Training and Supervision Also Fail, as Sea-Tac Screener Inconveniences Thousands

It's not the first time a snoozing screener has caused a snafu at a US airport; it's just the most-recent that we're aware of.

The TSA is upset that one of its finest, highly-paid screeners was caught napping -- literally -- at the post Sunday, provoking the evacuation of four of Sea-Tac's five concourses.

Nobody is saying how long our crack security screener (they won't say if it's a man or a woman) was counting sheep. Estimates run from eight minutes to half an hour. [The fact that the screener was apparently alone and totally unsupervised for at least half an hour hasn't been brought up --ed.]

The screener was discovered sleeping at about 6AM; the concourses reopened two hours and ten minutes later.

It was no big deal -- of course, nothing bad was found, by either dogs or humans, in the concourses.

The TSA is not too concerned about the scheduling headaches, inconvenience, and extra expense its employee caused to the passengers and crews of at least 23 flights that were directly affected at Sea-Tac; and the other troubles and expenses incurred downstream. The TSA has fired the employee.

FMI: www.tsa.gov