Security Diamond Lanes
A few weeks ago I saw a report about a method to make the process of getting through airport security easier. It was called Diamond Lanes, you can read about it here, where there are three lanes for travelers to choose from.
Black Diamond lane, which has a picture of a black diamond like on a ski mountain, with an outline of a women with only a briefcase and no luggage.
Blue Square lane, which has a blue square and a picture of a guy with a pull cart.
Green Circle lane, for the unorganized scatterbrain with an image of parents and kids going bonkers and bottles rolling around on the ground, kids screaming at the TSA guy and total chaos and panic.
The idea is that travelers know how well they can get through the security process and will choose based on their own self assessment. Their OWN self assessment. As in I think I am the world’s most handsome man but reality says different.
WONDERFUL, I first thought (notice the “first” part), I LOVE IT. I, being someone who flies a couple of times a week, and a lot of day trips, have the technique mastered like some kung fu black belt of travel. And when I do travel with my wife and kids, I really like the fact that there is a lane I can go to where I don’t feel bad about taking a little extra time to get my little guys through, which can be interesting.
So this morning I got to Logan airport in Boston around 5:45AM and right away noticed something was amiss. Before the holidays last year they took away a special Delta Shuttle-only lane that made it harder for me to get through security. Not a big deal, I have no control over their ability to make my life harder so I dealt with it. But this morning I was unsettled a little, being a creacher of habit, I didn’t like that the security lines were redone AGAIN.
But you can image my delight and surprise when I saw the Black Diamond sign to the far right of the Delta Terminal security area. Holy sweet mother of creation, Logan is trying this thing out. YES. I quickly imagined myself in line with other self-centered smug business travelers going quickly through the security line, almost out of breath because it was so fast, Olympic runner fast. And this morning all I had was my briefcase and a sports jacket, no coat, no pull bag, nada. It was just me and my nice looking brown leather briefcase.
And herein lies the problem. When I told me wife about the concept, her first question was “who is going to police it?”
Great freakin question. Well, it is self policing. And human nature dictates that everyone thinks they are an expert, and no one wants to be in the slow lane. NO one.
So while the Black Diamond lane was really long, the green circle lane was almost empty with a couple of families. And of course I got on the black diamond lane because I thought it was the place to be for a super hero of travel like me.
And I sat there. In line. While an old couple in front of me tried to find their tickets. And then sat there. While they took off their jackets, put down the three very old tennis rackets they had in their arms, emptied their pockets, put their shoes in a bin THAT IS NOT RIGHT PUT THEM DIRECTLY ON THE BELT BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT YOUR SHOE CRAP IN BINS THAT MY JACKET GOES IN, and they tried to figure out what kept making the detector go off and their bags had to be taken off for a separate screening and police themselves my ASS.
So concept, good. Implementation, no so much.
I did notice a couple of good things. When their bags were flagged for additional checks, someone came right away and pulled it out of the conveyer belt so it didn’t slow down the process. And the black diamond lane seemed to have more security people to make things go quicker.
But that doesn’t solve the problem that there has to be some standard by which you are allowed to enter that lane. I have learned that people generally, at least while traveling, don’t care about inconveniencing other people. I hate to say it because it sounds so fatalistic, but during my travels people usually just don’t care. And while the idea of a black diamond lane to zip road warriors more quickly through the hassle of airplane travel sounds great, it still has some bugs to work. I don’t know, maybe over time it will find its own level, after all most people in the lane were wearing suits or business attire and had one pull bag or just a briefcase/purse, and the straggler who just doesn’t want to give in to “the man” will be the cost of the service, so over time things will be good.
I really hope so, because this is the best process improvement (as opposed to technical advancements) to help with the security bump in traveling by air that I have seen in a long time. Great idea, now I just need everyone else to work harder to make my life easier.
PS. I am going to start to bring a small digital camera wth me when I travel. That way I can take a picture of the thing that I am talking about.