With the govt. shutdown has anyone seen anything negative with TSA?

[AngiTN]

According to radio news MCO had security wait times under 30 minutes, sounds normal. Other airports have wait times over an hour. Employees working for free, or maybe an IOU, may have an issue budgeting commutation and child care costs.

Issues may vary from day to day and by airport. TSA pre clear may be closed and or combined with regular passengers.

Edited to add Delays at Atlanta security have been reported as 90 minutes regular, 40 minutes pre clear.

JMO but an employee who is deemed essential, and is required to work during a shutdown, should get paid.

Pre-Clear? What is this? Or do you mean Pre-Check? Clear is something else

 

[QueenElinor]

I flew out of CLT Sunday and never noticed anything. Flew out of Montana a few days before that and it was also fine but was in TSA precheck. Also there are never any lines here anyway.

 

[cmwade77]

Certainly we should all be saving, short and long term. Certainly all of us, including the gov't, should never stiff folks we owe money to. There is zero excuse for shrugging, refusing to pay money owed to employees on time.

I do agree with you and if they were subject to California labor laws, they would be required to pay them 8 additional hours of pay for every day their paycheck is late.

 

[cmwade77]

Yes, I posted the same up thread. Which would also explain a 40 min wait for it, which PP mentioned

As to budgets and what folks to can save, I sure can't judge what someone else should do. If you think everyone that makes $30k a year can save a years worth of pay up then we'll just have to disagree. Some spend on silly stuff? Sure. But a family of 5 with 1 income of $30k, I daresay they aren't doing that

As I said, I doubt they would save up a years worth, but there is always something extra that can be cut to save a little, even $1 a week adds up.

 

[kydisneyfans]

shutdowns have not been a regular occurence until the current administration. The last one was in 2013 and the one prior to that was 1995-1996. Federal employees should not have to plan on not getting paid for a job. What you will see is people leaving for higher paying private sector jobs. Most govt employees are not rich; they rely on their paycheck just like most working adults. The current administration has said they will keep the govt shutdown for months or even years. How long should they plan for?

There have been 21 government shutdowns since the 1970s. I was in an industry that downsized significantly over the years and planned on a furlough/layoff. When it did happen we survived as we planned for it. These folks should have done the same.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Local news did a short story on wait times at various airports. Looks like things are fine at this time.

https://www.nola.com/news/2019/01/see-tsa-wait-times-for-the-new-orleans-airport.html

 

[AngiTN]

Local news did a short story on wait times at various airports. Looks like things are fine at this time.

https://www.nola.com/news/2019/01/see-tsa-wait-times-for-the-new-orleans-airport.html

There was a spike in waits at ATL either yesterday or today (lines stretched back to bag claim) but based on the reports this morning on The Today Show they had already normalized before the end of their broadcast.
I think the issue is, there are going to be spikes based on who/how many are calling out at a given moment so it may be hard to know if the waits will be impacted or not

 

[sndral]

You would be surprised how much we all spend needlessly that we could indeed set aside. For example, I know many people in this salary range that go to Starbucks every morning and get a $4 cup of coffee. This adds up to around $1,500 a year and realistically, you don't need a cup of coffee every day, you may want a cup of coffee every day, but you don't need it. ...
From what I understand TSA is not only keeping pre-check open, but sending more people that way to help keep lines to a minimum.

At that rate of savings, it'll only take 20 years for some one making $30,000 a year to save up one years worth of salary.

As I said, I doubt they would save up a years worth, but there is always something extra that can be cut to save a little, even $1 a week adds up.

At that rate some one making $30,000 a year would have saved up their annual salary after 576 years.

There have been 21 government shutdowns since the 1970s. I was in an industry that downsized significantly over the years and planned on a furlough/layoff. When it did happen we survived as we planned for it. These folks should have done the same.

Personally I question a lot of financial decisions made by people, but in this case, let's not shift the blame to the victims in order to rationalize this abject failure by others.
Back to the real topic of this thread:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/14/us-...tsa-screeners-call-in-sick-amid-shutdown.html

 

[Lewisc]

Pre-Clear? What is this? Or do you mean Pre-Check? Clear is something else

I meant pre check.

 

[daisy2013]

There have been 21 government shutdowns since the 1970s. I was in an industry that downsized significantly over the years and planned on a furlough/layoff. When it did happen we survived as we planned for it. These folks should have done the same.

Only ten of which lead to furlough of employees. Four of those were a day or less. Two were three days over a weekend. A furlough of this length has never happened before. With the exception of this administration, they are not common.
But back to the question at hand, what I have seen and read on the news is that most places are within tsa standards of wait but there are spikes and you never really know when the spikes will happen. But it’s not just tsa that can cause issues. The people who inspect planes, the air traffic controllers all are working without pay or furloughed. At some point they will have to pay bills and you will see people quitting.

 

[Shauna1ee]

I am flying out in a week, MHT to MCO and then back on the following Monday. I am getting really nervous that there will be a strike or something and I will be caught in it. I know that there is really no way to know what will happen, I just hope that a compromise can be made sometime in the next week and the shutdown will be over. When this all started, I never thought it would last this long to even have this conversation. Anyone in the same boat?

