TSA officers can no longer sit during ID checks, a move the agency calls a boost to security and hospitality. The union isn't buying it.
"a TSA checkpoint isn’t a Four Seasons" Bah! For real, though, this is absurd; let them sit. This administration hates workers; it's sad. Midterms are in 34 days; early voting has already started in some jurisdictions (MN, SD, VA, etc.) Check your eligibility/registrations. If eligible, please vote.
1990 - Vote yes for every choice and every candidate ; or , vote no for every choice and every candidate .
Oh, interesting, are those the only options on your ballot, Alert? Odd. Anyway, thanks for participating, at least. Fulfilling your civic duty... *salute*
Great, even more grumpy TSA agents at each security line.
Chairs are almost as woke as bike lanes.
I'm glad they're whipping the TSA boys into shape and I feel safer already
Mandelbaum Mandelbaum!!
The boss who made this decision is a wankpuff .
I have no idea of why someone taking your ID and/or picture can't sit down.
I don't think anyone would mistake the TSA checkpoint for the Four Seasons. I've always found the TSA agents to be helpful and accommodating when I ask them to turn off that bloody camera. Let them sit for crying out loud.
Number of times an agent sitting vs standing has had any impact on my life: 0. Thank god someone in DHS leadership is focused on solving these real and impactful issues with the airport security experience...
The cruelty is the point.
There has never been anything hospitable about the TSA or its forerunner the INS. I remember JFK in 1989 with a guy flipping through a big binder, assumedly filled with the nasty people, angry I wasn't on it!
The staff at pre-clearance have always been mildly better (perk of an out station I assume, possibly with easy going Irish?) but with the same sarky attitude. 2008, going to Chicago, guy demanded to know why I was going to Chicago.. "cos its nice, cos it was €199, because, because" then he slams the passport down and smiles broadly with "Go to Las Vegas next time!"
It should not be nasty, but hospitable? Strange.
They want to roll out more "touchless ID". At some point you won't have to "stand on the slightly angled feet on the floor" and look directly at a camera an agent is directing you to, there will be a ton of cameras already in the TSA PreCheck lane and you'll automatically be scanned as you walk towards the screeners. Or you'll use a TSA app to pre-register your arrival so that the system knows to look for you (like you can to skip the global entry kiosk). You'll then either pass through an automated gate, or one officer will waive you through like Global Entry - we won't need 4-6 kiosks at the front of the line.
At that point, jobs potentially become redundant. That said, is this absolutely petty? Of course. Is it completely insulting to frontline workers who have had to deal with long stretches without pay and assistance from ICE? Of course. But if the point of this announcement, whether or not it goes through, is to reduce the number of TSA employees, that may or may not be a reasonable goal from a workforce management perspective. One might have thought the last year with all of the pay interruptions may have accomplished some of that, but I have no clue. I also have no idea how many TSA employees will be needed next year let alone 5 years from now, but as the surveillance state continues its unabated march...
Completely unrelated of course but Children of Men is a good watch.
I'll bet 'ol Petey H. got involved in this as he is such a physical fitness buff and would have a coronary if someone in uniform was sitting. Don't want them sitting around endangering our national security now would ya?
There are a lot of things wrong with TSA, but agents sitting down is not one of them.
This is so totally dumb. However, the entire tsa concept, coming out of 9/11, which was facilitated by out govt...an inside job, it fed on fears of the sheeple, similar to covid. A gigantic scam. Can't take my own water on my flight? Insane. 98% security theatre.
Stephen, did you forget the '/s' ...or are you actually attempting 9/11 and Covid conspiracy theories on here? *sigh*
TSA look rude and bored most of the time. I can see this change at least helping them stay alert, aren't they supposed to be alert? How many TSA have I seen slouching on chairs scrolling their phone? LOTS! I expect they will get breaks. They will be fine. Stop acting like full adults are such fragile flowers they cannot be expected to perform their jobs. Especially this one.
Them sitting down 100% contributes to their flippant attitudes.
But this isn't solving the problem, they'll just be more annoyed and pissed off all the time.
Be honest these TSA employees checking ID can now be standing for long hours . This is not good. They need to be focus on each document presented. Exhaustion will affect the quality of their work. I hope the decision is reversed.
Only at very very small airports do the Check In TSA agents have any down time to "scroll through their phone" --- most are busy non stop. Letting them sit at this rotation post is fine. Plus, they make better eye contact. This change is petty and punishing.
I think someone just decided that they no longer wanted to pay for the upkeep up the chairs, and thus they are no longer.
Why do they change things that dont need changing. Dont they know the comfort which sitting provide,enable officers to be more focus on their job function.
George Costanza says this is wrong. Let them sit.
I'm sure this will assist with their recruiting and retention efforts.
currently (especially in tech) there is an informal status competition among CEOs/founders to exhibit how well they can discipline/subjugate their workforces (regardless of adverse impact on operations); and that mentality has now permeated the federal government via DOGE and the techbros brought in under this admin. this phenomenon is reactionary to the protections that workers were able to secure during the strong post-pandemic recovery, and CEOs were broadly traumatized by the experience of bargaining with labor. i think this action is best viewed through that paradigm.
Unless they can show the public is safer with these TSA agents standing instead of sitting, would love to know the time and analysis invested in a decision that did not need to be made. Feels like a move to irritate and push more employees out so they can privatize.