What the TSA wants travelers to know

12-01-2008

The Transportation Security Administration, the guardian agency of the nation's air and sea lanes established in the wake of 9/11 "to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce," wants you to be aware Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Duh.

The TSA's extensive research finds travelers are more willing to cooperate with airport security when they understand the why and how of the procedures they must submit to before proceeding to the departure gate. To that end, it has enlisted the Ad Council to develop a campaign to remind every traveler to take proper ID, limit carry-on fluids to 3 ounces or less and be prepared to remove his or her shoes.

These restrictions have been in place long enough that they should be standard operating procedure for anyone who has boarded a commercial airplane in the past year.

But the year-end holidays are times when many travelers who may never have caught a flight before, or at least not recently, head for the airport. While estimates are there will be fewer travelers this year than the 23 million who were screened at airport security checkpoints during the five-day Thanksgiving holiday in 2007, terminal traffic will still be intense.

According to the TSA's records, the average time it took to get through airport security during peak periods last year was 12.6 minutes for Thanksgiving and 14 minutes for Christmas and New Year's. Actual results may vary.

The goal, of course, is to get those averages down or at least keep them from rising.

Today is traditionally the busiest travel day of the year, and although President Bush has flung open military air space for use by commercial planes to ease traffic congestion, bad weather anywhere in the system has the potential to disrupt schedules. And with so many planes flying at near capacity, missing a departure or a connection by even a few minutes could result in a delay of hours or even days.

With that in mind, it makes sense for travelers to do what they can to ensure there's no surprise security issues to interrupt their clearing security and getting to the departure gate at least half an hour before the plane is scheduled to leave.

So anyone with questions can visit the Web site www.tsa.gov and view a short video presentation explaining the security requirements.

People who haven't been to Pittsburgh International since last holiday season will find new, family-friendly security lanes, which the TSA has implemented here and at 47 other airports. Part of the Diamond Self-Select program, these lanes let families, individuals unfamiliar with air travel procedures and travelers with special needs to go through security at their own pace. Individuals carrying medically necessary liquids, aerosols and gels in excess of 3 ounces also will be directed to these lanes for closer inspection.

As far as the Web site, apart from the fact that the TSA videos are surprisingly amateurish, they at least lay out the logic behind these regulations and procedures, while other sections and videos on the site provide some insight on questions of security that get more complicated (and some might say subjective) as they try to deal with specific needs and restrictions.

And there is also promise that some of the procedures will be relaxed in the near future. New scanners may eliminate the need for passengers to remove their shoes, and technology is being developed to screen liquids that "will allow a review of procedures by fall of 2009."

Of course, we could also hope for a change in world conditions and concerns about the potential of airborne terrorism that led to the creation of this force of 45,000 officers to provide security at more than 450 U.S. airports.

If the fact that there have been no actual terrorism-related security incidents of significant magnitude at any U.S. airports since that horrific September morning is any indication, the system must be working.

Or has our capacity for fear gotten out of proportion to the actual danger?

No one is arguing that airport security won't be a concern for years to come, but wouldn't we all look forward to a day when such exceptional vigilance will no longer be considered necessary?

We can dream.  Yes we can.

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