TSA Checkpoint Main – Nashville International Airport

I travel every other week so I visit many different airports. I’ve noticed in the past few years that the TSA personal are very polite and friendly. Until you get to this airport. It’s clear this TSA location has issues. Every TSA employee is rude and unhappy. Quit your job is you are that unhappy and have to be rude to people.

I know… reviewing TSA? However they get a bad rap and honestly they were awesome at the Nashville airport! They made me laugh (asking where we were off too… why we were there). They were extremely polite and even made a little face when he saw how long my last name is.
Totally deserve the 5 stars!

There are two entrances to security at BNA and they both connect to the same gates and terminals. So here’s the big tip: When you arrive at the airport, check the «estimated wait» sign that they constantly update. Go to whichever side has the shorter wait. Once you’re through security, you have the run of the entire airport regardless of which carrier you’re flying.
As a larger airport compared to most, BNA has a proper TSA Precheck line. This means that if you have «Precheck» on your boarding pass and it beeps three times when scanned, you get a shorter and faster queue. At security, you get to keep your shoes and light outer jacket on, you don’t have to remove your segregated bag of liquids or your laptop. It’s the bizness.
My experiences with the TSA have been four stars compared to others. Fast, efficient and speedy. As polite as they can be while they’re violating your Fourth Amendment rights. But if you want to fly instead of drive, this is what you have to put up with.

While most of the staff was quite wonderful and efficient, I unfortunately encountered quite a few rude, obnoxious screeners this Saturday morning. While the initial screening went as planned, upon arrival into the security line, this security office began shoving my bags through the line, berating me with, «Your shoes, take of your shoes. Your SCARF, take it off.» If I forgot an item, usually a security officer would never be so crass about it. Even the officer who checked my bag afterwards with a water bottle was far kinder and concerned about throwing it away than the inconceivably rude staff member in charge of apparently harassing people through the security line. The young woman in front of me was so frazzled she asked that I go first. Further, this ridiculous person immediately shut off the standard line and put me through the rotating scanner because he had taken a disliking to me. I endured two security officers who snickered at my body through the scan. This is so unacceptable that I nearly began an argument with them, but I decided it wasn’t worth it. Further, the first security person kept yelling at me to go through the scanner, while another patron was still in it. HONESTLY, the most CRASS, awful security scan I’ve gone through, even considering smaller, international airports.
If not for the other efficient, kind staff, I would have given this security team an even lower score.

I’m TSA prescreen. Lines are always short. Staff is efficient and generally friendly. Nice to see a happy face as you go through early morning.

Fast, Efficient & LUCK
SITREP
Why Luck? I am not a «TSA Pre» individual, meaning I have not paid the $ 85 fee to begin the application process for «TSA Pre-​Boarding».
THE SETUP
However, it was interesting to note that on my flight out of Sacramento enroute to Nashville, and again on my flight out of Nashville enroute back to Sacramento, I was picked out of the regular TSA security line for the «pre» line, meaning I didn’t have to take my shoes off, didn’t have to take my belt off, didn’t have to go through the machine where I raised my hands above my head — just the machine that is the usual security door you walk through, etc. etc.
THE CONVEYOR BELT
In fact, I didn’t have to take my laptop out of my backpack case either time. I probably could have left my 6 ounce tube of toothpaste in as well, but got paranoid and ditched it at a trashcan before I went to the ticketing booth. Ah well.
THE LOWDOWN
Okay. So I’m a bit impressed with the screening process when I get shunted to the «Pre» line. But not sure how long that luck will hold out. ;)