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What Do Tsa Agents Do – RICHMOND, Va. – You arrive at an airport checkpoint hoping to catch your flight and arrive at your destination safely and on time. Seems simple enough, but sometimes something you didn’t expect pops up at the checkpoint and it slows you down.
Meet Deborah Simms and Ryan Seymour, Transportation Security Administration officers at Richmond International Airport (RIC). Simms is a veteran enforcement officer who has worked for the agency since 2002 and Seymour has worked for it since 2015. When asked what they want travelers to know about going through the checkpoint, both were eager to share some tips to guide passengers through the checkpoint process efficiently and eliminate confusion.
What Do Tsa Agents Do
First of all, Simms advises travelers to “get to the airport early so you’re prepared for anything—a long line, a busy ticket counter, making room for all the flight crew to get through the checkpoint.” The first flight out of RIC is at 05:00, so the checkpoint opens at 04:00. At 04.30 there is a long queue, she points out. Sometimes people think that if they catch the first flight out in the morning, there won’t be a queue, but it is an airport’s “rush hour”. She points out that it will not move descendants to the front line.
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Simms says that when she flies, she gets to the airport two hours before her scheduled flight because “it’s a lot less stressful when you’re early. I can sit, relax and have time to have a cup of coffee before the flight.”
Seymour stresses the importance of being prepared when travelers reach for the ticket document. Have your boarding pass and ID in hand when you go up to the platform. This is not the time to fumble for your wallet to take out your ID. It must be out and ready to be handed over to the officer, he says. He also points out that if you’re traveling with a mobile boarding pass, it’s a good idea to print out a paper boarding pass as a backup, because sometimes the Wi-Fi signal at checkpoints isn’t strong and people may have trouble getting it onto their smartphone screen at the moment it is necessary. “Consider taking a screenshot of the mobile boarding pass as well, because we can scan a screenshot,” he suggests.
Liquids, gels and aerosols that are 3.4 grams or larger are not allowed through the checkpoint, so pack your large sunscreen, bug spray, toothpaste, shampoo, shaving cream and other large beauty products in your checked bag, advises Simms. One of the most common reasons that carry-on bags require officers to search inside is for an oversized liquid, gel or aerosol. These items will not be allowed outside the checkpoint. Avoid the time it takes for an officer to conduct a “bag check” by packing these items in a checked bag. Not sure if a product is defined as liquid, gel or aerosol? A good rule of thumb is that if the item can be spilled, sprayed, spread, pumped or poured, it is defined as a liquid, gel or aerosol.
“It’s good to remember that children 12 and under and adults 75 and over can leave their shoes on at the checkpoint,” says Seymour. “Often children will see their parents take off their shoes and the children will look at their parents and start doing the same, but in this case the children can leave the shoes on” so don’t waste time by letting the children take off their shoes.
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Seymour also suggests that immediately after going through checkpoint control is the best time to put your ID back in your wallet or carry-on. “Don’t start your journey by leaving your ID behind,” he says. “Put it right away.” And Simms adds that immediately after going through the checkpoint is a good time to put on any large jewelry that you may have removed.
All personal electronic devices larger than a cell phone must be removed from carry-on luggage to provide a good clear x-ray to ensure no one has tampered with the device to hide something inside. This includes laptops, tablets (eg iPads), e-readers (eg Kindles and Nooks), Bluetooth speakers and camera bodies. Failure to do so will mean that the hand luggage will be dragged for a baggage search, thereby extending the time travelers spend at the checkpoint. “Sometimes people have multiple laptops,” says Simms, recalling the time one traveler had four laptops. “When you take your electronics out of your hand luggage, don’t stack them. There should be nothing above or below each one so that we can get a good clear X-ray to ensure that there is nothing hidden inside, she says. “We have a lot of bins. Use as many as you need.”
If you need specialized assistance due to a medical or health condition or for any other reason, officers recommend calling the Cares line 72 hours before a flight at 855-787-2227 so you know what to expect at the checkpoint. Travelers can request assistance from a passenger support specialist who can connect with the individual to guide him/her through the checkpoint.
Finally, Seymour emphasizes that travelers should listen to what the officers are saying. They usually provide useful guidance on what travelers should do at the checkpoint. “We are there to help passengers efficiently through the process,” he says. “Sometimes people will be focused on their fluids and forget to remove the electronics, or they’ll be focused on the electronics and forget to take off their shoes. But we remind you, so it’s a good idea to listen to the guidance we give. “Copyright © 2023, Los Angeles Times | Terms of use | Privacy statement | CA notice of collection | Do not sell or share my personal information
Whistleblower” Claims Tsa Choosing Speed Over Safety
A long line of Transportation Security Administration personnel salute the US Honor Flag procession as it leaves Los Angeles International Airport in memory of TSA agent Gerardo Hernandez, killed by a rampaging gunman last week.
The recent shooting at Los Angeles International Airport has raised questions about how airport security can be improved, specifically whether Transportation Security Administration airport screeners should be armed. In part, this reflects the natural tendency to examine any horrific event with a view to preventing its recurrence. But it also reflects the Americans’ desire to create a risk-free society. From this perspective, a casualty shooting like the one at LAX can only be the result of a security failure, which therefore needs to be escalated.
Securing crowded public places is difficult, disruptive and expensive. Securing an airport check-in area will require the creation of a physical security perimeter at the entrances to the terminals where passengers arriving with luggage will undergo preliminary screening. But shooting and bombing can also take place in the baggage collection areas, so these must also be secured.
Security measures at the entrances will create queues of people waiting to be screened and who will be vulnerable to attacks outside the terminal. A study from the Rand Corp. recommended reducing potential damage that could be caused by a bomb by speeding up check-in and security check procedures, thereby thinning the crowd. But this would have no significant effect in a shooting incident.
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Rapid response is the main method to reduce damage in such incidents. A shooter determined to kill as many people as possible continues to kill until he shoots himself or is neutralized by the police. So why not arm guards?
Undoubtedly, armed screeners at LAX could have confronted the shooter before police intervened. Whether a shootout at the checkpoint would have led to fewer casualties than what happened, we cannot say. If, however, the shooter’s goal had been to cause as many injuries as possible — rather than focusing on TSA personnel — armed screeners might have helped. But arming screeners raises issues beyond this incident.
Arming screeners would change the demographics of recruiting for the TSA. Some screeners are older, retired people who may not feel comfortable carrying guns. Arming screeners will add to the training requirements initially and on an ongoing basis to remain qualified. It will undoubtedly change the salary tables. A decision to arm would also raise questions about the TSA’s authority. Would armed screeners also be given arrest powers? What liabilities will be incurred?
Would armed screeners be effective in responding to an armed attack? Shooting in crowded areas is extremely dangerous. The risk of damage from friendly fire is high. Airport police undergo specialized training to engage shooters. Officers at the airport, both from the airport police and the Los Angeles Police Department, are trained in “active shooter” response. Passengers injured or killed by friendly fire would create a public relations disaster for the TSA. The public accepts that this can happen when police are obligated to use deadly force, but there is already a measure of public hostility toward the TSA. Perceptions matter.
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Some of these questions arose when the TSA was
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