Shoeless Joe's checkpoint mood piece

The NYT’s Joe Sharkey has written a TSA security checkpint lament that is not to be missed. Aside from his complaints about the ugly aesthetics and de-humanizing regimen, Sharkey makes the excellent point that the disorder and stress created by the whole screwed up system is creating more risk - not less.

Given bare or stockinged feet, the lack of floor mats is also a chronic problem, Mr. Weinstein said. Matt Blaze, an associate professor of computer science at the University of Pennsylvania and an expert in security cryptology, agreed.

“Somehow we ended up with this cobbled-together mess,” he said. “At the very point in the process at which you have to take your shoes off, that’s where the carpeting ends.”

From a customer service standpoint, it’s “infuriating,” he said. But disorder also raises genuine security concerns.

“There’s no better place to get away with something than a chaotic environment,” he said.

Comments

[Matt]

Maybe I'm mellowing rapidly as I age but I find articles like this a huge whine party. You're without shoes for what, maybe 5 minutes? I can see a problem with not having a safe place to put your shoes back on (I'm still fit but I cringe when I see some elderly travelers trying to find a seat) but are we really so fragile that complaints about the decor deserve attention? The article actually bashes the choice of table for it not matching? The major airport where I grew up has been ugly for 30 years and I'm sure others are the same. Shall I blame the TSA or government or airlines for that?

I've seen and heard a lot of silly complaints about air travel but this complaint about matching tables and lack of comfortable carpet just seem like a complete waste of time. I'm surprised the uniforms used by TSA or pilots wasn't brought up.

[GaryS]

Well said Matt.

[Paul]

I agree. Unfortunately, Mr Sharkey provided plenty of cheese to go with his whine. I don't object to someone stating a position - but like so many, I see no suggestions on improvement, just a gripe session. I suggest to him that he either adapts (such a huge sacrifice .. not) or takes the bus.

[Frank@OBOW]

Well, it is a cobbled together system. Nobody likes it. And the last I heard, the TSA doesn't have a suggestion box! BUT I don't like whining either. Believe me, I pass over a lot of stories like this one. I guess I liked the similarity to my recent post title "Soggy socks on cold concrete". You've got to admit that's a very unpleasant thing. It's good that we're not all whiners. No one likes to hear it and it gums up the already sluggish machinery of travel.