Cutting in line...
Jun 4, 2019, 9:23 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 124
Cutting in line...
We’ve all seen it - some dude runs up and wants to cut in line because he’s gonna miss his flight. I generally plan fairly well and almost always have time to spare at the security line, so it’s no skin off my nose if some dude wants to edge forward in line and then do an OJ through the airport. In other words, I’m pretty mellow at the airport.
I was at a relatively small airport the other day, too small for a dedicated precheck line, and there was a huge family unit with kids and multiple bags per person and all sorts of things that are holding up the line. I have absolutely nothing to scan, I just need to walk through the magnetometer. While the family unit is trying to figure out the shoes, the baby’s, the bags, etc., I just walked around them and presented myself at the magnetometer. Whoa! Big mistake. The TSA lady had a fit and proudly announced to the entire line that I had just cut in front of each and every one of them. She then tells me that I have to ask permission from each person that I had “cut in front of...”.
And of course I did have plenty of time to kill, and upon reflection, maybe should have just stood there and waited. It seemed silly that there was a stall in the line and it didn’t occur to me that anybody would get bent out of shape, much less the TSA lady. I see things like that all the time at larger airports - you clear the ID guy and then head for the scanner. You don’t go get behind 20 people sticking bags on the conveyor belt when you have no bags.
Note to self - “self, don’t ‘cut’ in line at those small airports...!”
I was at a relatively small airport the other day, too small for a dedicated precheck line, and there was a huge family unit with kids and multiple bags per person and all sorts of things that are holding up the line. I have absolutely nothing to scan, I just need to walk through the magnetometer. While the family unit is trying to figure out the shoes, the baby’s, the bags, etc., I just walked around them and presented myself at the magnetometer. Whoa! Big mistake. The TSA lady had a fit and proudly announced to the entire line that I had just cut in front of each and every one of them. She then tells me that I have to ask permission from each person that I had “cut in front of...”.
And of course I did have plenty of time to kill, and upon reflection, maybe should have just stood there and waited. It seemed silly that there was a stall in the line and it didn’t occur to me that anybody would get bent out of shape, much less the TSA lady. I see things like that all the time at larger airports - you clear the ID guy and then head for the scanner. You don’t go get behind 20 people sticking bags on the conveyor belt when you have no bags.
Note to self - “self, don’t ‘cut’ in line at those small airports...!”
Last edited by danbrew; Jun 4, 2019 at 9:26 pm Reason: edits
Jun 4, 2019, 9:27 pm
#3
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: DFWex-BOS
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Posts: 1,456
You probably should have at least asked the parents of the family first, if it was alright to jump ahead of them. If they were decent people they wouldn't have had a problem with it. It was a little DYKWIA to automatically jump the line, IMO.
Jun 4, 2019, 9:30 pm
#4
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 4,374
@NotDuncan, I disagree. After the TSA’s ID & boarding pass check, there are two more lines.
1) Line to put your bags in the X-ray
2) Line for the metal detector
OP, by virtue of having no bags, was eligible to bypass line (1) and was then first in line for (2). OP did not jump or cut anyone.
1) Line to put your bags in the X-ray
2) Line for the metal detector
OP, by virtue of having no bags, was eligible to bypass line (1) and was then first in line for (2). OP did not jump or cut anyone.
Jun 5, 2019, 7:01 am
#7
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: DUB / DOH
Posts: 693
I don't see any issue with this, and I absolutely hate line skippers! The point is, were those people ready to walk through the scanner or were they still trying to arrange all of their bags to go through the scanner? If the latter, I think it is unreasonable to expect someone to wait there who has no bags at all.
Jun 5, 2019, 7:26 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 182
Completely inaapropriate behavior by TSA agent. Even if she felt you were "cutting", all she really needed to do was ask you to return to your place in line and she would get to you as soon as possible. The public shaming and announcement were inappropriate and I think that should be reported to her supervisor.
Jun 5, 2019, 8:38 am
#9
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
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Posts: 9,883
I don't see any issue with this, and I absolutely hate line skippers! The point is, were those people ready to walk through the scanner or were they still trying to arrange all of their bags to go through the scanner? If the latter, I think it is unreasonable to expect someone to wait there who has no bags at all.
Jun 5, 2019, 9:15 am
#10
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And yes, at the "larger city" airports, it is very common that while others are in mid-doffing mode, those initially behind them who are ready to walk through the scanner simply do so (of course, waiting to be waved through) without the slightest hesitation, and nobody bats an eye; not even security personnel.
Jun 5, 2019, 9:40 am
#11
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Colorado
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I've patiently waited for the idiots in front of me to get there act together, and I've said the heck with it and passed them. Lack of preparation (especially in PreCheck) isn't my problem.
Jun 5, 2019, 9:47 am
#12
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: London, United Kingdom
Programs: British Airways Gold
Posts: 2,636
You should have stood your ground and loudly argued back that you saw they were getting their things in order and so went ahead to keep the line moving for everyone's benefit. Few in the line would have disagreed with your reasoning
Jun 5, 2019, 10:08 am
#13
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 17
I never cut the line. The actual line.
But I do sometimes go around someone at the bins if they are woefully disorganized or slow. I am not going to wait for them to use THAT moment to take of their jewelry, open their suitcases, untie their 20 eyelet shoelaces and forget to remove their belts. I expect infrquent fliers to be a bit lost, but I have witnessed some extreme cases of unpreparedness when it comes time to fill the bins.
But I do sometimes go around someone at the bins if they are woefully disorganized or slow. I am not going to wait for them to use THAT moment to take of their jewelry, open their suitcases, untie their 20 eyelet shoelaces and forget to remove their belts. I expect infrquent fliers to be a bit lost, but I have witnessed some extreme cases of unpreparedness when it comes time to fill the bins.
Jun 5, 2019, 10:13 am
#14
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This is resolved in modern airports by having three or four bin loading stations per baggage scanning machine, with a completely separate line for the X-ray machine. So much more efficient, it irritates me when I have to pass through an airport designed twenty years ago.
Jun 5, 2019, 10:20 am
#15
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: PVD, BOS
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,664
I agree you did nothing wrong. The power tripping TSA dragon was way out of line, and completely in the wrong. Both in terms of the public shaming and her misunderstanding of etiquette in these situations. With no bags to scan, you're absolutely entitled to go right to the scanner and bypass the x-ray queue entirely. Frankly, by skipping the family, you're helping to alleviate congestion and enabling the process to be more efficient (as the x-ray loading queue is the bottleneck, not the body scanner).
There have been many instances where I'm ready to put my stuff through the x-ray, but a family in front of me is messing around with opening bags, getting liquids, etc, etc, etc. So I just skip ahead while they're getting their lives in order. Why should everyone else wait for folks who aren't ready to go when they get to the front of the queue?
There have been many instances where I'm ready to put my stuff through the x-ray, but a family in front of me is messing around with opening bags, getting liquids, etc, etc, etc. So I just skip ahead while they're getting their lives in order. Why should everyone else wait for folks who aren't ready to go when they get to the front of the queue?