TSA: Thanks, Pittsburgh!
TSA’s PIT federal security director appreciates community’s support during shutdown
By Karen Keys-Turner
Published February 25, 2019
Read Time: 3 mins
(Karen Keys-Turner serves as the Transportation Security Administration’s Federal Security Director for Pittsburgh International Airport)
Letter to the editor:
Overwhelming.
That is the word to describe the amazing level of support that the Transportation Security Administration employees at Pittsburgh International Airport received during the partial government shutdown in December and January.
The outpouring of support from travelers, the airlines, the Airport Authority and the Greater Pittsburgh region as a whole has been truly overwhelming, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Knowing that the TSA workforce was on the job without getting paid, the airport community, passengers and the ‘Burgh community stepped in to support us. The airport and airlines that service the airport as well as community restaurants, bakeries, delis and businesses provided lunches for the TSA workforce.
The airport vendors offered free meals, gift cards and food. In the terminal, the McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A shops offered free meals daily to TSA and other federal employees. Other airport vendors offered their cookies, bagels, treats, coffees and gift cards.
Passengers stopped to greet the TSA officers and thank them for their service. Many travelers brought along gift cards to help the TSA workforce offset their temporary loss of paychecks. Others, after passing through the checkpoint, purchased gift cards inside the terminal and returned to the checkpoint with hands full of gift cards.
Students from Colfax Elementary School in Pittsburgh sent us letters and cards of support. Youngsters traveling with their parents presented us with drawings that they made for the TSA officers that were immediately taped to the TSA supervisor’s podium.