At one point at IAH on Tuesday, the line was so long that some passengers just turned and walked away.
HOUSTON — TSA wait times at airports across the country continue to cause travel headaches.
On Tuesday at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, some passengers waited for more than four hours to get through security.
Through the partial government shutdown over the course of the last month, TSA agents haven’t been paid. Some have quit, while others just aren’t showing up to work.
At one point at IAH on Tuesday, the line was so long that some passengers just turned and walked away.
RELATED: Check how long TSA wait times are at airports in Houston and across the country
Others, however, made the decision to stick it out.
Peter Conover, who’s from Richmond, was heading out on a special trip for his 61st birthday.
“Tomorrow is my birthday. My son invited me to go see opening day baseball in San Francisco,” he said.
When he got in line, TSA agents handed him a slip of paper that’s used to track how long it takes passengers to get from the start of the line to the checkpoint.
KHOU 11 News reporter Anayeli Ruiz started her own timer when he got in line.
In Terminal E, the line started downstairs, wrapped around some stairs, and then looped around another time. That’s where Ruiz ran into Conover for a second time.
He knew he wasn’t going to make his 3 p.m. flight, but his son had a backup plan.
RELATED: The Latest: Over 450 TSA officers have quit since the partial shutdown began
“My son took care of it while I was in line. He hooked it up for 4:25 (p.m.) … Either way, I am getting to San Francisco,” he said.
Some passengers remained patient through the wait.
“People watching is great here,” Pamela Jahnke said.
Others weren’t so comfortable with the lengthy lines.
“I am really angry. I am sick of all these politicians. They are all full of it,” Robert Schwab said.
After hours of waiting, Conover made it to the end of the line. With a new flight booked, he saw the light at the end of the tunnel.
“It’s all worth is to get there and to celebrate my birthday with him (his son) and watch the Yankees,” he said.
It ended up taking him right around four hours to get through.
If you’re planning to go to IAH before the partial government shutdown is resolved, be sure to plan accordingly.
Houston Airport Systems responds
Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for the Houston Airport System, addressed the situation directly, urging travelers to plan ahead and arrive early.
“Since February 14th, TSA officers have been working without pay,” Szczesniak said.
“This is the second time in 4 months that the TSA has been put in this unbearable position.”
“TSA is only able to staff somewhere between 3 to 50% of them,” Szczesniak said. “So that’s 100% spring break loads going through the airport being processed through less than 50% of our TSA lanes. That is not sustainable.”
He called on Congress to act, warning that conditions could deteriorate further.
Szczesniak painted a vivid picture of the human toll the shutdown is taking on both travelers and airport workers. He described watching a TSA officer receive a gas card from one of the airport’s partners.
“They had tears in their eyes knowing that they could fill up their tank to get home and come back to work to help keep these lines moving,” he said. “That’s the reality right now.”
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