Flying Through Chicago? What security line do you belong in?
 

Seems that Midway airport is launching a new security line process that is meant to speed up the whole affair. Passengers are moved through security through three lines: an expert/frequent flyer line, a family and inexperienced traveler line, and a casual/in-between line. Seems the early response is positive:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel...,5623771.story

Here are some more airports that have this system http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35118438

I didn't see that--- I really hope this comes to LGA and JFK soon.

Meant to also say thanks Patty!

Any early indications as to whether it is working? As a frequent flyer I am afraid that the same people who don't know about liquids, pockets, jackets, shoes, etc. will be the same ones who don't know that they belong in the "slow" line.

<b>laurie_ann</b>,

that's what I was thinking. There is a &quot;natural&quot; selection by the frontline TSA but it is far from perfect. According to the article, the flip-flop, shorts, Hawaiian shirt crowd does get send to the slow line and most business attired people are allowed to go to the &quot;professional&quot; line, but experience tells me that once this program gets rolled out to some major airports it will become a joke.

Not every tourist, leisure, once a year flyer dresses as described above, and not all frequent flyers dress in suits and carry a business case. Also, what if I'm flying to Hawaii for a vacation and I do wear some funky beach attire yet I know exactly how to prepare for the security procedure because I do on the regular basis rest of the year? Do I have to go to the slow line just because of my attire? It doesn't make sense.

But, perhaps I'm wrong and somehow this will work. I just have doubts.

Americans will understand this scheme after they understand that the left lane on the freeway is for passing by fast vehicles.

I think I'll like this new procedure. Sort of like the &quot;10 Items or Less&quot; line at the supermarket. Even if the line is longer, you usually get through faster.

Hopefully this will also reduce frustration on everyone's part. A women in the article actually said she was glad to be in the slow lane so she could take her time without people breathing down her neck.

For frequent travelers it means (hopefully) we don't have to stand in line with the people who play dumb (or perhaps are just plain dumb). So maybe everybody doesn't know to take off their shoes or their coat. And maybe they can't read, so that's why they just ignore the posted signs that tell them to do so. Oh, I forgot, those signs also have pictures, so even if they can't speak English they should still know what to do. Or maybe they can't hear, so they ignore the announcements. But, when they get to the front of the line and look dumbfounded, well, I get a little frustrated. Same goes for bottles of water in your purse, money in your pocket, only those are worse because then my laptop case (from which of course the laptop has been removed) is stuck on the belt while they try to figure out what is in somebody else's bag. Or I can't go through security because somebody in front of me keeps beeping. Not once, but several times. First they remove their cell phone from their pocket. Second time around they remove the change. And so it goes. What do people not understand when told to remove everything from their pockets?

Yes, I think I'm going to like this new procedure indeed.

LaurieAnn-
You're right. Those are the people who can't read the signs and don't hear the announcements about how to get through security. Or worse yet they choose to ignore them.

AAFF-
When I fly on vacation, or for that matter on business but am dressed casually, I'm going to have my passport in one hand (rather than driver's license), my frequent flyer card in the other, and head straight for the expert line!

Rkkwan-
Where I live we know how to use the left lane. It's for speeding. Anything more than 10 miles over the speed limit. Unless the guy behind you is going faster than you are, and then you move to the center lane to let him pass.

very well put, rkkwan, lol!

I was thrilled to read about this (coming to my home airport-hurray!) right after returning to the states. The security line at Houston for US citizens transferring to another flight was filled with people who didn't know they had to take their shoes off, their laptop out of the case, etc... These are people who have already flown out of the country!! and I was wondering how some of them even found their way to the airport. It was ALMOST enough to explain the crabby TSA employees-a literally rude awakening after the kind and generous people of the countries I'd visited. My last trip found me in line behind women eating ice cream cones and pushing airport luggage carts and leaving their passports lying around. I am not a business traveller, but it's not rocket science!!

Dana_M: If you drive 10MPH over speed limit where I live, you're <b>way too slow</b> to be in the left lane to start with.

The Middle Seat column in the WSJ wrote about this today. It sounds like it is working, to a certain degree. I see that Boston is one of the trial airports, but I haven't been thru it since this started. I wonder if it's in every terminal at Boston Logan?

I certainly hope that they don't base it on what you wear. Even on my business trips, I still wear shorts and sandals when flying...

rkkwan--you're absolutely correct. I should have said ATLEAST 10 mph over the speed limit. And, I did say &quot;unless the guy behind you is going faster than that.&quot;

I thought of this thread while in the airport today. Somebody in front of me tried to go through security not once, not twice, but three (yes three) times with stuff in his pockets before they finally pulled him aside and out of line for a body scan. Very frustrating.