TSA wants more of your money for carry-ons

[CPT Tripss]

And now there's more: Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told Congress this week that the increase in the number of people carrying on bags has come at a cost to taxpayers, to the tune of $260 million a year.

How exactly does that work? Well, when you don't check your bag in order to avoid checking fees, you're increasing the amount of baggage that then needs to be closely examined at the security checkpoint, which means more TSA personnel needed and more shifts needed to be filled. So in the end, that carry-on baggage isn't as free as you would like it to be. A $5 fee per one-way ticket is already levied when you purchase airfare. Now Napolitano has proposed increasing that fee in order to bring in as much as $600 million more dollars for her agency every year.

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/03/05/not-checking-that-bag-its-going-to-cost-everyone/#ixzz1FxRpkSan

Using the logic of big sis and her people, that must mean they do a half fast job of screening luggage that is checked. And think of all the FTEs they could save if we all flew in our birthday suits. This agency is out of control and out of touch with reality!

 

[goofy4tink]

Okay...so the TSA says they need to add personel due to the increasing numbers of bags to be checked??? Hmmmm, there are only so many scanners/xray machines that can be used. And if it's busy, all the machines are being used. Just because the line is 100 people long doesn't mean they need more people to run the bags through!! It doesn't mean it takes more time to scan a bag.
More people bringing more carryon bags simply means longer lines for us..has basically nothing to do with the TSA that I can see. Or maybe I'm just missing something.

 

[maxiesmom]

Okay...so the TSA says they need to add personel due to the increasing numbers of bags to be checked??? Hmmmm, there are only so many scanners/xray machines that can be used. And if it's busy, all the machines are being used. Just because the line is 100 people long doesn't mean they need more people to run the bags through!! It doesn't mean it takes more time to scan a bag.
More people bringing more carryon bags simply means longer lines for us..has basically nothing to do with the TSA that I can see. Or maybe I'm just missing something.

I guess maybe as they have more bags to scan, they will need more breaks to deal with it? Ergo more staff?

 

[Snow Shoe]

The President put a hiring freeze in place last month for ALL federal positions. TSA will just have to do with what they have on hand.

 

[StitchFan73]

This cracked me up when I read it the other day. With gas prices going up, it should be a fun expensive summer of travel.

 

[eliza61]

Hey, why not. Isn't that what the airlines claimed when they instituted the checked baggage fee. That the extra weight requires extra fuel ergo extra cost. Seems we said that was ok because no one is being forced to check bags. Why is this different? All those extra bags have to be checked, I guess the TSA feels no one is forcing you to take carry on, you can always check the bags. LOL.

Another happy day in the "evil" tsa agency. carry on.

Exactly what reality are the out of touch with?

 

[Jeff_G]

The role of the government agency aka bureaucracy, is to expand said bureaucracy at an ever increasing rate. In such expansion directors and upper level appointees increase their political power and I would also venture a guess their paycheck. Can you name me one public bureaucracy that when not forced via voter limitations comes out and says “… In the coming year, we will be decreasing our size and budget…”

Do you think George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and the other founding fathers would recognize the country they fought so hard to create?

 

[eliza61]

The role of the government agency aka bureaucracy, is to expand said bureaucracy at an ever increasing rate. In such expansion directors and upper level appointees increase their political power and I would also venture a guess their paycheck. Can you name me one public bureaucracy that when not forced via voter limitations comes out and says “… In the coming year, we will be decreasing our size and budget…”

Do you think George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and the other founding fathers would recognize the country they fought so hard to create?

Well first they would have to get around the concept of airplanes, cars and Ipads. then they would probably want to know why all their blacks were no longer working on the plantation and why women now have the right to vote and go to war. So nope, it's safe to say they wouldn't recognize the country they founded. Thank the good lord for that.

Very funny snl skit about us always dragging the founding fathers. this was right after the Arizona shooting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl2z8M4gZwY

Just a little "tongue in check" because you simply cannot translate how an Early american would think, act or feel today. The correlation simply does not exist.

 

[lllGurulll]

So basically, even if you don't carryon your bags, you will pay for it. Brilliant.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I counted about 10 agents standing around gossiping today. If they actually worked maybe they would not need more people.

 

[dudspizza]

Wait a minute... more carry on bags = less checked bags...... so, they just need to move some of the agents that screen checked bags to the checkpoints... problem solved......

Duds

 

[goofy4tink]

I guess maybe as they have more bags to scan, they will need more breaks to deal with it? Ergo more staff?

