On Saturday, I flew home from Honolulu via Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. The check-in and bag drop-off process was quick and smooth at the Air Canada counter. When I went to get through security, I saw a very long line. The TSA app on my phone told me it would take anywhere between 0 to 15 minutes to clear security. Seeing the length of the line, I was a bit skeptical.
Once I actually got in line, I noticed that while the line was long, it was moving really fast. People were constantly moving and I don’t think I stopped in place for more than five seconds before I had to keep walking. I began to wonder how it was possible for this line to be consistently moving this fast. Security at most U.S. airports require you to take off jackets, belts, shoes, hats, empty your pockets, take out electronics and liquids, and place everything, including your carry-on baggage in those trays for scanning. Then everyone needs to go into those machines that allows TSA agents to look at your genitals (unless you choose to opt out). It’s a very long process.
As I got closer to the front of the line where everyone was gets checked, I was asked to walk by a sniffer dog. After that, I was at the front of the line, where a TSA agent checked my passport and boarding pass. Then they asked me to empty my pockets and place the contents into my backpack. Then my backpack went onto the conveyor belt. It was then I realized that no one was being asked to take off jackets, shoes, belts, or hats. Everyone didn’t even need to go through those stupid imaging machines. We just needed to go through a simple metal detector machine. The TSA were breezing people through the metal detector machine at almost a one a second pace. From the time I gave the TSA agent my passport and boarding pass to when I picked up my backpack on the other end of the conveyor belt was about 30 seconds. This was easily the most streamlined security check I’ve encountered in years. It was so pleasant. Now I understood why the security line was moving so fast.
In contrast, on the way to Hawaii, at YVR I had to take off half my clothing, take out all my electronics in a separate tray, and I had to go through the scanning machine a few times. I’m sure this doesn’t happen very often but I have to give the TSA some praise here for getting everyone through security in an efficient manner.