Take it from the Transportation Safety Administration: The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. The second step is dangling a reward up to $15,000 to fix a major airport headache -- the dreaded security line.
Yup, those unbearably long, frustrating security check lines aren't getting any better -- even the fast-track TSA PreCheck program can't remedy them.
Because the TSA has no clue how to make its hellish lines faster, it’s literally passing the buck, to anyone smart enough to put an end to this airport scourge.
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Earlier this month, the agency threw up its collective gloved hands and put out a wordy, convoluted “Ideation Challenge” on InnoCentive, an online hub that brings together intelligent people to solve problems.
The open call for submissions (i.e. cry for help) solicits solutions from any brave soul who can design a “Next Generation Checkpoint Queue Design Model to apply a scientific and simulation modeling approach to meet queue design and configuration needs of the dynamic security screening environment with TSA PreCheck™.” Huh? Basically, Uncle Sam wants and needs you to speed up those airport lines already.
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The agency is so desperate it is offering the whizzes who help them tackle the tall task a fistful of cold, hard cash. Runners up receive $2,500 and those with the best submissions score between $5,000 and $15,000. Even the fattest payout is a little stingy for taking some of the headache out of one of the most annoying travel-related evils of our time, wouldn’t you say?
Think you have what it takes to speed up the TSA’s trailing lines? Better move fast. The deadline for submissions is Aug. 18.
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