I hate standing in lines. Hate it. My kids usually end up uttering some sort of complaint when we are standing in line for something too. I try and say something dad-like, "Hey, this is a really fun thing. Don't let a poor attitude about waiting ruin the fun thing."
But the truth is, I'm right there with my kids and often find myself thinking:
"What's holding this line up?"
"Surely, there's a more efficient way to get us through here than what we are doing."
"Come on already."
While I hate having my time wasted, having a kiddo on the autism spectrum amplifies my need to find ways to not stand in lines. Fun experiences can quickly morph into sweaty wrangling if lines are too long. I'll spend hours ahead of a trip researching how to stand in line less, and there are usually a few hacks we adopt.
Because of their security lines, airports have long been a barrier for my family when traveling. What used to be a fun beginning of an adventure has turned into a major stressor. On a recent trip, we were able to make use of a special-needs stroller, and all of a sudden airports and their security lines became accessible for us.
I'm thus a little embarrassed that it took me this long to realize the line-skipping techniques at the airport. For $16/year, you can dodge the airport security lines and jump into the TSA PreCheck line. It's $78 per person, but it's good for five years, AND all kids under 12 can skip the lines with you. When I realized that my credit card then also reimbursed this fee, I felt silly for not jumping on this sooner.
In addition to having a shorter line, you also don't have to take your laptops out of your bag or take off your belt and shoes.
It's a quick two-step process. Sign-up online and then register for a five-minute fingerprinting.
Do yourself a favor if you haven't done this already. Wait in line less and sign up for TSA PreCheck here: tsa.gov/precheck