You either work for 3 hrs and get a break or you don't. It doesn't matter how many people are working. I'm pretty sure their contracts mandate a set number of breaks, at set times...and they take 'em. Pretty much the same as state and town employees. If you are sitting at your desk, and your company gets more business, you don't get more breaks. You just have more work. The problem with the TSA and security is that unlike an insurance company (for instance), they can't just build a few more cubicles and hire some more people to do the addtl work. There are only so many scanners at each airport. And you need only 'x' number of TSA people to man those scanners. Even if the amount of carryon baggge doubled (which it probably has), you couldn't add more people to the line to scan those addtl bags. You would just have to make do with what you have...and the lines at security would get longer and longer...as they have done already.

Wait a minute... more carry on bags = less checked bags...... so, they just need to move some of the agents that screen checked bags to the checkpoints... problem solved......

Duds

Nah...way too logical.

 

[ssawka]

I'm getting to the point where I'm actually considering FedExing all of my clothes down to WDW instead of dealing with bags.

 

[Lewisc]

There is a limit to how long the lines can be before the airport, airlines and passengers object.

The fancy new whole body imagers cost $$$. Costs $$$ to hire (and train) the extra TSA people necessary to run the machines.

Airlines charging to check bags, and passengers "cheating" the airlines out of the fees by bringing large carryon bags, has been going on for years.

What's changed is the money needed for the whole body imagers.

 

[eliza61]

I'm getting to the point where I'm actually considering FedExing all of my clothes down to WDW instead of dealing with bags.

Many people do but I guarantee you as soon as this becomes the normal, disney is going to implement a charge to handle your packages that come from off site vendors.

I think the issue is for every one, whether it be a business like the airlines or disney or an agency like tsa there are cost involved for services. We the passengers are trying to circumvent those cost and as soon as we think we found a way to do it, the powers that be, once again whether it's the tsa, the airlines or fed ex will come up with a charge to tack on to pay for the extra work they now incur.

Now every one here said they like the "unbundling" of charges so you pay for only what you use, well here it is, you use a carryon now you have to pay the extra tsa charge. hypothetically (sp)

 

[goofy4tink]

Many people do but I guarantee you as soon as this becomes the normal, disney is going to implement a charge to handle your packages that come from off site vendors.

I think the issue is for every one, whether it be a business like the airlines or disney or an agency like tsa there are cost involved for services. We the passengers are trying to circumvent those cost and as soon as we think we found a way to do it, the powers that be, once again whether it's the tsa, the airlines or fed ex will come up with a charge to tack on to pay for the extra work they now incur.

Now every one here said they like the "unbundling" of charges so you pay for only what you use, well here it is, you use a carryon now you have to pay the extra tsa charge. hypothetically (sp)

I believe some resorts are now charging for receiving shipments such as this...can't remember which ones though.

 

[pr surfer]

I believe some resorts are now charging for receiving shipments such as this...can't remember which ones though.

Resorts with convention facilities, IIRC

 

[ssawka]

Many people do but I guarantee you as soon as this becomes the normal, disney is going to implement a charge to handle your packages that come from off site vendors.

Disney already does, at least at conference resorts. The question is whether the cost, with Disney's charge, is cheaper than what the airlines are charging.

Now every one here said they like the "unbundling" of charges so you pay for only what you use, well here it is, you use a carryon now you have to pay the extra tsa charge. hypothetically (sp)

ITA, with Al A Carte systems the sum of the parts is always more than the whole.

 

[maxiesmom]

Many people do but I guarantee you as soon as this becomes the normal, disney is going to implement a charge to handle your packages that come from off site vendors.

I think the issue is for every one, whether it be a business like the airlines or disney or an agency like tsa there are cost involved for services. We the passengers are trying to circumvent those cost and as soon as we think we found a way to do it, the powers that be, once again whether it's the tsa, the airlines or fed ex will come up with a charge to tack on to pay for the extra work they now incur.

Kind of like how people use Fridge Swaps instead of paying to rent one from Disney, have Disney store their fridges for them between swaps, and now many of those fridges have gone "missing"?

 

[crashbb]

Okay...so the TSA says they need to add personel due to the increasing numbers of bags to be checked??? Hmmmm, there are only so many scanners/xray machines that can be used. And if it's busy, all the machines are being used. Just because the line is 100 people long doesn't mean they need more people to run the bags through!! It doesn't mean it takes more time to scan a bag.
More people bringing more carryon bags simply means longer lines for us..has basically nothing to do with the TSA that I can see. Or maybe I'm just missing something.

Longer lines means that the security check point has to operate over a longer period of time. If it takes X minutes per bag and we've gone from 1000 bags to 2000 bags (totally making up numbers), it will take 2X more minutes. So, either they are paying each worker for more hours or they are going to have more workers (working in sequential shifts).