There was certainly no advance check.
Last year, the Transportation Security Administration witnessed an alarming number of passengers secretly bypassing airport security screening. The Washington Post reported.
“This is more than we realized,” TSA spokesperson R. Carter Langston told the show, adding that there have been at least 300 cases since March 2023. added.
The TSA is investigating weak security checkpoints that allow unscreened people to pass through, which it describes as a “trend.”
One of the most common ways this behavior occurs is for people to cut into exit lanes, which are commonly marked with “No Re-Entry” signs, and more than 200 people were seen doing so. It has been.
Meanwhile, a further 80 people slipped past the Travel Document Checker (TDC) podium, which is used to verify identity documents and credentials on flyers. In comparison, in 2022 he has 72 cases and in 2019 he has 29 cases.
Still, those who skipped the document station were subjected to physical examinations.
Langston said some people have been caught red-handed by skipping the line, noting that “a lot of people are losing their patience.”
Still, he also argued that because most cases appear to be random, “the vast majority do not appear to be malicious.”
New Jersey TSA Security Director Thomas Carter further emphasized, adding that many people are either not thinking clearly or have forgotten some of their belongings.
“A lot of times it’s property that’s left behind. People get so upset that they almost lose their minds. They say, ‘I’ve got to get my phone. I’ve got to get my laptop.’ Carter said he has seen an increase in security breaches at Newark Liberty International Airport.
But some people try to sneak onto a plane without a ticket, as happened to a woman in Nashville in February.
Carter said the apparent “change in behavior” among passengers following the pandemic could be a factor.
Newark Airport’s future-proofing solution is to cordon off areas with glass or plastic barriers rather than standard posts with retractable nylon “belts” to narrow safety risks. has been introduced.
Carter said the new barrier was “very effective in preventing access control events and breach attempts beyond the TDC.”
