Sequester at work.

[TMF]

TSA has nothing to do with customs. They only have 2 lanes at the TSA recheck coming from the international terminal anyhow in Dulles. Going through a TSA scanner takes no time. Going through customs takes a lot longer, especially if there are only a few agents staffed. Yay.
Never intimated that TSA had anything to do with customs. Was remarking on the number of TSA agents sitting on their cans while only 4 were working the security station at Memphis in response to your comment about connection though DC, and figuring TSA would be responsible for your transfer and, from what I have seen at Dulles they are not any snappier up there then they are at Memphis. But then you might be coming in from out of country instead of just making a US connection through there. And from the last couple of commercial trips I have made, the TSA scanner might only take a minute, but the back up to get to it is running longer and longer.


I much prefer to take our King Air 200, cuts out a lot of BS.

Gotcha, my problem is making a connection when returning on an international flight. Dulles is pretty easy compared to other places like Chicago in terms of rechecking your bags and going though security. From what I remember from returning to the US via Houston it was kind of a nightmare because they make you go through the regular entry lines to TSA after rechecking your bags (or at least that's how it was 6 years ago). I don't fear the TSA holding me up when returning; just customs. 3 hours at customs absolutely translates to a missed connecting flight for most people. That is just effing stupid, especially when the next direct flight to my final destination will be a full 24 hours. I hate our government. I just hate them.

[Worriedman]

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Edited March 22, 2013 by Worriedman

[Worriedman]

Gotcha, my problem is making a connection when returning on an international flight. Dulles is pretty easy compared to other places like Chicago in terms of rechecking your bags and going though security. From what I remember from returning to the US via Houston it was kind of a nightmare because they make you go through the regular entry lines to TSA after rechecking your bags (or at least that's how it was 6 years ago). I don't fear the TSA holding me up when returning; just customs. 3 hours at customs absolutely translates to a missed connecting flight for most people. That is just effing stupid, especially when the next direct flight to my final destination will be a full 24 hours. I hate our government. I just hate them.

I understand now, and yes, you do have to recheck bags and go through TSA security to make a connector at Houston (same as Detroit).  It is a ll a pain in our collective hinney, instituted to be such, hoping the average traveler is low information by nature who will call their reps and suggest higher taxes.

Was not working out that way Wednesday night, crowd was very vocal, and the most heard word was f******sequester, uttered without hyphenation.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Flying out of Memphis, saw 32 (counted them) TSA agents sitting on their dead hinneys while 4 were working the security line to get to the gates.

Interesting happening, Van Jones was going through security right in front of me. I spoke to him, called him by name, (asked him if he was headed back to D.C.?) and he about jumped out of his skin, I got the distinct feeling he was nervous about being recognized.

You could have asked him if he was going back
to report in with the Residentura at the Russian Embassy. :D

[tnhawk]

TSA is checking travelers before a flight.  Customs is checking travelers after a flight from a foreign airport. ???

[TMF]

TSA is checking travelers before a flight.  Customs is checking travelers after a flight from a foreign airport. ???

 

No.  You have to go through customs when entering into the country, just like when you drive over the border from Mexico or Canada.  After you go through customs you are free to leave if that is your final destination.  If you have a follow on flight you are routed to a TSA screening checkpoint, same as if you are just checking into the airport.  Most airports have a TSA screening area (Dulles and Atlanta for example) that is specifically for folks connecting from an international flight.  These checkpoints are usually very quick.  Other airports, like Houston, make you go through with folks who are just showing up for their flight, which means you're screwed if the line is long.  When I returned through Houston from Mexico we had only an hour to make the connection.  We happened to be flying first class that day, so we were able to skip the incredibly long TSA line and get right through.  Had we been flying economy we would have been stuck in Houston for quite a while. 

 

Once again, I hate our government.  I hate that they have made things so inefficient and there is no recourse to change that.  If private security was to handle security screening there would be recourse.  Folks could be fired for inefficiency rather than being promoted.  Complaints would actually translate to action, ass opposed to statements claiming that "agents acted according to policy." 

[S&WForty]

I flew into Dallas from Sheeet-Hole-Lay, Mexico Friday afternoon.  It took me 1.5 hrs to get through customs AND through TSA for my connecting flight.  Each point was fully staffed.  The time spent waiting was due to sheer traffic.