Bored while waiting in line at the airport? The Transportation Security Administration plans to allow companies to advertise at airport security checkpoints, following a test at Los Angeles International Airport.
The one-year pilot program will allow commercial advertising in passenger screening areas at select airports in the U.S. and its territories. In the Los Angeles test, companies placed advertising on the inside of the bins in which passengers are required to deposit their laptops, shoes and other personal items before sending them through the X-ray machine.
Advertisers won’t buy space directly from the TSA, though; they will have to go through airport operators as a middleman.
“Interested parties will have to partner with Airport Operators to develop a proposal for TSA review,” says a business opportunity posting on a government Web site. “Only Airport Operators can submit proposals for use of the Passenger Screening Checkpoints for advertising.”
The notice also says that potential advertisers and airport operators are invited to an “official Industry Day for the Advertisements within Security Checkpoints Pilot Program to be held on January 11, 2007 at TSA Headquarters, Arlington Virginia, beginning at 12:30 pm.”
“TSA plans to launch a one-year pilot program where airport operators may enter into an agreement with vendors, who will provide divestiture bins, divestiture and composure tables, and metal-free bin return carts at no cost to TSA,” said spokeswoman Amy Kudwa. “In return for the equipment, TSA will allow airport operator-approved advertisements to be displayed on the bottom of the inside of the bins.”
“Any airport operator is allowed to submit a proposal by Feb. 16, 2007, to TSA outlining how they will fulfill TSA’s requirements,” said Kudwa. “If the proposal is accepted by TSA, a memorandum of agreement will be executed between TSA and the airport operator.” — Aviation Daily
Yes, advertising will distract Americans from the fact that these security checkpoints are little more than security theater, providing no real security but plenty of inconvenience, while also eroding Americans’ rights to travel unencumbered by the federal government. A few Nike shoe bins and Chase Bank electrical outlets aren’t going to make all of us forget about our rights, or about this pointless exercise in making people feel safe, whether they actually are safe or not.
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Brock
Jan 07, 2007
Funny. Blue Man Group, Cirque du Soleil, Rita Rudner, Carrot Top, and the Star Trek actors from the LV Hilton have been advertising at the TSA checkpoints at McCarran for as long as I can remember. Quite different from the other advertising at the Las Vegas airport, this advertising is in the form of PSAs. “Take off your weapons and run them through the x-ray machine.” “Don’t make jokes.” “Carrot Top sucks.” and so forth blast from the 42″ flat screens suspended from the ceiling.
Ray
Jan 08, 2007
It might be worth it to “buy a bin” and then put a picture of a gun in it, or maybe a knife or bomb ;-)
BelchSpeak
Jan 08, 2007
The irreplaceable 20 minutes of your life spent in this line has been brought to you by… Rice-a-Roni! The San Francisco Treat!
Jokes aside though, I think its about time that the government started allowing private sponsors to advertise to offset the taxes that projects cost. I would love to see a giant Nike swoosh on the main booster of the Space Shuttle. Or Pepsi-cola patches on the shoulder sleeves of Border Patrol agents. I say dress ‘em up like Nascar racing drivers.
Ray
Jan 16, 2007
Now Now lets not pick on the TSA in San Francisco. I have been there. I have been through the airport, and it is one place that actually makes the TSA look competent. Where else would they direct you to “the basement” of a building with three levels of basements, all of which are labeled as “basement”?
Where else would the police solution to a parked broken down police car would be to push it out into traffic so they can park a different police car there. Then yell at you because you are stopped when you can’t get past the car.
Where else would they sell all kinds of items labeled that they are for use on the plane in the “sanitary” portion of the airport that require a knife to open them?
With competition like this the TSA can actually fit right in. ;-)