TSA Woes

Pietro Place TSA Peter Jones

The news on the street is that summer is going to be a lot of fun when you are traveling around US airports. More fun than ever before actually and here’s the reason.

TSA have reduced their staff by 2,000 people.

So, those long lines that we already encounter are getting longer and longer.  Tempers will get testy and maybe the smiles on the TSA team will start to turn upside down.

So, what’s the deal?  In these tense days of super sensitivity on issues like security and safety, why cut back?  It seems that TSA thought that there would be such a massive uptake in the TSA Precheck approval applications, that they could save some resources for something else.  TSA approval is $85, so it seems that they saw an opportunity for revenue.  It is as simple, though, as putting in an application and scheduling an appointment.  If you already have Global Entry, you are automatically considered as part of TSA Precheck.  It means that you don’t have to remove clothing when going through a screening, nor remove your toiletries.  It’s a massive time saver because they have a line expedited especially for you.

So, what’s the problem?

People are just not signing up for it whether it’s a privacy issue, general laziness, the price, or just a lack of knowledge that it actually exists.

But now they are paying for…or rather we are paying for it if we don’t have TSA precheck.  My advice if you are traveling domestically this summer is to get with the program.  It’s one of the few things in life that is worth the price!

Images courtesy of http://blog.tsa.gov/2016/01/tsa-2015-year-in-review.html and https://www.myheritage.org/news/more-passengers-are-flying-tsa-free-and-thats-a-good-thing/

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