Why bother? The TSA hasn't demonstrated that it does more good than bad (they don't catch terrorists; they've been caught stealing). I don't pay people who don't do a useful service for me.

While the TSA doesn't do more good than bad, if all the non-paid TSA workers leave tomorrow, the airports aren't suddenly going to stop carrying out inspections and simply let everyone walk onto the planes.

That is, the service that TSA staff do, right now, is to let people continue to be able to fly, without (say) 5 hour lines.

So if you are a person who does fly regularly, then you may think that it's worthwhile to contribute something so you can keep that ability.

>the service that TSA staff do, right now, is to let people continue to be able to fly, without (say) 5 hour lines

No, they create the lines. TSA inspections are useless. Third party evaluations (government employees trying to sneak weapons past TSA security) demonstrate that the TSA is entirely incompetent at screening for weapons. If we just let people board the plans without inspections at all it would not change the security situation.

Please re-read my comment. I distinguished between two things: 1) the point of TSA, and 2) the lack of TSA staff under the current regulatory regime.

I agree that TSA inspections are useless. That is point #1.

However, if 50% of TSA staff right now were to leave, then the regulations won't magically change so that there are no inspections. The result will be mega-long lines. This is point #2. Or do you think something else will happen?

Thus, if people don't want mega-long lines, it is in their short-term interest to use alternative mechanisms to keep TSA staff from leaving.