Heading to the security check-in area at Washington DC Dulles airport last week there were two lines leading to the baggage scanners and x-ray machines with one TSA security person quietly directing passengers into one line or the other. It was his job, and only job, to evenly distribute the passengers between the two lines.
To do this he held an iPad at waist level with the screen facing the passengers. The only thing displayed on the iPad screen was a large arrow pointing in the direction of one of the lines. Every now and then he would touch the screen to have the arrow flip to the other line. After touching the screen he would look down to verify the arrow did indeed change directions. I assume he was counting in his head the number of people sent to each line and after a certain number it would trigger another screen touch.
This was one of the dumbest things I had ever seen and could swear I must be missing some critical use case for this type of app. I fully support the use of technology where it makes sense but this guy could have simply pointed with his hands towards the proper line, similar to the period before iPads existed.
How much could this app have cost taxpayers in software development costs and training? Anything more than $1 would be a waste.
How do you know the app wasn’t scanning each traveler’s face, running it through facial recognition software, and then sending known, trusted travelers to one scanning station, and the others who might need special handling to the other scanning station?
Cool theory but the security guy was the one tapping the iPad to switch the arrow direction so from what I can tell it was completely up to his discretion who when into each line. I also didn’t see him split up any groups of people.
The app wasn’t doing anything but displaying a left or right arrow, there was no intelligence. The security guy tapped the screen every now and then to swap arrows. The use of the iPad was overkill - he could have just as easily been holding a cardboard sign with an arrow.
If he tapped it to randomize, that would at least be something. But I could design that in an afternoon, and I’m not a good programmer at all. Good programmer could probably whip it out in a few minutes.
How do you know it wasn’t? A government app available to the public would probably need some complex security and public relations approvals, but one used internally could be cobbled together without too many hoops to be jumped through. I’ve seen them done by interns.
Why’s the guy even needed? If one line gets too much longer than the other, people will go to the shorter one all on their own. Probably the union insisted another guy get hired, but they didn’t have anything for him to do, so they made up this silly line director job.
Thank you for your brilliant insight into airport security, no doubt gleaned from deep insider knowledge!
Some guesses: He helps directs families with small children, the disabled, and others who need special attention into the best line. I seem to recall Dulles directing me to a special line when I was travelling with a baby. He helps make sure that clumps of slow-moving passengers, such as a group of seniors or an overladen high school group or whatever, are properly digested before letting more people in to that line. He helps people who are not frequent fliers if they have questions. He provides another set of eyes, keeping an eye on potentially suspicious behavior before the official screening.
I’m sure the security guy would do all of that and more if asked but why does he need an iPad running an app that only shows an arrow? Just point with your hands! My complaint is the meaningless use of technology and the probable infrastructure bought and created to support the app and the people using it.
My complete and utter WAG is that they’ve discovered people are more likely to be more calm about following directions if those directions appear on a computer screen.
Based on my years of traveling experience I can tell you he sees me at the end of the approaching group, then directs all the families with small children (the app also ensures the small children have their pockets full of little metal cars to slow the scanning process), people who don’t understand what empty your pockets mean, and people in walkers moving at 0.1 MPH all into one line so he can put me at the end of it.
I once went through a security line where the guy did just that - held up a piece of paper with a hand-drawn arrow on it. What’s odd is that there were only three of us in line and he just as well could have told us where to go.
How do you know the arrow app is actually required for the job? Maybe he used to point, and then someone said, “Hey, man, there’s an app that can do an arrow for you!” and he was trying it out for shits and giggles.
Actually, no. The Sheep Principle is strong: people see someone heading right and there they go, never mind that there is a mirror-identical set of stairs on the left (or another security line a bit further down, and two to the left). Then some goat-genes goes left, and suddenly all the sheep go left. So how many people went to one line or another would be a factor of the amount of goat-people, with the general content of caffeine in blood as a possible secondary influence.