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Treat passengers as customers
By BILL ADAIR and JEAN HELLER WASHINGTON -- Last Monday, Transportation Security Administration officials held news conferences to boast about their smooth takeover of airport checkpoints. On Wednesday, they got a humbling reminder of their agency's shortcomings. Two cars smashed through a locked gate at the Birmingham, Ala., airport, and sped across the runway and taxiways while people in the cars shot at each other. The cars broke through other gates and fled. The incident apparently involved local criminals, not terrorists, but it reveals a weak spot that TSA officials must address now that they have taken over aviation security. And this week, the checkpoints will get their biggest test with the annual surge of Thanksgiving travelers. One year after the TSA was created, airport officials, frequent travelers and members of Congress give the agency high marks for improving airport checkpoints. By enlisting help from Disney, Marriott and other companies, the TSA has emphasized customer service. "It's faster and friendlier," said Bob Polivka, an auto broker from Salisbury, N.Y., who flies four times a week. The screeners "are not just waiting for the next coffee break. They are working to keep the line moving." But others say the TSA hasn't done enough. "Unfortunately, we may have missed the mark on some of the other vulnerabilities that need to be addressed -- access to secure areas, cargo and other areas that, if I were a terrorist, I would target," said Rep. John Mica, a Winter Park Republican who chairs the House aviation subcommittee. Steve Elson, a former member of the Federal Aviation Administration team that tested airport security, said the new system is "like a house where they replaced the front door with a fortified door and an armed guard, but the back door was left vulnerable." Lessons from DisneyAs the TSA took over passenger checkpoints from security companies, the agency enlisted help from Disney, Marriott and other companies to make the process more customer-oriented. Chris Billings, a Disney official formerly in charge of the company's transportation systems, helped design the checkpoints by applying lessons from theme park rides. Instead of separate lines for each X-ray machine, Billings designed one line so passengers are sent to the next available machine. That reduces frustration, he says. "It really allows the line to move more fluidly," he said. Billings also employed Disney's strategy to make better use of the time people spend waiting in line. Disney uses that time to entertain. The TSA uses it to educate. At many TSA checkpoints, large TV screens flash messages about prohibited items or the need to remove coats and laptop computers for separate screening. In the future, the TSA might use those screens to show CNN or celebrity messages about security. The TSA is considering a test program in Las Vegas with local stars. "You might have Wayne Newton describing how to get through the checkpoint," Billings said. Kurt Krause, a Marriott executive, helped design the TSA uniforms and the training program for screeners. He chose white instead of dark shirts so screeners would be less threatening. The shirts have "TSA" printed on the back so passengers can easily identify the employees when they need assistance. Krause said TSA employees are trained to greet passengers warmly and make eye contact. If the passenger sets off an alarm and needs further screening, the employees are supposed to "kindly direct" them to the next area with an open hand rather than a pointed finger. That emphasis on customer service has paid off. "The uniform thing I'm getting from passengers and from my own recent experiences flying is that the screening function is more professional, better organized and more customer-friendly," said Richard Vacar, director of aviation for the Houston Airport System. The TSA also has responded to complaints about inconsistency among airports. "The procedures now appear to be uniform at all the airports," said Tony Gecan of St. Petersburg, who flies frequently for Raytheon Corp. "Clearly, no system will be perfect, but what we have now is significantly more professional and thorough than what we had." 'Stupid rules review'The TSA got off to a bumpy start. Its first leader, former Secret Service agent John Magaw, was fired after complaints that he was not responsive to Congress. He was replaced by Adm. James Loy, a former Coast Guard commandant who is popular on Capitol Hill. Loy has won praise for his communication skills and emphasis on customer service. He tells new employees to keep a photograph of the World Trade Center so they never forget the importance of their work. One of his first acts was what he calls his "stupid rules review," which led to the elimination of the requirement for airline ticket agents to ask passengers whether they had packed their bags. Despite his good relations with Congress, he has tangled with some members over the size of the new agency. Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Ky., has complained the TSA "is growing too fast into a huge bureaucracy." Airline workers, noticing a large number of white-shirted employees in terminals, joke that TSA is an abbreviation for "thousands standing around." At Tampa International Airport, there used to be about 300 employees of security firms contracted to screen passengers. But that number has more than doubled since the TSA took over -- so many that there's a sudden shortage of employee parking. Loy responds, "If I want to err in this security business, I want to err in producing too much and then pull it back." One way he plans to reduce staff is to phase out security checks at airline gates, which are used for passengers picked at random and some who are computer-selected. Those checks have been criticized because frequent travelers such as Polivka have tricks to avoid them. Polivka says he waits until someone is picked, and then hops in line so he can board the plane while the other person's luggage is being examined. Loy said the TSA is conducting tests in Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., to have that screening done at the main checkpoint rather than the gate. Many gate screeners will then operate the machines that detect explosives in checked luggage. Those machines were supposed to be installed in all U.S. airports by Dec. 31, but Congress last week extended the deadline for as many as 40 of the largest airports. Tampa airport officials expect to meet the Dec. 31 deadline. It's not clear whether the TSA has made airports safer. Elson has conducted tests with television news reporters that show TSA employees do not look inside lead-lined film bags, which could be used to hide weapons. Loy emphasized that, despite his emphasis on customer service, "the bottom line is whether or not the guns are getting through." The agency is conducting tests to determine how many weapons get through. He said he also recognizes that "we can't lose sight of perimeter security" and other aspects of security that need more attention. But he is cautious not to promise too much. "Security is a filter. There is no 100 percent guarantee of success," he said.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
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From the Times wire desk
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