Viral Video Shows Violinist Entertaining Atlanta Airport’s Weary Travelers With Live Music Amid 3-hour Lines At Tsa

A viral video has captured a violinist entertaining weary travelers astatine Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport amid hours-long information lines caused by nan ongoing Homeland Security shutdown.

The clip — viewed over a cardinal times connected X — shows Michelle Winters performing a rendition of Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” arsenic a agelong statement of passengers snakes astir her toward nan information checkpoint connected March 20. Some passengers look to beryllium enjoying nan show arsenic they idle pinch rolling suitcases, while 1 female glances impatiently down astatine her wristwatch.

Passengers complained Friday of waiting much than 2 hours earlier reaching nan main information area. The Georgia airport, nan busiest successful nan U.S., issued alerts telling group to get astatine slightest 3 hours earlier their departure time.

The video, posted connected X Monday, was captioned: “Lines astatine ATL TSA truthful bad they brought retired unrecorded entertainment" — but Winters told The Independent that her quality was portion of regularly-scheduled capacity astatine nan airport.

“I've been performing for nan Atlanta Airport for astir 10 years now,” she said. “The unrecorded euphony programme first started astir 10 years ago, during a clip erstwhile TSA lines were exorbitantly agelong (similar to nan lines now).”

She added: “Throughout nan years, group person really enjoyed nan music. I've met folks who were walking to spot sick family and were anxious astir their information upon presence to families who had a fewer hours to termination and needed immoderate intermezo for their energetic kiddos.”

Winters, trained successful classical violin, noted that she seldom receives a antagonistic guidance — and she tries to debar playing slow aliases “depressing songs.”

An airdrome spokesperson told The Independent that Winters is 1 of galore unrecorded performers brought in.

“Hartsfield-Jackson has a vibrant creation and euphony program,” nan spokesperson said. “The Airport hosts unrecorded performances by talented musicians passim our concourses regular for nan pleasance of our passengers.”

After nan video was posted online, nan clip quickly raked successful hundreds of comments, pinch galore users expressing heartfelt appreciation for nan capacity — while a fewer telegraphed palpable exasperation pinch nan national government.

“This is funny but existent cool they did this,” wrote an X user. “Making lemonade retired of lemons.”

“That's 1 measurement to make nan astir retired [of[ it,” wrote one. Another station added: “Great idea.”

Others struck a much pessimistic note, pinch 1 likening nan recital to nan last capacity delivered by nan Titanic’s band, which calmed passengers arsenic nan doomed vessel sank beneath nan waves.

“Damn, violin playing for illustration connected nan platform of nan Titanic,” 1 personification wrote. “Is it that bad?”

“They did not hole nan problem. They gave it a soundtrack,” different quipped.

So acold this week, hold times astatine nan Atlanta airdrome — which handles complete 100 cardinal passengers annually — person not dramatically improved. On Monday, nan airdrome encouraged travelers to get a minimum of 4 hours earlier their departure time.

It’s conscionable 1 of galore awesome recreation hubs crossed nan U.S. to spot TSA hold times creep up arsenic DHS continues to run without regular appropriations. The astir 40-day authorities shutdown has near TSA's astir 50,000 labor unpaid, prompting hundreds to resign and thousands much to telephone disconnected work. As a result, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents person been deployed to complete a twelve airports to assist, including Newark, Atlanta, Chicago and Houston.

Democrats and Republicans connected Capitol Hill are locked successful negotiations complete nan agency’s funding, and it’s unclear erstwhile nan impasse will beryllium resolved.