Ever since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Transportation Security Administration, better known as TSA, has enforced much stricter security at airports to prevent future attacks from occurring. Although this extra security is designed to protect the people of America, it can often become a huge hassle and inconvenience for travelers, as lines tend to be very long and move slowly. At large airports, it is not uncommon for people to find themselves waiting for hours before making it to their gates to catch their flights due to long lines at security. Allison Miller, senior, said, “I once had to wait in line for two hours before getting through security. It was a huge inconvenience and we almost missed our flight because of it.”
Countless complaints about this long process has led to sixteen major airports around the country installing a new system called CLEAR to help frequent travellers make it to their gates more efficiently. In order to register for the program, people can simply sign up online. They then are able to complete the process the first time they go to use it in an airport. Once registered, an individual can skip the entire security line at an airport and go directly to the physical screenings. They do not even have to get their ID’s out, as the program uses either fingerprint or iris scanning as identification. For those who often travel through these major airports, it could be an extremely beneficial tool, potentially saving them a huge amount of time. Patrick McMonagle, senior, said, “It’s a service with much potential. TSA checkpoints are growing increasingly outrageous… While the program doesn’t make sense for people who mostly use small airports like MLI, it could be very useful for people who fly through larger cities regularly.”
Despite these obvious benefits, many are not convinced the program will be a good one, fearing it is not safe. Miller said, “The shorter lines are nice, but being able to pay to skip security seems more dangerous. It would only make it easier for things that aren’t supposed to get passed security to get into the airport.”
A CLEAR registration costs $179 for a year. Members can bring children eighteen and under with them through the CLEAR line for free.
