TSA

A few weeks ago I caught wind of another nifty whiz-bang airport innovation guaranteed to make your journey even more onerous than it already is. And of course, it’s brought to you by our trusty friends at the TSA. At Syracuse International Airport, you can’t leave — after you’ve gotten off the plane, collected your baggage, and are ready to hit the road — unless you pass through electronically controlled, wholly contained, glass portals. If you’ve ever been to a European bank, you know what these are. They hold only one person at a time. You step in, a cylindrical glass door locks around you, then when someone in the bank decides you’re not a bank robber, they release the lock and allow you to proceed. Same for the next person. Thus, only one person at a time can enter, not a slew of people all at once. This brilliant idea came to Syracuse with a $60 million price tag, part of an airport renovation. ‘We need to be vigilant and maintain high security protocol at all times. These portals were designed and approved by TSA which is important,’ said Syracuse Airport Commissioner Christina Callahan.