Whenever you’re at an airport that has both new Analogic machines and older x-ray machines at the security checkpoint, get in the line with the older machines. It doesn’t matter if that line is longer, it will move faster.
Meet Analogic, it probes your luggage at TSA checkpoints pic.twitter.com/xnTQV0nwiv
— Dooner (@TimothyDooner) March 7, 2023
New carry-on bag screening machines take longer per passenger item. They are using 3D imaging. TSA says this is supposed to speed up screening because even though each item takes longer to screen, fewer items will need to be re-screened and manually inspected.
It turns out that’s not happening. A glitch in the machine’s software means that it isn’t performing as expected, and manual interventions are actually higher.
3D imaging was supposed to be what finally caused TSA to drop 3-1-1 liquid rules, where you’re only allowed to bring 3 ounce liquid items in a 100 milliliter freedom baggie. These rules were on the way out in the U.K. and Europe because of these machines, but they’re coming back because of the glitches.
TSA for its part says they want consistent rules, so they haven’t dropped the liquid ban and don’t plan to do so for many years – even after the software is improved. They want to wait until these new machines are rolled out at every checkpoint in every airport in the country, and they don’t expect to complete that process until 2040.
So even while we’re being inconvenienced by these Analogic machines, we don’t get the benefit of bringing a bottle of water through the checkpoint.
First TSA had “Rapiscan”. Now: “Analogic”. They TAUNT us with how easily they violate our rights. pic.twitter.com/QSEmtnff3N
— TheSmallestMinority (@smallstminority) August 14, 2022
TSA’s little machine is called “Analogic”- ANAL LOGIC
— Maddie Rae Gun️⚧️️⚧️ (@MadisonRaeGun) December 20, 2022
Perhaps even more troubling is that it takes decades – and a billion dollars – to deploy these machines. Shouldn’t they be several generations beyond these devices, probably from different providers, at that point?
The new machines suck. Takes significantly longer and way more stuff gets searched. My backpack never gets pulled for a manual in the old machines but gets pulled 75% of the time on the new ones. Govt at its finest!
Been through the new machines at BNA many times and the Precheck line moves faster there than any other US airport I’ve seen.
“We spent 90gillion dollars trying to get a look at mars , I have universal laughter running out among the stars.” Jimmy Buffett
Inconvenient and unnecessarily expensive boondoggle from US DHS/TSA?
Who could have ever known that this could ever really happen? Anyone who didn’t want to bury their head under the sand or bury others under the sand when it comes to exposing the TSA’s latest and greatest hits even after being told how things were going with this kind of tech at airports elsewhere.
Outside of the US, at some passenger screening checkpoints with this kind of tech, passengers such as myself and others were being told by the security screeners to place jackets into the bin under the cabin bags. Not yet sure what was up with that, as it wasn’t because of any shortage of bins.
After billions in spending our tax dollars we still do not know the difference between
a hip replacement and a gun or weapon while screening passengers
In Australia as I flew between cities it was incredibly nice to carry on board bottled water
and breeze through security without getting groped or patted down
Whoever approves these new technologies should limit tests to one airport before ordering
a massive amount of lemons to screen luggage
An endless unneeded jobs program.
I have actually seen that they are way faster. When something does need to get searched, they know exactly where the item is. Because of the 3D scan. My wife accidentally left a small water bottle in her bag and the machine pointed out exactly where TSA needed to open to check it. This is one of the areas where better AI can work around things too. With enough of feedback, such as being told the item in question was a water bottle, then the software can learn exactly what items are, and be better able to quit giving false positives.
2040???? 20-F’ing-40????
There was a time that we went from no human ever going into space to landing men on the moon in less time.
This is why we can’t have nice things.
And still, 85% off weapons won’t be detected lol
Thanks, Gary ! For sure I’ll concur this was the case when they were first unveiled, maybe 3X slower or worse. Lately, they seem to be much better (close to parity with the older machines), perhaps it really was training as TSA claimed ? On a related note, a few airports have automated bin handling, and depending on the set-up, that can be better than it used to be too.
Hey, don’t ‘dis TSA. They’re thorough! I was in a wheelchair at the TSA checkpoint in MSY, my legs not functional, dangling toward the flaps, kinda unconscious from meds, probably drooling. TSA wanded me well, then told me to stand up so they could check the cushion I was sitting on …
Analogic machines are just looking for friendship on dating sites.
This is very interesting. I’m curious about a lot of things.
