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Houston airport security line: Man passes out vodka
A person traveling at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport had an innovative idea to boost the spirits of fellow travelers waiting in line. (Video courtesy @chicagowinesnob via Storyful)
HOUSTON, Texas - A man at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport added a little extra something to help make the security line feel less long.
The backstory:
Footage taken on March 23 and shared with Storyful shows the man at the airport carrying around a bottle of vodka.
The man proceeds to pass out tiny plastic shot glasses and share with his fellow travelers waiting in line.
The person who took the video told Storyful that they had been in line for about an hour when they spotted the man.
"We all knew we had many hours ahead of us," the woman said.
She said that the crowd cheered every time someone took a shot.
Dig deeper:
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Long TSA lines at Austin airport
Thousands of travelers at the Austin airport found themselves in a security nightmare Friday morning. Lines wrapped out the door and onto the sidewalks as the start of SXSW clashed with critical staffing shortages at TSA.
People have been experiencing record wait times at U.S. airports as the Department of Homeland Security remains partially shutdown due to Republicans and Democrats unable to come together on an agreement about funding for ICE.
As the shutdown continued, lines in Houston and Atlanta appeared to be the longest.
President Trump recently signed an executive order directing the DHS to pay workers affected by the partial government shutdown.
According to DHS, the majority of TSA employees received retroactive pay that included at least two full paychecks, covering pay periods four and five.
At George Bush Intercontinental Airport, conditions have changed dramatically in just a matter of days after Trump's order.
Where travelers once faced long lines and hours-long waits at security checkpoints, the scene is now much calmer. Passengers are moving quickly through TSA, with little to no wait times reported.
Officials say more than 500 TSA officers left their jobs after going unpaid, while thousands of others were forced to call out.
With pay now being distributed, staffing levels appear to be improving, leading to shorter lines and a more efficient screening process.
The Source: Information from Storyful and reporting by FOX 26 Houston.