Delta Halts Special TSA Service For Congress Members

There’s something about standing in a long airport security line that humbles you pretty quickly.

It’s definitely not fun, but for most of us, it’s just become a part of the travel experience. Although incredibly frustrating, we make preparations. We leave early just in case. We know the drill.

THE AIRPORT SHUFFLE

Shoes off. Laptop out. Liquids in a bag. You shuffle forward a few inches at a time, hoping you didn’t accidentally leave a water bottle in your backpack. It’s not glamorous. It’s not efficient. It's a pain in the butt.

Now, for the first time in a while, members of Congress are getting a taste of that same experience.

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NO MORE SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

According to The Hill, Delta has suspended its specialty service that allowed lawmakers to bypass regular TSA lines during the government shutdown. That means no more cutting ahead and no more special treatment. Now, members of Congress are treated just like you and me.

Members of Congress will be using the same lines, experiencing the same delays, and probably getting a much-needed perspective on what the rest of us deal with every time we fly.

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YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW

Maybe that matters more than we think. Right now, things are getting worse than they've ever been. Those lines at the airport aren’t just long, they’re getting so long that they may be impossible for some citizens to stand in.

DON'T BLAME THE TSA WORKERS - THEY AREN'T GETTING PAID!

TSA staffing shortages, caused by workers not being paid during the shutdown, are stretching wait times to hours in some places. People are being told to show up four hours early. Checkpoints are closing, and the ripple effect is being felt across the entire country, including here in the Midwest, where getting through security on a busy travel day can already feel like a test of patience.

A CASE OF 'THE MAYBES'....

When lawmakers find themselves standing in those same lines as everyone else, MAYBE...

• MAYBE... It hits a little differently.
• MAYBE... it no longer just a policy debate happening in Washington
• MAYBE...It becomes real.
• MAYBE...It feels like missing a flight, or watching the clock tick down as the line barely moves.

Or MAYBE...They'll realize the person checking their ID is working without a paycheck, trying to figure out how to pay their bills. How to feed their families, and how to put gas in their car just to get to work at a job that won't be paying them tomorrow either.

INSANITY

This isn’t just about inconvenience. It’s about people. It's absolutely insane to expect anyone to live like this.

For a long time, members of Congress haven't had to live it or experience it as the rest of us have. Maybe standing in that line, inching forward like everyone else, missing their connecting flights and doing it all over again in the next city, will bring a little more urgency to fix what's broken.

Most of us know that when you experience frustration firsthand, it’s a lot harder to ignore.

We are ALL in this together, breathing the same air.