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Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

nytimes.com

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Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#461

Post by TheRealDunkirk »

enjo wrote: post #319
TheRealDunkirk wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is like the time I asked someone on Reddit what they meant by funding education "fully." They said, "double." So... we'd be a world leader in primary and secondary education again if we just spent twice what we currently do? Well, I guess it was an answer. There are 2 kinds of people: those who think that more money will somehow fix everything (them), and those that think more money will only exacerbate the prob…

>As a matter of fact, as I write this, I think that may be the single most significant distinction between "conservativism" and "liberalism," as practiced in the US. Ugh.. no it's not. That's a massive mischaracterization of liberalism. Liberals, by and large, do not think that throwing additional funding at things (for the sake of additional funds) will improve systems. It's an unfounded and cartoonish view of liber…

My point in writing the comment was, in fact, to reduce the argument to one sentence. Don't get me started on who has the absolute stranglehold on political mischaracterization by simplification, when it's the left that screams "racism" every time someone tries to talk about illegal immigration and terrorism, neither of which is a race. That, too, is a "cartoonish" view of the argument. It is the cheapest form of political "debate" to be found today. So I guess oversimplification abounds on both sides.

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#462

Post by themartorana »

i_are_smart wrote: post #321
aqme28 wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They confiscated a friend's _comb_, because it opened with a switchblade-style button.

No, I'd wager the comb got confiscated because the TSA agent thought it looked cool and wanted one.

Just like iPads. http://www.wired.com/2012/12/tsa-ipads/

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#463

Post by ocdtrekkie »

PeterisP wrote: post #404

Just had multiple-leg international travel, all the involved airports from different countries ran a set of security and customs checks that were comprehensive enough for real threats (document verification, metal detectors, scanning all luggage, even drug dogs). No security theater though e.g. removal of shoes. In all cases the process (including queues) took less than 15 minutes. What is the problem in USA? If some…

For the vast majority of people, it's not actually that bad. I've never spent more than 15 minutes going through security, and that includes international trips. And I come and go primarily through O'Hare, one of the busiest airports in the country.

The Internet allows everyone to see every one of the small percentage of cases that take longer, with nobody noticing how many still aren't that big a deal.

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#464

Post by ocdtrekkie »

asciimo wrote: post #281

This article (and mainstream discussions, generally) doesn't question the existence of the TSA. The TSA is expensive, ineffective, and anticonstitutional. Yet most people are ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ about it.

To be honest, I am ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ about it, because it never takes me as long as everyone on the Internet says it does. I know there are people that get pretty screwed by the system, but for most people, it's not that bad.

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#465

Post by StillBored »

cookiecaper wrote: post #326
chrisbennet wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or deaths due to people driving instead of flying. "Increased delays and added costs at U.S. airports due to new security procedures provide incentive for many short-haul passengers to drive to their destination rather than flying, and, since driving is far riskier than air travel, the extra automobile traffic generated has been estimated in one study to result in 500 or more extra road fatalities per year." https://…

It's not really worth it to fly if your destination is Example itinerary: Flight leaves at 6:00pm, gotta be there bare minimum 1 hour early, preferably 2+, going to split the different and say 90 mins. Leave home at 4pm, drive 35 min to airport. Wait in line 15 mins to check bag. Allocate generous 20 mins for a quick security scan (this can blow up to 60 mins+ if it's a busy day and/or your airport sucks, but 20 mins…

That 4 hours is based on living near a major airport or flying into one and booking far enough in the future to get the best routes. If you live near one of the endpoint cities (say Austin TX out in the burbs), and you want to fly to another endpoint city (say SantaFe NM) and your choice of airline is poor (say united in this case) and you want to fly in two weeks. The flight/transfer time itself can be just as long as driving. It takes ~11 hours to drive that route, and the shortest listed flight on United for the date search I just ran is 8 hours 57 mins, up to 13 hours and 58 mins (out of the 4 united results returned on the first page). Add in security/etc and its likely even the 9 hour will take longer than the 11 hours driving.

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#466

Post by leesalminen »

simmons wrote: post #23

It's strange that the security lines are suddenly getting worse everywhere, the last several months. I regularly fly Denver->San Jose. While the lines at Denver can be quite awful, I used to be able to count on getting through San Jose security quickly. Lately, though, even San Jose has been getting backed up, and the airport has resorted to putting signs in the security line encouraging passengers to complain to TSA…

Same. Early fight out of DEN and am just seeing this (and packing) now.

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#467

Post by chx »

stephengillie wrote: post #236
lettergram wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn't get a warning, but I did have my bag opened, all my belongings thrown out on the ground, and was delayed for 30-45 minutes... All this because I had a box of poptarts that apparently looked like a bomb.

It may be an unpopular opinion to express, but these "horror stories of TSA incompetence" are somewhat entertaining to those who cannot afford to fly. It's like that "Cops" TV show, on location in the airports of America, with the men and women of law enforcement - the TSA in this case. Your having LEOs violate your rights and go thru your belongings - for someone thinking your box is a bomb - is no different than a…

> Your having LEOs violate your rights and go thru your belongings

the TSA smurfs are NOT an LEO! They are roughly the equivalent of desk clerks dressing in clothing designed to confuse people about this. They neither have the rights nor the competence of an LEO.

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#468

Post by enjo »

TheRealDunkirk wrote: post #461
enjo wrote: post #319

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>As a matter of fact, as I write this, I think that may be the single most significant distinction between "conservativism" and "liberalism," as practiced in the US. Ugh.. no it's not. That's a massive mischaracterization of liberalism. Liberals, by and large, do not think that throwing additional funding at things (for the sake of additional funds) will improve systems. It's an unfounded and cartoonish view of liber…

My point in writing the comment was, in fact, to reduce the argument to one sentence. Don't get me started on who has the absolute stranglehold on political mischaracterization by simplification, when it's the left that screams "racism" every time someone tries to talk about illegal immigration and terrorism, neither of which is a race. That, too, is a "cartoonish" view of the argument. It is the cheapest form of pol…

Well maybe don't be one of the idiots who participates in this nonsense?

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#469

Post by lilott8 »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #333
dawnerd wrote: post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thats funny. I had an unopened box of amazon aa batteries which really looked like a bomb on the x-ray (got to see it when they were inspecting). We both laughed about it when the lady saw what it was. I could tell he was really nervous though. Took me all of 5 minutes to resolve. Guess some tsa agents are just not very good at their job.

> Guess some tsa agents are just not very good at their job. Probably depends on the metric you're using to evaluate that.

Nope, it doesn't. Even using their own metrics they are abject failures: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-tsa-a...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/01/tsa-fails-95-percen...

Re: Catching a Flight? Budget Hours, Not Minutes, for Security

#470

Post by toothbrush »

bbarn wrote: post #457

What's going to finally change this is when there's a particularly bad day, and security lines are likely to make enough people late, that a swarm effect happens and a mass of people just says "no more" and walks through. Just like the fences at outdoor concerts. It takes a few fearless/stupid people to break through, and progressively less fearless/stupid individuals to follow, having watched enough ahead of them fo…

Ugh, i just fat-fingered the downvote button. Now i'll have to unmask myself to show my amusement and almost-wishing-it'd-happen at this idea.
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