Hartsfield-Jackson security lines more than an hour long amid federal shutdown (Atlanta: low income, eviction)

[JPD]

Originally Posted by Citykid3785

I think the challenge if you work for TSA is not knowing how long it could go on. If it's another week, sure, you can handle it, but what if it's 3 months? And you'd hate to quite only to find out it gets resolved in a few days. I suspect they are calling in sick to work for Uber and the like.

I read today that TSA gets 99% of people through security in under an hour, and 94% in under 15 minutes (pre shutdown, all airports). I'm not defending TSA, but I've found that even when I think it's taking forever, it's only been 15 or 20 minutes (which still feels too long when you've got little kids). The challenge is that you can't afford to plan for 30 minutes, only to have it be an hour, thus you almost have to always plan for a hour.

I love using the stroller line at Hartsfield, but on 2 occasions it's actually been slower.

This really is a huge problem for just about all federal employees, not just TSA. Some federal agencies are still squeaking by on reserve funding that is keeping their employees paid for now, but that's all going to run out very soon. And once it does, hundreds of thousands of people are going to be put in a position where they have to make the gamble you're describing. Wait it out and potentially go broke waiting for reimbursement that's months away (and that might never materialize), or quit only to have the shutdown end tomorrow?

As for TSA and their claim today that wait times are no longer than before...does anyone really buy that? We've all seen video of the lines stretching out to the parking lot in airports around the country. Whoever made this claim is most likely someone who takes marching orders from Trump and will say whatever he tells him to say. Or they carefully chose their sample size from little used airports that can get by with two or three TSA agents.

[ronricks]

Originally Posted by JPD

This really is a huge problem for just about all federal employees, not just TSA. Some federal agencies are still squeaking by on reserve funding that is keeping their employees paid for now, but that's all going to run out very soon. And once it does, hundreds of thousands of people are going to be put in a position where they have to make the gamble you're describing. Wait it out and potentially go broke waiting for reimbursement that's months away (and that might never materialize), or quit only to have the shutdown end tomorrow?

As for TSA and their claim today that wait times are no longer than before...does anyone really buy that? We've all seen video of the lines stretching out to the parking lot in airports around the country. Whoever made this claim is most likely someone who takes marching orders from Trump and will say whatever he tells him to say. Or they carefully chose their sample size from little used airports that can get by with two or three TSA agents.

What if some of these Federal employees gave the private sector a shot? Nobody is forcing them to work for the government or someone that won't pay them. Plenty of jobs in the private sector right now. In fact there are so many that many companies are struggling to fill them.

[ronricks]

Originally Posted by JPD

This really is a huge problem for just about all federal employees, not just TSA. Some federal agencies are still squeaking by on reserve funding that is keeping their employees paid for now, but that's all going to run out very soon. And once it does, hundreds of thousands of people are going to be put in a position where they have to make the gamble you're describing. Wait it out and potentially go broke waiting for reimbursement that's months away (and that might never materialize), or quit only to have the shutdown end tomorrow?

As for TSA and their claim today that wait times are no longer than before...does anyone really buy that? We've all seen video of the lines stretching out to the parking lot in airports around the country. Whoever made this claim is most likely someone who takes marching orders from Trump and will say whatever he tells him to say. Or they carefully chose their sample size from little used airports that can get by with two or three TSA agents.

Oh and airports that use private companies that have half the amount of employees of TSA and the exact same time frames from security check to gate. Wonder why that is?

[JPD]

Originally Posted by ronricks

What if some of these Federal employees gave the private sector a shot? Nobody is forcing them to work for the government or someone that won't pay them. Plenty of jobs in the private sector right now. In fact there are so many that many companies are struggling to fill them.

That's not the point. That is an option. But someone has to do the work federal employees do, almost all of which is either extremely important or is constitutionally mandated, or both. Who is going to do it if the risk of not getting paid is an ongoing, every year ordeal, as it is trending towards in recent years?

[JPD]

Originally Posted by ronricks

Oh and airports that use private companies that have half the amount of employees of TSA and the exact same time frames from security check to gate. Wonder why that is?

Examples?

[ronricks]

Originally Posted by JPD

That's not the point. That is an option. But someone has to do the work federal employees do, almost all of which is either extremely important or is constitutionally mandated, or both. Who is going to do it if the risk of not getting paid is an ongoing, every year ordeal, as it is trending towards in recent years?

