FriendlySkies

Not my experience, unfortunately. Watched about fifty sheeple go through the NoS last weekend at SFO. Not a single opt-out

Superguy

I'm almost always the only one to opt out of the NoS in my travels. Most people are sheep and go on thru.

KenTarmac

I always opt out.

Not a fan of those things at all, no matter what form they take.

I'll give an update on the state of opt outs in CLT on Friday.

cottonmather0

Went through BOS Term C tonight.

All of the blue boxes are gone now and replaced with MMW's. The (pregnant) dragon kept saying, "Our new scanners don't use radiation." etc etc etc

I opted out and it didn't take long for the groper to show up. He also wanted to tell me how the new MMW's were "safe" and "nobody sees your picture".

I said "that's not what my problem is." He kind of took offense a little bit and said, "I didn't say you had a problem" and then started talking about his "service" and how he "served long ago" so that I would have the "freedom of choice." blah blah blah

All in all the grope was typical and actually kind of light and the wait was nothing from start to finish. The only disappointing part was that used to it was pretty easy to SDOO going through here and now they've got a MMW in every lane.

And FWIW, I don't care if there are health BENEFITS to going through the machines, I won't do it. I find them to be demeaning and humiliating and beneath the dignity of a free man (to paraphrase Rand Paul), but the groper was kind of harmless and I didn't feel the need to have another confrontation after my last adventure a week ago so I just let it go.

CavePearl

I opt out every single time, and unless my husband is tagging along with me to get groped as well - I never see anyone else opt out either.

Anyway, I opted out at HOU early Tuesday morning and encountered one very surly groper. Has anyone else noticed that screeners stuck with pat-down duty are especially unpleasant early in the morning? It made me oddly happy that I ruined her whole day!

Now we'll see who's day I get to ruin on Friday when I fly home from SDF.

lovely15

Curious - don't you feel that being sexually assaulted it MORE humiliating than being forced through the machine? I personally do, which is the only reason I don't opt out, but I never hear of people making my choice. Maybe I'm overly modest or something. (Thankfully though, I've never encounter "backscatter or else")

Carl Johnson

You're a woman, I think it's worse for a woman. For a man, I think there's some sense that it's the groper who's being sexually assaulted.

lovely15

Fair enough.

Schmurrr

I opt out because (1) the radiation risk is of more concern to me, (2) I don't trust TSA to delete the scanner data, (3) the scanners represent government waste and security theater like nothing else, and (4) groping is surely a more unpleasant job than running the scanner.

That is not to say I don't think the groping is evil. It's the lesser of two evils. IMO.

spyvsspy

Opted out last week at DFW terminal E. I asked for new gloves after he touched the dirty tote as he brought my things over to me. He said he just put new gloves on and it was my tote as I informed him it was his tote. He stormed off and bumped a coworker as he threw his 'sterile' gloves away. The pat down was surprisingly courteous and not retaliatory.

RadioGirl

Funny, I could've sworn that not that long ago, they were telling Congress and the media and everyone that the old (BSKX) scanners were "safe." Hmmm.

And I'm sure I remember them saying that somebody could see your picture but it didn't matter because it was just a fuzzy chalk outline and not at all revealing and tame enough for kindergarten kids and ...

Did I sleep through the part where they recanted on those claims?

cottonmather0

I've thought about this, yes. And you are correct that both are humiliating.

The way I see it, I'm not a criminal and I don't like being automatically presumed to be one. So if TSA insists on making the security process invasive, then someone is going to look me in the eye and treat me as an individual and "earn" that suspicion. By opting out, I'm forcing TSA to acknowledge that I don't approve of the system. They can't ignore me and act like I'm some nameless faceless animal passing through a plastic box.

That's why.

MSPGabe

My last 6 times through PWM, I've been able to get the WTMD opened up since I have a PWM SIDA badge.

No luck with an airline badge at any other airports, which gives me the sharpest pain in my right shoulder...

Honestly, I've gone through the same background check as TSA...why can't all airline employees just use WTMD?

Himeno

I think I just had the best TSA "experience" that I've ever had at JFK.
T8, Priority lane. No dumb questions from the TDC. After the TDC, the line spilt in two, one to a WTMD next to the precheck lane, one to a BKSX (which was mostly fed by the normal lane next to priority). No barkers. No TSA related problems at all.
The person behind me in the line told the TDC he had a pace maker and was asked if he wanted a pat down or the machine. He opted into the WBI.
I was all ready to opt out too.

Also had a CBP experience last night about 10000 times better then the last time I went though JFK T7 CBP. Two questions (reason/length of visit), entry into USVISIT system, welcome. Took longer waiting for my bag then it took to get through either CBP station. Compared to last time when I had to answer about 30 questions and they refused to believe I could afford my own holiday.

Has something happened in New York during the last 13 months, or did I just get lucky?

Boggie Dog

Why can't all travelers use the WTMD?

People who think they are special give me a sharp pain right in the AS_!