 

[DisneyDogFan]

I am flying out in a week, MHT to MCO and then back on the following Monday. I am getting really nervous that there will be a strike or something and I will be caught in it. I know that there is really no way to know what will happen, I just hope that a compromise can be made sometime in the next week and the shutdown will be over. When this all started, I never thought it would last this long to even have this conversation. Anyone in the same boat?

Me. We are about ten days out and are starting to seriously considering driving instead of flying from DCA. We’re on Southwest so I can at least get flight credits for the future. Not delighted by the prospect of such a long drive but it feels like we would at least have control over the situation. I’m worried about both strikes and how exhausted and stressed the TSA officers and air traffic controllers might be.

I’m also an excepted fed currently working without a paycheck. It’s an awful feeling. I needed to get special permission to even take our trip since leave is cancelled. There is a piece of me that thinks we should cancel the trip entirely but it is paid for, we are lucky enough to have everything covered financially for at least a few months, and I desperately need some R&R.

The whole situation is just sad.

 

[smiths02]

There have been 21 government shutdowns since the 1970s. I was in an industry that downsized significantly over the years and planned on a furlough/layoff. When it did happen we survived as we planned for it. These folks should have done the same.

How long should we have planned for? This shutdown is historic. It is the longest ever. The President got on television and advised that it could go on for years.

When you are actually laid off or not working, then you can get unemployment or temporary work or look for another job. My DH has to continue to work and is not generally allowed to have a second job (I'm not sure what TSA rules are).

 

[Momma of 4]

Me. We are about ten days out and are starting to seriously considering driving instead of flying from DCA. We’re on Southwest so I can at least get flight credits for the future. Not delighted by the prospect of such a long drive but it feels like we would at least have control over the situation. I’m worried about both strikes and how exhausted and stressed the TSA officers and air traffic controllers might be.

I’m also an excepted fed currently working without a paycheck. It’s an awful feeling. I needed to get special permission to even take our trip since leave is cancelled. There is a piece of me that thinks we should cancel the trip entirely but it is paid for, we are lucky enough to have everything covered financially for at least a few months, and I desperately need some R&R.

The whole situation is just sad.

We are 10 days out as well, and have discussed our other options as well. Driving seems out of the question for us, we have 4 small kids and it would take two entire days each way. But like you, our trip is paid for and we've been looking forward to this for a year. Long lines are something I can deal with, but I'm starting to get a little anxiety about safety at this point, and If it continues for much longer. I'm sorry you are in that position.

 

[lookame]

I flew out of Columbus on Jan 4th. Our flight was at 5:30 am, tsa opened at 5am. We were in line waiting for tsa to open and we got through very quickly. We flew back on Jan 12th and tsa was opening lines as we entered the line. Tsa agents were patient and kind at both airports and the wait at MCO was about 20 mins. Both flights were very well organized and efficient.

 

[AngiTN]

I fly out on Saturday and home on Tuesday. I wouldn't dream of canceling or driving
Even if there is a strike they will NOT stop all air travel.
I haven't checked, but it's possible it's in their contracts not to strike. After the fiasco of the Air Traffic Controllers strike in the 80's lots of things have changed about what some of the Fed employees can and can't do
Even then, they didn't stop air travel

 

[SaintsManiac]

Just give yourself more time if you're worried about it.

 

[skyblue17]

I am flying to the Caribbean in a week and a half, then back the following week. It has crossed my mind that things might get worse after a second paycheck is missed next Friday. However, since wait times are still in the reasonable levels, I'm trying to stay optimistic.

I think if TSA really wanted to cause a mess, they could just slow to a total crawl. Keep showing up for work so they aren't technically striking, not even calling out, still functioning in theory, just making a huge mess for everyone that has to fly. I don't WANT this to happen but waiting two hours to get through security is a small price to pay if it meant that people who have no idea when they might next be paid could have a resolution.

Anyway, who knows!

 

[gwynne]

I am flying to the Caribbean in a week and a half, then back the following week. It has crossed my mind that things might get worse after a second paycheck is missed next Friday. However, since wait times are still in the reasonable levels, I'm trying to stay optimistic.

I think if TSA really wanted to cause a mess, they could just slow to a total crawl. Keep showing up for work so they aren't technically striking, not even calling out, still functioning in theory, just making a huge mess for everyone that has to fly. I don't WANT this to happen but waiting two hours to get through security is a small price to pay if it meant that people who have no idea when they might next be paid could have a resolution.

Anyway, who knows!

Sickouts, TSA folks who can no longer afford to pay childcare, gas and other expenses...there are lots of reasons why TSA may be dealing with fewer workers showing up as the days go by.
I really hope there is a resolution soon. In the meantime, allowing plenty of time to get through security isn't a bad idea.

 

[LadyBeBop]

Something to think about. The VP of NATCA (air traffic control union) says flying is less safe than it was a month ago.

https://www.facebook.com/2135760943412438/posts/2252260535095811/