If you're flying out of Hartsfield this week, clear your entire day. TSA lines over the weekend stretched for hours (we're talking 3-5 hours), snaking through baggage claim and back toward the terminal entrances. People couldn't even find where the line started, and many travelers missed their flights despite arriving early.
The airport stopped posting wait times on their website because honestly, what's the point? They're just telling everyone to arrive 4 hours early, which feels like something you'd hear about a third-world airport, not the busiest airport in the world. This is what happens when 50,000 TSA workers haven't been paid in three weeks due to the partial government shutdown.
Mayor Andre Dickens confirmed that ICE agents started arriving Monday morning to help with security operations. It's a temporary fix, but at least it's something. The real solution is Congress getting its act together and funding DHS properly. Until then, pack your patience along with your carry-on.
