TSA Ads Teach Passengers To Accept Stringent Rules
The Transportation Security Administration launched a $1.3 million advertising campaign designed to have air passengers accept stringent travel rules which have often served as sources of disagreement and annoyances at checkpoints.
The ad campaign was conceived after a passenger focus study made for TSA by business consulting company Blue Lime discovered passengers’ unquestioning compliance with TSA rules has gone down. According to Blue Lime, missing their trip is a greater concern now among American travelers than the threat of an attack on their plane.
To counter this, the TSA produced a 97-second video which explains its regulations such as why passengers have to remove their footwear at checkpoints because terrorists hide bombs inside their shoes, explained Stephanie Naar, a screener at the Washington National Airport.
TSA spokeswoman Ellen Howe said part of the aim of the campaign is to develop a spirit of cooperation among passengers and to help new travelers become familiar with the screening process to relieve them of the stress and anxiety which inexperienced travelers go through.
Two weeks ago the Department of Homeland Security unveiled measures designed to strengthen the security of American freight and passenger rail systems and limit the risks associated with the movement of security-sensitive items. Among the measures is the mandatory designation by freight and passenger rail carriers of security coordinators and to report major security concerns to the TSA.