Southwest A Gates at Baltimore-Washington International Airport
2008 has proven to be a busy year for the TSA. Just recently they began testing "black diamond lanes" in several U.S. airports, and earlier this week, USA Today reported that a new passenger screening system will soon be tested at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (one of three, and usually the cheapest, D.C.-area airports). The new system, which includes mauve lighing, soft music, and friendly TSA employees (who would have thought?), aims to make the security screening process much more calm.
TSA chief Kip Hawley told reporter Thomas Frank that "a chaotic, noisy, congested checkpoint is a security nightmare," and that this will be the first significant change to the checkpoint since the 1970s. So it took over 30 years for the entire airline industry to realize the security screening process is chaotic?
Nonetheless, USA Today explains:
TSA planners have been tinkering for months in a warehouse at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, testing music, lighting and displays. "You can actually influence some behavior subliminally through color," said Catherine Lillie, head of the checkpoint-testing team.
The test will include a machine that uses harmless radio waves to scan passengers under their clothes for hidden weapons. Passengers will be selected randomly for the scanning after they go through a metal detector. Screeners will view images of passengers' bodies in a remote room and delete them.
Charles Chambers, head of security for the Airports Council International, said the new checkpoint could speed security lines and reduce crowds that may invite a terrorist strike.
The security program will be tested in one BWI terminal this May. Once the new screening process at BWI is refined, the program will be expanded to other airports. Also be sure to check out Garrett Hubbard's cool, "soothing" video about the security lanes.
Photo: Benet Wilson
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