Copyright 2002 The Chronicle Publishing Co.  

The San Francisco Chronicle
DECEMBER 20, 2002, FRIDAY, FINAL EDITION
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. A1

LENGTH: 1348 words

HEADLINE: It's about to get worse at airports;

New baggage checks mean more time in line

SOURCE: Chronicle Staff Writer

BYLINE: Alan Gathright

BODY:
As U.S. airports scramble to start screening all checked bags for weapons on Dec. 31, holiday passengers are being warned to pack extra patience and to leave luggage unlocked -- so inspectors don't need to break it open.

"I'd advise passengers to wear comfortable shoes and bring along a good book, because you might have to stand in line a long time," said Robert Poole, a transportation expert at the Reason Foundation, a Los Angeles public policy think tank. "I worry a lot about the potential for horrible lines and real chaos."

The new screening requirements mean hundreds, if not thousands, of bags may have to be opened and searched more closely each day -- instead of the handful that currently get such scrutiny. But airport officials, citing how well new federal screeners kept passengers moving during the busy Thanksgiving holiday, are optimistic that the congressional Dec. 31 bag-screening deadline won't fuel major disruptions.

"We are committed to making the holiday season safe and enjoyable for air travelers," federal Transportation Security Administration head James Loy said Thursday while touring the Jacksonville, Fla., airport's new explosives-detection system. "Passengers can play a major role by following simple packing guidelines, and by getting to the airport on time."

Oakland International Airport spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes offered a simple guideline: "The less bags the merrier," she advised.

MORE BAGS MAKE MORE WORK

Elaborating, she continued, "The more bags you have, obviously, the more work it's going to be to get through security. We're really encouraging our travelers to ship unwrapped packages ahead of time and wrap them at your destination."

Holiday travel tips for dashing through stiffer airport security include:

Wait to wrap Christmas presents at your destination.

Place undeveloped film in carry-on bags (not in checked luggage, where bomb detectors will fry it).

Don't put food or beverages in checked bags, because bomb-detectors confuse some foods -- like chocolate and cheese -- for explosives.

Pack shoes on top to speed inspections.

Bags should be left unlocked so inspectors don't need to "forcibly open" them during searches. The Transportation Security Administration will soon provide travelers with free, padlock-like seals that inspectors can snip open; until then, hardware stores carry cable ties or zip ties, which can be cut off easily.

Meanwhile, security contractors at Bay Area airports are working round the clock to squeeze minivan-size bag-screening machines into already cramped terminals. At Mineta San Jose International airport, that means housing the 9-ton gizmos in temporary tents -- which the Transportation Security Administration prefers to call "weather-protection structures."

NOT AS BAD AS POST-9/11

But all three airports say the New Year's Eve deadline won't trigger a replay of the long lines and confusion that tougher security measures caused after the Sept. 11 attacks.

"The big crunch will be those first few days after New Year's, because of the big traffic load" as holiday travelers return, said Dennis Homer, Transportation Security Administration spokesman at San Francisco International Airport.

Efficiently screening the 1.5 billion bags Americans check annually on airplanes is the most daunting challenge the federal government has faced since it took over aviation security from airlines after Sept. 11.

The Transportation Security Administration initially said it would take 2,000 of the big explosives-detection system machines to equip all 429 U.S. commercial airports -- but then realized only half that number could be produced by the year-end deadline. Consequently, those machines will be supplemented by 4,700 smaller explosives-trace detectors -- which require more time per bag.

Last month, Congress gave the agency authority to allow some of the busiest airports a year's delay to install permanent bag-screening systems.

Loy has said at most 40 airports will get a brief reprieve -- but Thursday, an agency spokesman told the Associated Press that by Christmas, a total of only 320 airports would have equipment and screeners in place.

The agency won't identify which airports will get the reprieve or disclose other security details to avoid tipping terrorists. Airports will augment machine screening with slower bomb-dog, trace swabbing and hand inspections. Officials may also use a procedure called "passenger bag match," where luggage isn't loaded onto a plane unless its owner boards -- but experts warn this won't stop a suicide bomber.

Critics, like Poole, say the $3 billion price tag to meet the Dec. 31 deadline is too costly for "mediocre technology." He is co-author of a study saying the government should wait for more accurate technology already being tested and, in the interim, use a multitiered screening system and profiling to focus on the "highest risk" passengers.

The problem is that the $1 million explosives-detection system machines, which use the same technology as a hospital CT scan to sense the density of explosives, have a one-third "false positive" rate, requiring workers to do follow-up inspections.

At SFO, which handles about 60,000 checked bags daily, that could theoretically require security workers to open 18,000 bags.

"That is just nightmare city," Poole said.

HIGH-TECH SOLUTION AT SFO

SFO's international terminal, however, has a cutting-edge bomb-detection system where workers studying three-dimensional computer images can resolve most false alarms without opening a bag, said Robert McKinley, assistant deputy airport director. Last month, the terminal became the first in the nation -- if not the world -- to run every bag through an integrated bag-screening conveyor that takes a fraction of the time and personnel.

The Transportation Security Administration has awarded SFO $21 million to build a similar system in the domestic terminal, which is set to debut by the summer travel season. Meanwhile, SFO expects to screen the vast majority of domestic bags with explosives-detection system machines in the lobby or concealed at the back of the terminal.

"You're virtually assured that your bag is going to be (machine) screened at this airport after Dec. 31," McKinley said. "We're going to be able to search a lot of bags."

The new procedures have raised theft concerns, as both airline workers and federal screeners will be handling unlocked bags, Poole said. "The airlines," he said, "can't get a straight answer yet from TSA about who is going to be responsible when a passenger says: 'Hey, something is missing from my luggage.' "

Transportation Security Administration officials are still developing antitheft procedures. If screeners open a bag, they will insert a note informing the passenger, Loy said.

Passengers with lost items can call the agency's Consumer Response Center at (866) 289-9673 or e-mail:

TSA-ConsumerResponse@tsa.dot.gov.

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HOW TO PACK YOUR BAGS

-- Bags should be left unlocked so screeners won't have to "forcibly open" them open during searches.

-- Put toothbrushes and other personal belongings in plastic bags so screeners don't have to touch them.

-- Spread books and magazines out. Densly stacked objects can trigger bomb-detection alarms.

-- Wait to wrap Christmas presents at your destination.

-- Place undeveloped film in carry-on bags (not in checked luggage, where bomb detectors will fry it).

-- Don't put food in checked bags because bomb detectors can confuse some foods - chocolate and cheese - for explosives.

-- Pack shoes on top to speed inspections.

-- Put scissors, pocket knives and other sharp items in checked bags.

-- Avoid wearing jewelry, shoes, belt buckles and clothing with metal parts that will trip metal detectors.

More tips can be found at www.tsatraveltips.us.

Source: Transportation Security AdministrationChronicle graphic E-mail Alan Gathright at agathright@sfchronicle.com.

GRAPHIC: GRAPHIC, Chronicle Graphic

LOAD-DATE: December 20, 2002