I think one thing this shutdown is showing us is that that line of thinking isn't true. People are realizing that the shutdown is not impacting people like it was claimed it would. The main people impacted are government employees themselves all who will tell you how 'important' their job is but in reality it isn't. Like I said the private sector is waiting with open arms for those that are willing to make the transition.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdVu...ature=youtu.be

[JPD]

Originally Posted by ronricks

I think one thing this shutdown is showing us is that that line of thinking isn't true. People are realizing that the shutdown is not impacting people like it was claimed it would. The main people impacted are government employees themselves all who will tell you how 'important' their job is but in reality it isn't. Like I said the private sector is waiting with open arms for those that are willing to make the transition.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdVu...ature=youtu.be

John Stossel? BWAAAAAA!

Well, of course its not...yet. And there are a lot of reasons for that, which I guess you are too short sighted to see, or perhaps you don't have a solid grasp on what the federal government does. For one thing, almost all of the work is still getting done, just without pay. Once the lack of pay reaches the breaking point and people have no choice but to find other jobs (including, ironically, people who currently work in the field of border security), the government work not getting done WILL impact all of us. For another, many things take time to make an impact. Lack of food inspections don't result in an immediate outbreak of foodborne illnesses, for example. Or environmental inspections that keep industries from dumping chemicals into the air and water. Trying to get a federal gun permit or small business loan? It takes time for the effects of those things to become apparent.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by JPD

John Stossel? BWAAAAAA!

Well, of course its not...yet. And there are a lot of reasons for that, which I guess you are too short sighted to see, or perhaps you don't have a solid grasp on what the federal government does. For one thing, almost all of the work is still getting done, just without pay. Once the lack of pay reaches the breaking point and people have no choice but to find other jobs (including, ironically, people who currently work in the field of border security), the government work not getting done WILL impact all of us. For another, many things take time to make an impact. Lack of food inspections don't result in an immediate outbreak of foodborne illnesses, for example. Or environmental inspections that keep industries from dumping chemicals into the air and water. Trying to get a federal gun permit or small business loan? It takes time for the effects of those things to become apparent.

To add some to this, it's also hard to notice things that wouldn't have otherwise happened. Quite a few national scientific efforts are going unfunded and (mostly) unstaffed right now, essential employees not withstanding. These are efforts that have produced massive returns on investment through the invention of entirely new industries from their discoveries, not to mention the millions of lives saved or enabled to exist through the same. NASA's spinoffs alone have done amazing things for the quality of human life, and then you have all the national laboratories, and the university grants and so on.

(including, ironically, people who currently work in the field of border security)

I just want to point out that, for the first time, a branch of the Military is going unfunded. The Coast Guard, an important force in preserving safety of maritime traffic and activity, as well as combating drug and violence in American waterways, is continuing to work without pay. For now.

[sedimenjerry]

I just left a job where we worked 24/7. I was one of the shift workers that had to be there at weird times. During the holidays I was on duty and ended up working (along with others) during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years (yes I hit all three) while front office staff like the accountants, hr, etc were able to be off for the holidays. You could consider them "non essential". The company wasn't gonna collapse because they were gone a few days (just like at night and on weekends). But long term, we absolutely need them. They had to come back eventually, work for them was just getting backlogged.

Same thing for this, a lot of workers are involved with desk work for processing whatever. If ATC didn't come in, it would be a disaster immediately, so they're working. If TSA agents couldn't work at all, it would be a major security risk, so they're working. A lot of workers at the IRS aren't at work right now. Things aren't gonna collapse right now, but if this continues there will absolutely be issues. The impacts aren't felt immediately, but that doesn't necessarily mean those jobs aren't needed.

[DreamerD]

Originally Posted by ronricks

Oh and airports that use private companies that have half the amount of employees of TSA and the exact same time frames from security check to gate. Wonder why that is?

Ronricks, do you know how long it can take to land another job? The unemployment rate may be low but that does not tell the entire story. It's not exactly easy to prepare for these things. It's hard to believe human beings can use other humans as pawns like this. Politicians should also go without pay during the shutdown and their bank accounts frozen (except to withdraw money). They won't suffer like others will but they'd probably be more motivated to end this wicked game quicker.