior they will follow-up with the adequate people, too.

This clearly is counter to passenger instructions to arrive an hour or so early for a flight in order to allow sufficient time to pass thorugh security. The only reason I can think of for delaying anyone, is so that in the face potentially missing one's flight, the "do you want to make your flight today" question becomes more intimidating.

I try to leave a fair bit of time to go through security so that if there are any issues, and I get a "do you want to make your flight today", my response of "take your time I am in no rush" is often totally disarming if not totally frustrating for the TSA.

If you neutralize a bully's leverage, they are empty shells! And yes get the supervisor involved, airline rep, and/or LEOs as the scenario requires. It sure beats sitting around the gate anyway!

I have tried to locate which airline you might be on but have been unsuccessful. Have you considered contacting the airline instead. I'm sure they would be interested that TSA is trying to impede their airline boarding and airport operations.

Better yet -- tell them that the official government day begins at "0000 Zulu" and explain that this is Greenwich Mean Time and the Greenwich time zone in England. (For the OP's purposes, even Greenwich CT would have work!) The new official government day in Seattle actually happened 8 hours ago -- at 4:00 pm local time. The risk is that you just shafted everyone with a 4 pm flight. But, I don't give the TSA that much credit for puttint 2 + 2 together. :)

DL 2446 SEA-MSP. Departs 12:30 AM.

The ID check (TDC :rolleyes:) has nothing, repeat, nothing to do with security anyway. When it comes complete with arbitrary, foolish, impositions like the one documented here, it just highlights again, how we don't have an aviation security system, we have myriad annoyances, enforced in so many situtations, by ignorant, petulant, strutting buffoons.

So, if your flight is at 12:01 a.m., you can't clear security untill 12:00 a.m.?
Don't you know that only a terrorist will book a flight departing at such an hour. ;)

So how do you oppose totalitarianism?

maybe if the op told the person boarding began at 23:45 it might have worked........? ;) oh never mind....the tso/tdc doesn't have enough fingers and toes to do military time anyway ;)

WOuld have considered walking around to the other side of the first checkpoint, wave at them and point at my watch if time allowed.