I Spent Hours in Line at the TSA, and the Situation Felt Dangerous

This as-told-to essay relies on a dialog with Emily Calandriello, a 37-year-old resident of New York who was touring together with her husband for trip to Liberia, Costa Rica, from the John F. Kennedy International Airport on the morning of March 22. TSA employees have been working with out pay as a result of the partial government shutdown.

The New Jersey Port Authority and JetBlue didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark. This essay has been edited for size and readability.

We thought we have been doing all the things proper.

Early on Sunday morning, March 22, my husband and I set out for what was speculated to be our first massive journey in nearly three years, for our fifth wedding ceremony anniversary. We like to journey, however life has gotten in the manner these days, so this trip to Costa Rica felt particularly significant.

We left for the airport at 4 am for our 8:19 am JetBlue flight to Liberia. I had heard TSA lines have been backed up, however associates who had traveled lately advised me it was manageable — simply lengthy. We went in ready to attend two to three hoursand truthfully, we have been in good spirits.

We arrived at Terminal 5 round 5 am, checked a bag, and went to search out the finish of the line, which was already wrapped round the within the constructing twice. We seemed at one another like, “Ok, I guess we’re just going to hunker down and try to stay calm.” Little did we all know we have been strolling into what felt like a harmful scenario.

An extended wait become complete chaos

At first, issues felt manageable. We began chatting with individuals round us, and a small group of us bonded over the shared expertise. Everyone was very pleasant and good, and it helped go the time.

For about two hours, the line moved steadily. Then it stopped.

Right earlier than the safety checkpoint, after about 20 minutes of no motion, individuals from our group went forward to see what was happening. That’s after we realized the drawback: individuals have been pushing into the line at the entrance, creating an enormous bottleneck.

It shortly turned clear that nobody was in cost. We requested a JetBlue worker who was organizing the line. They mentioned it was the Port Authority safety’s job. When we requested safety, they mentioned it was JetBlue’s accountability. No certainly one of any appeared authority to care at all about organizing the scenario, and it felt like a complete free-for-all.

As extra individuals started chopping the line, tensions rose. People began shouting: “You’re cutting the line. We’ve been waiting for over two hours.”

By that time, we acknowledged everybody who had been ready close to us, and immediately, strangers have been pushing in from all instructions. A bunch of about eight to 10 of us tried to carry our place, telling individuals they wanted to go to the again.

Security guards have been close by, however they have been mainly ineffective. They simply advised us to cease yelling at one another, and they seemed away.

That’s when issues escalated and began to really feel harmful. The crowd compressed into what felt like an indignant mob about to stampede. My husband and I have been packed so tightly that we received separated.

Then a younger girl subsequent to me had a full panic assault. She began crying and screaming, “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe.” She was pushed out of the crowd, and a safety guard helped her, however her mom was nonetheless caught behind us. I ended up pushing via individuals to get her mother out so she may attain her.

My coronary heart was simply beating so quick, and it felt very scary, like a riot was about to interrupt out. If I had recognized that this was what we might be placing ourselves via, we might have rescheduled the trip.

An evening at the airport

Eventually, we have been funneled into the managed TSA areahowever by then, I was in complete survival mode.

I stored checking the time. It was clear we have been going to overlook our flight, however after ready hours and going via that chaos, turning again did not really feel like an choice. Behind me, the line has already prolonged to the sidewalks exterior the constructing.

I made it via safety about 20 minutes earlier than my husband, and I sprinted to the gate anyway to see if there was any likelihood we may nonetheless board. They mentioned “no, the doors were closed,” so we have been rebooked on the similar flight the subsequent morning. It was the solely choice as a result of Liberia has a small airport, and there’s only one flight a day.

We had a selection to depart and come again to face TSA once more, or keep at the airport for the remainder of the day and then spend the evening. We did not need to topic ourselves to that harmful scenario once more, so we stayed.

We walked round Terminal 5 till we discovered a quiet nook. We pushed 4 chairs collectively and made a makeshift mattress. I purchased a toothbrush, a neck pillow, and a blanket, and mentioned, “Alright, this is the setup for the night.”

Our our bodies have been sore, our brains felt like mush, and we have been completely exhausted. We napped in brief bursts — generally on chairs, generally on the flooring. I wasn’t loopy about it, however you make it when you don’t have any different choices.

The subsequent morning

After spending nearly 24 hours at the airport, it was lastly a brand new day.

We did not have to return via safety. We made it onto our flight with none points, we didn’t should pay greater than the $500 per-person ticket we already paid for, and fortunately, our checked bag made it too.

But the expertise of the earlier day caught with me. I’ve skilled some loopy travel stories in my life, however this can be the worst one.

What frustrates me most is that it felt preventable. The administration exterior the security area It was very poorly carried out. Most individuals have been attempting to do the proper factor. They have been ready patiently and staying calm. But there’s all the time a small proportion of people that do not care.

Now that I’m lastly in Costa RicaI’m having fun with the journey. Our bed and breakfast hotel It is in the rainforest, and it is lovely right here. I’m wanting ahead to wildlife excursions and seashores.

This is such a fantastic change of surroundings, contemplating that for our first day of trip, we spent it in JFK.

Correction, March 24, 2026 — This story has been corrected to replicate the appropriate date of the flight; it was March 22, not May 22, and the variety of hours in the TSA line.