I had my first pleasant and humorous TSA pre check experience today. It was pleasant because of the speed and humorous because of the agents and one guy in the premiere line.
I arrived at OHare my normal two hours before the flight and was greeted by a rather long line for 5 pm on a Wednesday . As I approached the security lines, I noticed the TSA pre check sign right next too the premiere access lines at the far south end of the United counters in terminal one. I stepped down the end of the line and the woman in front of me immediately turned around to ask what TSA pre check was. I started to answer her question and was interrupted by the guy in front of her who she had NOT asked. When he finished, I politely added that this line would get her to premiere access as well as TSA pre check. The guy again butted in and added that this was for pre check only. I politely corrected him and referred the young lady to the signs indicating both.
A few minutes later we were up to the scan station that determines if you continue to premiere or get in the pre check line. Here’s where it gets funny…. for me at least. The interrupting guys hands over his boarding pass to the agent and says he is pre check. The agency that scans it and…. Negative sir you are not. ‘ What do you mean I’m not?’ Tirade follows. ‘ I signed up x number of days ago… Blah blah blah.’ He proceeds to hold up the line. Finally he moves and the lady in front of me just tells the agent she is not present check so he does not need to scan. I step up and present mine. I had applied about a month ago and was already Nexus approved so knew I would eventually get it. Agent scans it. Beep, beep, beep. The three magic beeps which means I am in the system and approved. I stepped in to the pre check line and just turned and smiled at the guy who threw a fit.
I got up the the next check point in less than 10 seconds ( there was absolutely no one ahead of me) to the 3 waiting TSA agents. One of them said ‘we have a winner’ and another one actually said ‘finally we have been waiting for someone to come through’. I felt as if I should have been given a stuffed animal or something.
I breezed through the check with my shoes and belt on, my laptop in the bag and my liquids in the bag. As a bonus the agent on the other side of the metal detector was a Purdue fan ( I had my Boiler golf shirt on).
By far my best security experience post 9/11.