One Controversial Airport Security Trend Has Travelers Outraged Over Delays

Traversing the security line at the airport has got to rank high on the list of things people hate about air travel. It's safe to say no one enjoys it — and while there are dozens of airport hacks that can help you zip through TSA, for everything you're doing right, it's likely there is someone else in line doing it wrong. Nowadays, one of the biggest offenses being committed regularly is travelers not taking the time to re-stack the bins they use to send their personal items through X-ray machines.

"Belt bumping," or leaving your empty bin rather than stacking it neatly once you've passed through the metal detector or body scanner to retrieve your personal items, may as well be a capital offense. Especially given the way it's going viral on social media. People claim that it's not just rude, but also that it slows down an already tedious process even more. Meanwhile, theories about why it happens range from laziness to an aversion to touching the bins any more than needed, primarily due to concerns about their cleanliness.

As a flight attendant for more than 10 years, I can attest to seeing this behavior almost every time I need to pass through a regular TSA line — which only happens when I'm randomly selected for additional screening at the employee checkpoint. So is belt bumping a real faux pas, or just another thing to complain about at the airport? And what's the actual protocol for those clunky plastic bins once you're through being screened? The answer may be more controversial than you think.

Most people consider restacking the bins in airport security to be a common courtesy, akin to returning a cart at the grocery store. "[Belt bumping] is the equivalent to people who don't put away their shopping trolley. It's one of the societal rules that aren't about legality, so it shows you who people are," a flier named Fleurine Tideman said in conversation with Metro. While there may not be a consequence for shirking these responsibilities, the truth is that these simple tasks help maintain order when everyone participates. And although the TSA is finally phasing out one of its most annoying airport security checks — asking travelers to take off their shoes — the bins are likely here to stay, so expediting the line by cleaning up after yourself is probably something that everyone, including security agents, will appreciate.

That said, there may also be exceptions to this unofficial rule depending on which line you're in. For example, there is TSA PreCheck — which allows participants to keep on their shoes, belts, and light jackets — right alongside the traditional line that requires them to be removed. In most lines, passengers take their own bins, load them up with personal items, and toss larger suitcases directly onto the conveyor belt. Common sense dictates that, in this scenario, you should re-stack the bin you've taken. 

However, there are situations where the bins are much larger, requiring that every item, including suitcases, be placed inside one. In cases like this, I've seen TSA agents instructing passengers not to touch or remove the bins from the conveyor belt. Nonetheless, when all else fails, simply follow the instructions given to you by the TSA agent, or look to see if there is signage that explains what to do.