Going through security at Sea-Tac will get speedier for some

The former head of TSA wants to reduce this line with five simple suggestions, but Dave Ross likes the illusion of security. (97.3 KIRO FM Photo/File)

If you want to see a good show – look no further than the
“Theatre of Security” at the airport the next time you
travel.

The stage show put on by TSA agents certainly makes Dave
Ross feel safe before he boards his East Coast flight to
visit family. But for his co-host, and fellow frequent
flier Luke Burbank, it’s a stage production that fails to
produce real-life results. The former head of the TSA
agrees with Luke.

It’s all a show, and it’s not effective, according to the
writing of Kip Hawley in
the Wall Street Journal.

Hawley was head of the TSA from July 2005 to Jan. 2009,
and he said he saw flaws and tried his best to reform the
system. He said his changes were often tied up in
bureaucratic channels and while keeping liquids out of
carry-ons was important to prevent one type of bomb,
terrorists will continue to find loopholes and always be a
threat to air traffic.

That’s why, according to Hawley, TSA officers should be
given more flexibility and rewards for initiative. It
won’t have anything to do with finding lighters buried in
the baggage of businessmen and women with a smoking habit,
but will have everything to do with using their well-honed
skills.

“No security agency on earth has the experience and
pattern-recognition skills of the TSA officers,” he said.

Hawley also has four other recommendations to speed up
security without changing safety factors airports and
aboard planes: No more banned items, allow all liquids,
eliminate baggage fees, and randomize security.

While Hawley is no longer with the TSA, it looks like the
administration is planning to implement some of these
functions to help you move through security quicker. At
Sea-Tac, some travelers will be able to get through
security faster starting as early as April 24.

Some frequent fliers and “low-risk travelers” will avoid
the long security lines by going through a “PreCheck.”

“They would not have to go through the […] body
scanners, they would not have to take the lap tops out of
their cases, they would not have to take their shoes or
coats off,” explained aviation expert Steve Danishek.

You can’t request to be a part of the program, sorry Luke,
but it is being tested at 28 airports around the country.
For now, Dave will still get to travel with his staged
feeling of security.