Travel season is upon us, and as many local residents take to the skies in coming weeks, they may, for the first time, experience the absurdly long security lines that have prompted the Transportation Security Administration to add 768 new screeners to its ranks by mid-June.

According to the TSA, it has also increased approved overtime use at major airports, converted some part-time workers to full time and increased the use of bomb-sniffing dogs. That begs the question: Will all that make travelers any safer, or just inconvenience them slightly less?

Probably the latter. The TSA is much more worried about appearing to be good at its job than actually doing its job. According to the Associated Press, there is a breach of the outer defenses at a U.S. airport at least every 10 days.

Of course, the vast majority of men and women doing the actual work for the TSA are faced with a high-pressure, thankless task. So, while travelers rely to some degree on those agents to keep them safe, they can also do a few things to speed up the process and move the lines along more quickly:

Arrive at the airport three hours before departure, some planners advise. Understand the rules for your luggage and carry-ons. Do not wear lots of jewelry or other metal – you will just have to remove it. Keep your ID, credit card, boarding pass and passport in an easily accessible place. Do not wear lace-up shoes or boots. Have laptops and other electronic devices ready to place in screening containers.

Know the rules, know where you are going, know what will be required of you at each stage of the process … and plan for delays.

Oh, and while you are reflecting that the private-sector screeners some airports employ do a far better job than the TSA, enjoy your trip!