A New Tool Shows Real TSA Wait Times Reported by Travelers
We all know Waze.
It’s the crowdsourced GPS app that shows you exactly where traffic is, thanks to other drivers reporting slowdowns in real time.
Crowdsourcing works for a lot of things. You can find the cheapest gas nearby. You can see how busy a restaurant is before you go.
So here’s the question I had:
Why isn’t there a Waze for TSA?
The problem with TSA wait times
If you’re heading to the airport, one of the biggest unknowns is how long you’ll spend in the security line.
Leave too early, and you’re sitting at the gate forever.
Leave too late, and you’re racing through the terminal hoping you make your flight.
You’d think there would be an easy way to check TSA wait times before you leave home.
But there really isn’t.
- Airport websites sometimes list wait times, but they’re not always accurate
- The TSA website and app haven’t been consistently updated during the government shutdown
- And there’s no simple, reliable tool that gives you real-time conditions
So I went looking for a solution.
And came up empty.
So I built one
Instead of waiting for someone else to create it, I decided to build a simple version myself.
It’s a webpage on What the Tech that works a lot like Waze. Look for the link near the top of the homepage.
How it works
The idea is simple.
Travelers report what they’re seeing when they go through TSA.
- How long did it take to get through?
- Is the line backed up past the ropes?
- Is it moving quickly?
- How many lanes are open?
You select your airport, and if someone has recently reported their experience, you’ll see what the wait was like.
The more people who use it, the better and more useful it becomes.
Just like Waze.
There is a catch
Like any crowdsourced tool, it depends on participation.
If no one reports their wait time, you won’t see much information.
And even when people do report, things can change quickly, especially during busy travel times.
Right now, it’s brand new, so there isn’t much data yet.
But when people start using it, it becomes something we’ve never really had before.
A real-world look at what’s happening at TSA… in real time.
Will it work?
We’ll find out.
Waze didn’t work very well either… until people started using it.