To clarify, are ALL TSA checkpoint carry-on screenings going to be Analogic ConneCT by 2040? I’m sure the media and insiders are privy to more information, but the latest public press release I see from 2023 says that IDSS and Smiths Detection will also be providing machines.
There are only a handful of IDSS CT-based machines utilized in the country at the moment so it’s a small sample size, but are they and Smith’ Detection’s CT-based carry-on bag screening machines having these issues as well? I want to look at the use of CT technology and any Analogic software glitches separately.
To the best of my understanding all check-in luggage screenings undergo CT-based screenings now. Have there also been issues with that transition? Does TSA have a deal with Analogic to implement the new Analogic SeleCT scanners for check-in luggages at some point in the future and would we run into the same issues if so until the software glitches are fixed?
L, My interpretation is that the budget to upgrade every airport with scheduled service isn’t sufficient to complete the migration before 2040. I’m not of the reasons, but if they need a different power supply, that means electricians, permits, and the like. I’m not sure when Muscle Shoals, Alabama is getting it’s CT scanner, but until it does, the rest of the country can’t have nice things. I’m not dissing Muscle Shoals, it was just the first airport I saw in the list of Essential Air Service airports.
I recently saw a story relating zero TSA agents. You let machines do all the scanning while you stand by. More job loss to big tech. It may fascinate many but it’s depressing to me. Btw if those in charge at the time of 911 went Romans on the real perpetrators we wouldn’t have to go through this.
Well it was bound to happen…I finally agree with Fatty 100% in an article. Bravo sir, I must be intellectually honest and compliment you this time. Is it a full moon? Again Bravo sir. More posts like this please.
Couple these slow as dirt machines with the stupid idea of having four people simultaneously loading carryons into said slow as dirt machines (I’m looking at you, ATL Hartsfield Jackson) and you now have a solution that has just slowed everything down by 2000%. I could live with these slow machines if they’d just go back to having people load their stuff in a classic single line. It doesn’t work at LHR and it sure as heck doesn’t work at ATL. How about a story on the bright spark that thought four people loading at the same time was a good idea?
In some airports, the floors/ceilings need structural support to manage the excess weight of some of these CT scanner setups. That takes time and money too. So it’s more than just running some cables, wiring and adjustments to handle the electrical load.
The worst of TSA issues is human, not technology. It’s humans that decide they must take everything out of the bag that passed screening because the passenger didn’t want the medicine in their hand exposed to x-rays. It’s humans that try to make paraplegic passengers stand up to screen their chairs. It’s humans who stand around watching rather than rotating jobs when passengers need manual screening from the opposite gender. And all of this is for security theater that fails 90% when tested by their own inspector general.
I flew out of Rome’s FCO with my wife in June. The agent took her full water bottle, put it into a machine with a cylindrical hole, and gave it back as we headed toward our gate.
Ashame we don’t have that in the USA
I usually can avoid these with Pre but sometimes I have no choice. Yes the machines are much slower. To make things worse, when you’re bag gets called out for more screening your have to wait in line. Once they get to your bag they often don’t open it up and instead say they want to put it through the machine again so the process starts all over. After 2-3 times I beg them to just look through my bag and let me be in my way.
We all know what doing the same thing and expecting different results is….
Enough with the theater
Saw this last month in Helsinki. A shiny big new machine and about half the carry on bags were automatically shunted aside for secondary checks. At least those were pretty fast as the officers looked very bored and frustrated. I said to one of them that it looked like they had far too many false positives and she heartily agreed. When many things are suspect then almost nothing is going to be suspect.
Homeland Security stands out as especially inept. They take incompetent to the next level, way beyond typical federal agency ineptitude.
The government will spend 1million to achieve what private industry can do for 10,000
Maybe I am being anal (like the Analogic machine) but why try to punk us with an incorrect quote in the comments. “We spent ninety jillion dollars
Tryin’ to get a look at Mars
I hear universal laughter
Ringing out among the stars” from Fuitcakes by Jimmy Buffett from the Jimmy Buffett website.
A typo, that was Fruitcakes by Jimmy Buffett
Oh stop your constant complaining. Be happy scanner machines of any kind exist at all. The technology is complicated and takes time to perfect. I’ve had one of these machines point to the exact location of a forgotten almost empty water bottle in my bag.
I don’t care what it takes or how long, as long as it keeps me safe and secure…that’s all I care about. If your so worried about time constraints, plan to give yourself more time to make your flight. Quite simple. Only one to blame is yourself. I’d much rather be safer than dead.
If a presidential candidate ran on ending the 3-1-1 rule, there’s a good chance they’d win.
