I’m on my way back from a trip to Kansas City and as I approached security, I saw that the guy checking IDs was private security and not TSA like I’d seen at every airport I’ve been to in awhile. As I walk past the ID checker, I see that every security person was from a private company. Well, it looks like in the government’s efforts to standardize security at airports, they left gaping holes. The The Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001 (ATSA) left the option open for airports, like Kansas City to use First Line Security. This seems like such a waste as the government spent a lot of money to get away from private, inconsistent security at airports.
While I can’t say that I feel more or less secure going through Kansas City, I think that the inconsistency sends a very wrong message to the flying public.