Here’s How to Fix the TSA, In Song

The TSA is offering a $15,000 prize for the best idea that improves the security screening process.

TSA is looking for the Next Generation Checkpoint Queue Design Model to apply a scientific and simulation modeling approach to meet queue design and configuration needs of the dynamic security screening environment,

Yeah, that makes sense. And that description may be part of the problem.

Here’s the contest entry website.

The TSA guarantees they will award a prize. A total of $15,000 is available, and could be awarded to one single entry. At a minimum there will be a $5000 first prize and there could be in theory (4) $2500 prizes (no prize under $2500 will be awarded).

My good friends at ReasonTV released a video entry from Remy. He wins.

(Shout outs for the prompt to K.K., E.C., Tocqueville, and Jenn R.)


About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. @Helen S – I got on planes before there was a TSA, so yes. In fact, when the TSA came in most of the people working the checkpoints were exactly the same. And there was no liquids check until 2006. Nude-o-scopes weren’t part of the earlier protocol either. And presently about half of all passengers go through precheck even though half of those haven’t gone through pre-screening or background checks, many of them are randomly selected to not have extensive screening.

    But the point of this video isn’t no TSA in any case, that’s a straw man. Remy says simple things like if a kid screams for their mother while being groped they probably aren’t a terrorist…

  2. I don’t put it past a terrorist Mom to put explosives on her child, or for a terrorist son to pack explosives into grandma’s walker. The terrorists are happy to send themselves and their loved ones to martyrdom.
    I’m not saying TSA is perfect, and some of the agents go too far. For better or worse, my travel companions and I have always been caught the few times we slipped up and carried something we shouldn’t have, and we’ve always been treated respectfully. TSA may be looking for the wrong things, but they’ve found them on me. (Nude-o-scopes are gone, right? It’s just the generic scatter image.)

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