Some airports want laptops out. Some don’t. Some want belts off. Some don’t. Sometimes it’s shoes (but only certain shoes?). Jackets? Maybe. Depends on the mood apparently.
Meanwhile the line crawls because people get to the front and suddenly realise they need to unpack their entire life into three trays while security repeats the same instructions for the 1200th time.
I’m not that guy. I want to be ready. Belt off, laptop out, boarding pass in hand. I use the 20 minutes in line to prep so I can power through and keep things moving.
But then you hit a new airport and boom! surprise rule change. Now my shoes need to come off and the tray station is somehow 6 ft behind me. Now I’m the confused idiot holding everyone up.
Why not just put up big, clear screens with the exact current instructions? Update it when procedures change. Airports are smart enough to manage global logistics but can’t display “REMOVE BELTS + SHOES TODAY”?
I get they don’t publish procedures online for security reasons. Fine. But at least tell the people already standing in the queue.
Put up signs. I promise some of us will actually read them.