The Transportation Security Administration Thursday conducted a demonstration at Chicago Midway International Airport to show how much faster passengers can clear security if they follow the guidelines set forth by the TSA.
Ten volunteers passed through security without any prohibited items in one minute and 50 seconds.
A second time, the same ten volunteers were given four items including a bottle of water, laptop, knife and gun, split among them. It took six minutes and six seconds, according to the TSA.
Agency leaders say they are not blaming passengers for long times at checkpoints across the country.
"We are not blaming passengers. It is a mixture of things that are creating wait times," said Mark Howell, a TSA Regional Spokesperson in Chicago. "It's staffing, it's volume, it's prohibited items, down to even weather. Weather even plays a factor."
The demonstration comes after public complaints of long or growing TSA lines at airports across the country and reports of passengers missing flights as a result.
