Here's the problem: Some airlines have taken it upon themselves to require jumpseaters to get a 'boarding card' through the ticket counter. Once you've passed through the security checkpoint, you must have the TSA stamp the card. If the record is made at the counter, it will have the dreaded SSSS and you will be searched every time. The airlines can waive this SSSS, but most of the time they won't. If you show up to the gate without the stamp, back to the counter and back for another handscreening.
That's exactly what happened LAST time this nonsense started up about 3 years ago.
Even if you cleared at an outstation first thing in the morning, there was no way for the gate agent at the next station to know you had already went through security once that day, so you still had to go back out, get your boarding pass, go through security, get it stamped, then come back in for deadheads or commutes.
I might have missed a couple of company deadheads because of it...
Amusingly enough, FFDO's even had to stop by the counter to get your boarding pass, then ask TSA to stamp it AFTER you had bypassed security anyway.
Pretty stupid deal all the way around. Lasted about 4-6 months, then went away.
MSP was the worst domicile because there was only one crew line and with the number of commuters between NWA, MSA, and PCL, plus the people who lived there, it was a nightmare.
DTW was bad enough, but the gate agents (especially the MSA agents) were a lot cooler at saying, "This is really stupid", and let people on without going back through security.
PCL_128, don't you remember those memos? I think you had just gotten on at PCL when it happened or maybe it was right before you came online.