PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Mixed threads about airport security (merged)
Old 5th Mar 2003, 23:18
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RatherBeFlying
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2,560
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SLF Security Observations

Flew YYZ-DAY and return.

YYZ seemed alert and efficient, but they don't provide seats for those required to remove shoes. You can do gymnastics, sit on the floor or sit on the counter and try to do your shoelaces while your foot is hanging in the air

Had to visit the Federal Building in Dayton and the US Marshal Service handled the screening: Thorough, Professional, Efficient and Polite. The swiss army knife was checked with no more fuss than a coat check.

Leaving Dayton, TSA decided to do some eight random checks after the boarding passes were run through the security machine. One TSA person did the frisk while the other pawed through the hand baggage taking an interminable amount of minutes per person. The airline gate agent was moved to suggest bringing in more personnel and one could see how fed up they were with the delay. The flight was significantly delayed and those randomly selected were concerned that they would be left behind.

I noted to a deadheading pilot that I could probably fly a 172 DAY-YYZ in less time than the three hours before checkin now required. He let me know that AA is about to park 75 a/c and furlough 900 crew. With my routing via ORD, DAY-YYZ took 8.5 hours which is not that competitive with taking the car.

TSA needs the random checks to show that they really do something other than just Stand Around. But scheduling time-consuming random checks during boarding immediately puts "thorough" security in conflict with getting the plane off the gate on time and getting the SLF home to their beds that night. Far better would be to schedule the random selections ahead of time.

There is a stupendous gulf between how the TSA and the US Marshals perform screening.
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