Airports To Start Screening Out Stress

TAMPA - Imagine standing in a security checkpoint line at Tampa International Airport surrounded by soothing mood music, soft lighting and amiable federal security officers chatting with travelers making their way along corridors designed for comfort.

That's the vision the Transportation Security Administration, the federal agency charged with security screening at the nation's airports, has come up with in the interests of reducing passenger stress and making "nervous bad guys" stand out.

The blueprint for the TSA's vision called "Checkpoint of the Future," could begin to take shape at Tampa International by late summer, security officials said Wednesday.

"There won't be any officers hollering 'Bag check lane seven'" said Christopher White, a spokesman at TSA headquarters in Washington. "All that goes away."

The TSA plans to begin rolling out some elements of the new security measures at Baltimore/Washington International Airport by June.

The primary goal of the Checkpoint of the Future plan: Enhance the federal agency's behavior recognition program by training security officers to spot stressful or nervous behavior.

If other passengers are less stressed, it will be easier to pick out bad guys waiting to board airliners, the TSA reasons.

For now, TSA officers at Tampa's airport will get new uniforms and training, but there is no firm timetable for launching the complete program in Tampa, White said.

Studying New Technology

Meanwhile, TSA officials and Tampa airport officials are discussing a separate program to improve security at TIA that could be phased in within two to four months, said Gary Milano, TSA's federal security director for the Tampa region.

Those proposals include installing new scanning technology, reconfiguring the security area and changing some security checkpoint procedures at Tampa International's outlying airside terminals.

"We want the best security possible, while our secondary goal is customer service," Milano said.

Officials declined to discuss details of possible new technology, equipment or procedures, but one device under consideration for Tampa uses what is called "X-ray backscatter technology."

Such scanning machines use low radiation X-rays to detect hidden weapons and explosives by producing photo-quality images as if passengers were undressed. The technology has drawn some concerns over privacy from the American Civil Liberties Union.

The backscatter technology is being tested at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. There are no immediate plans for testing or using the technology in Tampa, although it will be discussed among other options, officials said.

Tampa International Airport director Louis Miller said Thursday that travelers won't be inconvenienced by new security measures.

No Privileged Treatment

The changes in security checkpoint procedures under consideration at Tampa do not involve the TSA's "Preferred Traveler Program," which aims to expedite the process for travelers who pay a fee for a background check that would allow them to use special lanes through security checkpoints.

That program, which has gained favor at some U.S. airports, has drawbacks, including creating a "front of the line privilege" at the expense of other travelers, Miller said.

Once the local TSA and airport officials work out a plan for improvements in the next few months, however, it is possible they would consider a TSA concept to expedite travelers through checkpoints. One suggestion involves passengers sorting themselves into one of three different lines, depending on their familiarity with checkpoint search procedures.

The program, begun in February in Denver and Salt Lake City and now in use at six other airports, allows passengers to choose to line up in "Black Diamond" lanes for expert travelers; "Blue Square" lanes for occasional travelers who might not want to get caught in a lane with impatient business travelers; and "Green Circle" lanes suitable for large families with multiple carry-on bags and questions about security procedures and regulations.

More than 26,000 passengers a day pass through security lines at Tampa International.

The wait to pass through security varies by location and by the day and time. For example, TSA reports that wait times at Airside C - which houses the airport's busiest carrier, Southwest Airlines - average 17 minutes with a maximum of 22-minute security checkpoint waits at 8 a.m. Fridays.

Milano said the TSA has taken steps in recent weeks to reduce wait times at Airside C, including temporarily curtailing vacation time for TSA security officers.