A new report from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) just might motivate you to take a second look in those plastic bowls and bins at airport security checkpoints before rushing off to your gate.
In fiscal year 2018, the total amount of loose change left behind by hurried passengers at TSA screening stations in airports across the U.S.. added up to more than $960,000, including almost $86,000 in foreign currency. It turns out that those seemingly insignificant coins floating around in our pockets can really add up!
If you inadvertently left your petty cash behind before boarding your flight last year, you may have contributed to the take at one of these top-grossing airports:
- John F. Kennedy Int'l Airport (New York): $72,392
-Los Angeles Int'l Airport: $71,748
-Miami Int'l Airport: $50,504
-O'Hare Int'l Airport (Chicago): $49,597
-Newark Liberty Int'l Airport: $41,026
-Dallas/Ft. Worth Int'l Airport: $36,707
-San Francisco Int'l Airport: $33,264
-McCarran Int'l Airport (Las Vegas): $33,038
-Orlando Int'l Airport: $32,687
-Washington Dulles Int'l Airport: $31,090
TSA protocol dictates that unclaimed money, typically consisting of coins that travelers remove from their pockets during the screening process, is documented and turned in to the TSA financial office. The TSA's report emphasizes that it, "always seeks to make sure that all traveler property, including loose change, finds its way back to the proper owner. However, when loose change does not, it will be directed to critical aviation security programs." This policy is in accordance with the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2005, which authorizes the TSA to use such unclaimed funds to support civil aviation security in any way it deems fit.
In previous years, the revenue has been used to pay for checkpoint maintenance, translation of signage into foreign languages, TSA PreCheck and Adjudication Center system enhancements. In a press release issued today, the TSA stated that it plans to use the unclaimed money to go towards checkpoint training requirements.
However, rumors are circulating that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the TSA's parent agency, may opt to redirect the extra capital towards "border operation expenses". With the White House's request that Congress approve further funding for increased security along the U.S.' southern border still pending, it's being speculated that the DHS may appropriate the money to put towards this purpose, should the proposal be denied.
The TSA is just one of 22 agencies incorporated under the DHS umbrella - organizations tasked with operations that range from aviation and border security to emergency response, cybersecurity analysis, and chemical facility inspection.
The prevailing concern among the tourism community, of course, is that cutting any amount of funding for TSA operations could have a significant impact on wait times for travelers, as the busy summer season begins.
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