Airport security worker reveals the most annoying passengers – are you one?

AN AIRPORT security worker has revealed the types of passengers that they find most annoying to deal with – but are you one?

Eric Guthier, who works for the Transport Security Administration (TSA) in the US, set out the six worst sorts of people he faces regularly and revealed how to avoid being a bad flier.

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First up was the ‘rule breaker’, meaning customers who don’t pay attention to the rules detailing which items you are, and more importantly aren’t, allowed to take on the flight.

Eric told Travel & Leisure that ignoring these simple regulations puts you “at the top of the list” of irritating passengers.

Items like pocket knives, bottle openers, and even just a bottle of water larger than allowed can slow the whole queue down with bag searches.

The TSA official explained: “More bag searches [mean] slower lines for everyone.

“Travelers taking a few minutes to methodically go over what they have in their bags would go a long way toward ensuring they have maximum efficiency in getting through the checkpoint.”

The second group is fliers with faulty luggage, which can take extra time and effort to check properly.

Eric said: “[Those with] missing zipper tabs may cause problems.”

This can sometimes be unavoidable, but he recommended using zip ties as a temporary fix.

Another problematic group is overdressed travelers, especially if they take an age to take off things like shoes and belts to get through the scanners.

The security expert added: “Shoes or boots with lots of laces slow people down prior to the X-ray screening.

“And shirts and pants with elaborate decorations (such as sequins) may make secondary screening more likely.”

He also warned customers against being impatient, saying: “We wish travelers would keep in mind that we are there for their safety, as well as the safety of everyone else in the airport.

“At the end of the day, we are people who go home to our families, just like they do.”

This especially applies to people whose bags are chosen for a search by hand, in which they are asked a “standard set of questions”.

Eric explained that some of the most annoying passengers are those who avoid these questions or try and guess the answers.

He said: “It helps greatly when the owner answers our questions honestly without assuming they know what we are looking for.”

Finally, Eric revealed the worst type of passenger to deal with: disorganised people.

He went on: “We prefer when passengers arrive with plenty of time to spare, are organized, [and] have their documents ready.

“When passengers are frenzied, worried, and disorganized, they tend to do things they wouldn’t normally do such as sending their pets through the X-ray.”