# Second TSA bag check at the gate **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 16, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-tsa-bag-check-at-the-gate/760058 "2016-07-16T17:36:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![weef](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@weef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/weef)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-tsa-bag-check-at-the-gate/760058/1 "2016-07-16T17:36:03Z")
I was at the airport this morning and went through the TSA security checkpoint as usual but as we were lined up at the gate to board the airplane the airline announced there would be a 2nd TSA check at the gate. The TSA agent opened a few people’s carry-ons, including mine, but really didn’t appear to actually look for anything. He unzipped the bags, looked on top but never moved anything out of the way to look further down in the bag. He probably did this for 10 or so people then stood near the gate just looking at people. The flight attendants didn’t look concerned as far as I could tell. I’ve never seen his 2nd check, what could have possibly been going on? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2016, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-tsa-bag-check-at-the-gate/760058/2 "2016-07-16T18:15:29Z")
Training exercise? ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2016, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-tsa-bag-check-at-the-gate/760058/3 "2016-07-16T18:52:02Z")
Maybe there was another agent watching your reaction? If you had been especially fidgety or nervous, maybe you would have been flagged for even more “checking”. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2016, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-tsa-bag-check-at-the-gate/760058/4 "2016-07-16T18:57:02Z")
I have seen this. I believe it’s a random additional check. The intention would be that random additional checks cannot be anticipated by the bad guys and therefore are harder for said bad guys to work around. It’s an additional layer of protection against terrorist attacks on airplanes. Given recent events, we may see more of these. I would also speculate that the TSA may use more of these checks as they are under increasing pressure to reduce TSA wait times at known security points. If they’re shaving off time on the checkpoints, there may be a trade off in terms of thoroughness. This may be a relatively low impact way to account for that. If the agents had actually received a tip about your flight, your level of inconvenience would be a whole lot higher. There’s also the ever lovely freeze-in-place when a person bypasses security. Everyone gets to stand like statues while TSA and police are looking for that person. Those are really fun, especially when travelling with small children. ETA: IME, the additional check at gate seems to occur more regularly at some airports than others (St. Louis, for example). Those airports may be under an additional security threat overall. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2016, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-tsa-bag-check-at-the-gate/760058/5 "2016-07-16T19:24:13Z")
Seems to me to be another act in the TSA’s Grand Theater of Security. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2016, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-tsa-bag-check-at-the-gate/760058/6 "2016-07-16T19:34:22Z")
I always thought Israeli airports would be the best in the world in terms of airport security–but they are sloppy like everyone else: > **[Undercover journalist exposes security failures at Tel Aviv airport](https://www.timesofisrael.com/undercover-journalist-exposes-security-failures-at-tel-aviv-airport/)** > > David Suleiman gets job at Ben Gurion Airport under a different ID, plants fake bombs on planes; IAA files complaint against him But naturally after writing the article: “The Israel Airports Authority filed a police complaint against Suleiman for impersonating a public employee.” ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2016, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-tsa-bag-check-at-the-gate/760058/7 "2016-07-16T19:53:23Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > Seems to me to be another act in the TSA’s Grand Theater of Security. I disagree. This is actually one thing that makes sense. True, the rest not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2016, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-tsa-bag-check-at-the-gate/760058/8 "2016-07-16T20:21:30Z")
Were you flying to Turkey? ---
**Author:** ![weef](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@weef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/weef)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2016, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-tsa-bag-check-at-the-gate/760058/9 "2016-07-16T21:47:26Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Were you flying to Turkey? No, it was a domestic US flight. ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-tsa-bag-check-at-the-gate/760058/10 "2016-07-17T01:46:35Z")
Right - random. So random pat down. Random second check at the gate. Etc. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-tsa-bag-check-at-the-gate/760058/11 "2016-07-17T11:23:12Z")
> [@weef](#): > > No, it was a domestic US flight. Ah, sorry, that was meant to have a smiley at the end. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-tsa-bag-check-at-the-gate/760058/12 "2016-07-17T11:27:04Z")
I think there was a period after 9/11 where they did this for _every flight_. [This article](http://www.nbcnews.com/id/29757224/ns/travel-news/t/random-screenings-resume-airport-gates/#.V4trkjXBGM8) says they brought back random screenings at gates in 2009. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-tsa-bag-check-at-the-gate/760058/13 "2016-07-17T13:03:40Z")
I recall this happening once in my last hundred or so flights, and it was “random”, not every passenger. No explanation, so I’m not sure the reason.