If you think that airport traffic is bad now, wait until new airport security protocol comes into effect. The TSA is looking to make travel more complicated by requiring passengers to remove more items from their bags at the security checkpoint.
Passengers will have to remove additional items from their bags and place them in a separate bin to be checked. This includes any electronic device larger than a cellphone. These changes aren't being done just to slow people down. They're going into effect because passengers are cramming more stuff into carry-on bags, which has become "the norm" since airlines have begun charging expensive fees to check bags. TSA screeners are having problems reading X-rays due to the cluttered contents.
The changes make sense given that TSA staff must be able to identify all the items in a bag. But the TSA is hoping that the new rules won’t add to people’s time in line. The assumption is that the time lost removing items from bags will be made up in faster X-ray scans. The procedures are still being tested, but current proposals have suggested that passengers should remove all food and papers from their bags. Laptops or other large electronics are also expected to be removed.The TSA says the change is not because of any specific threat, but it's to increase efficiency. Everyday items can look like explosives on an X-ray machine.
Airport security protocols and technology regulations have been heavy topics of discussion over the past few months. That has mainly been due to President Trump's attempted travel bans. However, the TSA's decision to expand the device removal policy at checkpoints is reportedly unrelated. Members of the TSA pre-check program likely won’t be seeing these changes.
The TSA will also be testing a machine that verifies travelers' forms of identification. Travelers will walk up to a machine and hand their ID to an officer. The officer will scan the ID's barcode, and the machine will populate the traveler's information in return. There are currently small-scale trials of the changes in airports in Colorado Springs, Boise, Lubbock, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Boston, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Changes are set to be finalized in the coming weeks with a goal of putting the new rules in place after the summer travel season ends.