Airport security is there to placate the general public. It’s all show. The 3-1-1 rule is a joke. Anyone who knows anything about chemistry knows this, not to mention the combinations that could be made by people flying together. The TSA & similar agencies worldwide do little, if anything, to improve security while wasting billions in time & money on a daily basis.
So if you can opt out of the supposedly higher security analogic machine lines, then so can potential terrorists. So what exactly are we accomplishing if you can just pick a line and bypass it? Counting on terrorists to opt in to the higher security line?
And you leftists want government to have MORE power over your lives?
Why should anybody care about the TSA ? They already had the bad reputions of been Pedo creeps that were known for touching many different travellers through airports in Inappropriate ways,so why would anybody trust or listen to these Creeps
My favorite hack: freeze a bottle of water the night before a trip. It will make it thru security if it is still frozen. One time they had to call a supervisor to decide it wasn’t a liquid lol.
Heartily agree about how slow these machines are. Add in the additional time now needed to take pictures of every pax as well as the screener having to explain to most of the pax how to DIY their IDs, the whole process is now a giant cluster, even in the PC lanes. Leave it to the TSA to take a bad thing & make it worse!
Whose brother-in-law rec’d the DHS contract?
Security theater continuing
Must be a Boeing product…
DTW has these in precheck, they’re incredibly fast and I have not experienced any additional searches or screening. This article doesn’t mirror my experiences at all.
How about no more Muslims, and no more TSA.. as former law enforcement, I remember when I carried my weapon on every plane trip and there was never a problem..
Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!
They also sell you a TWIC card which also includes the pre check but if you try using it to board they will not accept it I wrote to them asking why I paid the money for a TSA issued federal background check ID and it doesnt work…..their response is it should….but it doesn’t have tried it at 4 different airports now….TSA is a joke perfect example of a poorly run government agency with NO accoutability!
so, this is the solution to the problem of air travel causing global warming – just make flying so miserable that none of us want to do it anymore? Problem solved all around?
/s or not?
I worked security in New Zealand, the older machines were way faster. If the screener didn’t like the image it was easy to grab the bag and put it in the xray for a different view, frequently avoiding holdups. This isn’t an option for the new one. The screener will look at the different layers of the image which takes time. The machine will automatically reject the bag after a timeout.
@Gary – Given your dislike of TSA I have to wonder if maybe you’re seeing things with a bit of a skewed perspective. While I accept your facts at face value I can’t but wonder some things:
How difficult would it be for the 2040 policy to be changed to make for a two-tiered system depending on what hardware was in place?
When can the software glitch be expected to be addressed?
Are other viable solutions being explored?
I’m not madly in love with the TSA but I think they do an okay job. I absolutely think that there are scads of ways they could and should improve. To be honest, I’m a touch surprised that Secretary Pete hasn’t already addressed some of the manifold problems, given his manifest sincerity and competence. Maybe after the election.
I’ve read the article, and the comments, and I have to say it seems like most of the commenters have had experiences that I have not. I was one of the happy ones to see the new scanners, because I travel often, and write rather frequently (Minister & Author), and not having to unload the laptop, ipad…etc. each time I travel is a Godsend. I haven’t had issues with the new scanners, nor have they been slower than the old school scanners. The only time there was an issue, is when TSA happened to be overloaded with travelers, and we were moving through the body scanner slightly quicker than the carry-on luggage observational portion could be adequately handled…they are thorough in the 3D scan. I am happy with the speed and flow of the new 3D scanners. Clearly I’ve been blessed.
It’s funny how the people that post here think that everything is good and people aren’t still trying to unlive Americans. It’s all about the moments of being inconvenienced to save your life. Hey you all can fly private and avoid security. Get out your wallets.
America is a sad country if incompetent managers and ignorant humans, criminals, addicts and losers. I do not mean you unless you are part of the problem. I will give up my citizenship because I do not believe in modern america. It is a land if reverse racism and lgbtq advocates. It supports crime and gangs.
Hi Christian,
It was the two-tiered system that causes passenger confusion and slows things down. This has been a problem at passenger security screening checkpoints where some lanes or some checkpoint has the CT cabin baggage scanners while the ones elsewhere at the very same airport don’t. Or when having a lot of passengers who are visiting and heading back home and find out that what they took out from the bag last time or left in the bag last time when departing their home airport doesn’t fly when returning home from the away airport.
TSA: The bags go through more slowly
Salesman: throughout will be higher since you don’t recheck bags
TSA: Well try two as a pilot
Salesman: I’ll give you a 10% discount if you skip the pilot.
TSA: Done
Lol what a joke