Blog Your Travel Complaints

ALL TRAVELERS experience a certain degree of frustration with airport security lines and procedures. We’ve been singled out for some extra screening, and we’ve cringed at the realization that our toothpaste is just slightly over the maximum allowed amount. We complain and scowl, even as we realize there’s no denying the necessity of increased security measures.

A resounding sense of dissatisfaction can stem from knowing that once in a security line, your opinions are a moot point. The Transportation Security Administration has addressed precisely this sentiment by opening the floodgates to public opinion with a new blogging forum designed to allow travelers to speak out. The TSA’s innovative The Evolution of Security (tsa.gov/blog) provides an arena for every possible concern—— and direct responses from the agency.

In the first days of operation, the Web site received hundreds of comments. While the response has slowed down, it still averages between 50 and 100 posts a day.

TSA spokesman Nico Melendez says the organization couldn’t be more pleased with the results of this new endeavor, in operation since the end of January. He says a group of eight to 10 people serve as moderators for the blogs, with the help of regular conference calls to “the people upstairs.” Topics addressed include shoes, liquids, inconsistencies, gripes and grins.

Asked about the general reaction from security employees, Melendez says: “If you polled the workforce, you’d get as many different opinions as employees.” Though there are bound to be frustrations concerning the many angry blog posts received, employees are encouraged to keep their eyes on the prize: the continual improvement of air travel for all.

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