I've done it a few times. I have my bag packed so I can open it, get things binned, shoes are slip ons so they are off in seconds. Usually my going around happens before they are done looking for whatever the mystery object is.

Usually what I'm thinking is.. its your bag.. you packed it why the h@ll dont you know where things are??

If someone is not ready I will say excuse me, cut in front of them, place my stuff into the x-ray and walk through if it is clear they're just not ready (i.e. shoes on and sitting there digging through a bag).

No reason I should be held up if someone isn't ready to proceed.

At the same time, there have been a couple times I have needed extra time to unload my stuff prior to the checkpoint (i.e. if I have extra computer equipment or extra items I need to unpack for screening). I kindly tell those behind me they can go ahead.

It's a two way street. If they're not ready, I jump ahead -- if I'm not ready for whatever reason, jump ahead of me.

Ok, how about another scenario:

You arrive at the airport at 4:00pm for a 5:30pm flight to CVG and then have a 45 minute connection at CVG onto FCO. Reasonable connection time for CVG. Prior to leaving for the airport, delta.com states your 5:30pm flight is on time.

You arrive at the Delta ticket counter and the 5:30pm flight to CVG is now delayed to 6:05pm, which means you have a 10 minute domestic to international connection - if even that - assuming your original flight departs at 6:05pm with the delay.

Flight to FCO operates once a day; Agent checks alternate routes. The connection via ATL is sold-out. The DL/AF connections to FCO via CDG are no good because of a strike in France.

While at the ticket counter the agent says there is a Comair flight to CVG departing at 4:20pm. Since you are carry-on only, agent states this is your best chance at getting to FCO. Agent gives you last seat on CRJ at the rear of the plane and tells you to make a run for it.

You arrive at the checkpoint. At SDF there is no elite line. The checkpoint that is a normal 5 to 10 minute wait this time of day is backed up and ugly looking.

Do you:

(1) Politely excuse yourself and jump line
(2) Wait in line and potentially miss your flight (which means a likely mis-connect on the original flight).

If you excuse yourself to the front, do you try to justify it to other pax who are waiting? "Sorry, airline put me on a new flight" -- or do you just say excuse me, cut the entire queue to reach the TSA employee directing pax, politely explain why you jumped queue, and pray they allow you to proceed?

In this case I politely try to jump queue. It isn't a great situation to be in, but you either jump queue or you're potentially SOL. If someone wants to give me crap, so be it.

What would you do? I jumped queue and made it to the gate just in time for boarding. I made it to CVG and caught my connection to FCO. While at CVG, I notice my original flight is further delayed which meant I would have been a mis-connect.

I'd politely ask if i can cut in front. Usually people are quite understanding. I also quite often let people that are rushing to make their flight cut in front of me.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

In LAX I was waiting to go through security and the passenger in front of me was just taking forever. I asked if he minded if I go ahead of him and he replied that he was in a hurry, he did mind and pushed his bins up to the xray. Then he took at least another minute to get through.

That's OK, Karma will get him!

I will also encourage others to move ahead of me if I need a few extra seconds. I don't really have a problem with this but I usually travel very light and pack to go thru the checkpoint quickly.

I'm also usually early enough that the wait is not big deal. My only issue is that I have trouble standing for more than about 20 or 30 minutes.

I frequently travel with 2 very young kids and would have no problem if you skipped me if it didn't hold me up. As we travel so frequently, we are like a military operation at security and I doubt you'd be able to do it as we are pretty damn quick!

Have the DL agent escort me to the front of the line. I've seen it before and it is much better than trying to bypass a whole bunch of people on your own. Failing that, however, I would try to move up myself. Of course everyone in line is thinking "why didn't you just show up on time?" and hating you, but that's the way it is some times.

If the person in front if me is fumbling around and I am ready to go, I will politely say "I am ready to go, do you mind if I keep moving past you?". I can only remember doing it a couple of times, and was never refused.

The only time I've seen this cause a problem is when people leave their belongings on the tables leading up to the X-ray in order to dart around a slow person at the head of the line ... in which case, they're counting on the folks behind them to put their items into the X-ray! (Presumably without stealing anything ... ) When this happens, I will tell people, politely but firmly, that they need to stay with their items until they're all inside the X-ray.

OTOH, if someone alarms on the first pass and goes back to divest their pocket change, etc., I'll usually wave the next few folks through, as long as they've put their items into the X-ray.

We really DO want to get you through the checkpoint as quickly as possible, folks!

I've been waved ahead a few times, and am willing to accept, but have never asked or skipped without asking. Doesn't seem worth it to earn 15-30 seconds.

I only do it if it's offered and surprisingly it's fairly often now. It particularly helps, as others have said, if you have all of you things together to go through.

I've only seen a few times where a problem has arised is where a person is just fumbling around in front of the xray so other people move up to go past. The person fumbling around seems as if they feel threatened that someone is about to go through before them and they push all their stuff up to the front and hog the space so that no one can put their stuff in.

It just makes the person seem like a jerk when there are people behind them all ready to go and the person doesn't want anyone else to get through the line before him even when he is fumbling around the inside of his bag.

What I don't understand is how many people who seem like they've never passed through airport secure end up in the priority line. I don't think they're flying first, but they have status. Shouldn't they be used to the routine?

What is prefer a secondary rather than show my ID?

I often have to let people go past me at the ID check while I try to explain that I'd prefer a secondary rather than show my ID. That definitely is a situation where I won't stop others from going past.[/QUOTE]

If the consensus is that its ok to skip forward if you have all your things ready, i wonder what is to stop people from skipping the coffee line or other queues just because they have only 1 or 2 things and have their money ready. A queue is a queue.