I am flying to SFO this morning really early out of Dulles and as usual even at 6:00 AM there are long lines at the TSA checkpoint. Dulles has at least 15 security lanes but I have never seen them all open. When I asked a TSA staffer why, he said they didn't have the budget to staff them all. And its likely to get worse as the TSA budget is cut this fiscal year.
The problem is so similar to our roads. We have massive traffic congestion because congress won't raise the gas tax to build more roads-lanes. And it doesn't seem that congress will increase highway funding or TSA funding anytime soon. So the answer should be clear; let users who want faster service pay more. On a lot of trips, I'd be happy to pay a small fee when I buy my plane ticket if that could allow me to wait in a shorter line. Others might not want to pay a toll but for the times they are late, they might be happy to pay a few bucks at check-in so they make their flight on time. Similarly, I'd be happy to pay a toll to drive on roads without congestion on the days I am running late. Some will say the new TSA-pre program will help but it will not be enough. It doesn't add screeners, it only speeds things up a little bit for some people. The TSA toll program may not work at airports like Reagan National where all the screening gates are almost always manned. But at airports like Dulles and others, it will enable the TSA to fully utilize all screening gates and better provide their services.
Of course, some will complain that this gives the one percent travelers even more advantage. But in fact, it helps everyone. By diverting toll TSA passengers from the regular lines and allowing new TSA screeners to be hired to man the unused screeners, the lines for the other screeners will get shorter, so it’s a win-win.
So let’s institute toll TSA lines.
