MichaelKade

I was definitely challenged about my physical limitations. Even after showing the TSA scars on my arm they still seemed to believe I was faking it.

dan1431

The few Airport LEOs who I have spoken with seem to dislike TSA and the one time I requested a LEOs assistance he took my side almost immediately and stood there till I was past the checkpoint.

With regards to feigned injuries, while nothing TSA surprises me anymore, I am sure that they realize some will "abuse" the system but that most of really do have legitimate injuries.

Dan

goalie

Actually, I do have a torn rotator cuff and I can raise my arm above my shoulder* (i.e. putting on a shirt or sweater) but I just can't hold it up without it hurting). Now if I may, the humor that I post is not directed at anyone with physical limitations but rather at the stupidity of the entire security process as simply put, like many of us, I don't want to "glow in the dark" as frankly, I do not trust the government telling me that the machines are safe and if the TSA gives an option not to use the NoS, I will take it-the same with my orthopedic shoes** as I can walk without them but if I have the option not to take them off, I will use that option.

*the klutz injury-fell asleep on the couch with my right shoulder wedged between the cushions and the back fo the couch and did it when I rolled over to get up

**ankle surgery requires me to wear them

Pup7

So I guess it's illegal for anyone to challenge claims of physical disability EXCEPT TSA?

exbayern

While I understand people taking advantage of an opportunity to avoid the MMW, what concerns me is that three of us who have actual physical limitations have on one page reported the inability to use the WTMD. For at least two of us, that occurs on a regular basis, despite what others may report.

My fear is that TSA read here (whether officially or unofficially), and I foresee them changing the process in the future if they feel that this is a way for people to avoid the MMW. That means that people who legitimately cannot use it will be impacted even more negatively than they are today. I don't know what that would mean as private room for anyone who cannot use the MMW doesn't seem possible, nor does having to provide proof seem possible. But just two years ago the current state didn't seem possible either.

I firmly believe that MMW is here to stay. The American public really doesn't care about this issue as much as some may think. The ban on liquids, shoe removal in the US, and now MMW don't seem to be disappearing any time soon, no matter what has been promised in past.

Again, I fully understand anyone trying to find a way to avoid the MMW and avoid a pat down. I cannot say that I wouldn't do the same if I didn't already have a valid and legitimate reason not to use the MMW.

But I'm also concerned that in the near future things will become even worse for those of us who have no choice, and no alternative.

chollie

I would (possibly) disagree with you only on two points: the ban on liquids and the shoe removal process will be semi-lifted if and when someone stands to make enough money to do so (through a taxpayer-funded, over-priced, not-necessarily-effective or safe device).

exbayern

Well, that's true. I suppose that I'm still somewhat of an optimist, or just less cynical.

The shoe issue just astounds me. There is no logical explanation for it; they excuse a large segment of the population from shoe removal; nowhere else in the world is obsessed with shoes; and yet the public feels that shoe removal is doing a lot to keep us all safer.

cbn42

The obvious answer is to require anyone with an injury to go through the MMW anyway, arms raised or not. They can then have them go through the WTMD. This would eliminate people trying to feign medical conditions in order to avoid the machines.

They could also let you through the WTMD with a doctor's note, but I have a feeling many doctors will write notes without justification, just as they currently do for "emotional support animals".

chollie

??

You have got to be kidding.

So instead of being an involuntary medical 'opt out' and getting a full-body grope, you want me to go through the NoS, 'fail' because I really, truly, can't 'assume and hold the position', no matter how much you threaten me, get my full-body 'anomaly resolution' grope, and then go through the WTMD? And then hope my bags are still on the belt?



I feel sorry for our returning wounded vets. Once they are back in civilian life, whenever they fly, they'll be reminded of the 'freedoms' they fought for.

Doctor's notes won't work - resident TSOs have already pointed out that there is no way to confirm that they are not fraudulent. Hardly surprising when some TSOs consider any physical limitation to be equally fraudulent.

Global_Hi_Flyer

Have them change gloves and test first. At more than one airport (and it includes certain lines at DCA) they reuse the cloth patches after swabbing folks. They don't change them. The times I've seen them change the patches are after they finish testing some one/some thing, so you will never see them change the patch unless you ask.

Last time through DCA the screener changed his gloves, but pulled them from his back pocket. At least he asked if that was OK (it wasn't) and no offense taken at asking for one out of the box.

Chrisinhouston

I had my worst TSA experience at the Oahu airport on Sunday and am about to send in my complaint to TSA. My wife and arrived in plenty of time for our UA 10:20 pm flight to LAX. We thought about taking the hike down to the precheck checkpoint but it seems our average recently is that only one of us gets the precheck line so what's the point if the other has to wait so we just headed for the checkpoint near the UA counter.

We laid out all of our carry on stuff on the conveyor and as they were only using the scanner I told my wife to go ahead and opt out so hopefully she could get to the other side to watch our stuff as she got her patdown. When she opted out she was told to sit in a chair and she replied she wasn't going to let any of her things go through until her female assist arrived. The guy got rather frustrated and told us to remove all of our things and place them underneath the conveyor on a shelf there. We started to oblige when her female assist arrived so she went through and my assist then showed up so I moved on but they did not have either of us use the WTMD but a side gate. I never understand why they do that.

Our assists got our things and took us to the pat down area. My assist was a well built young guy who proceeded to explain the routine although as I recall he skipped a few things like private screening (which I would have declined) and the sensitive body areas which I don't have. So I assumed the position with arms extended and he starts at my left shoulder and as he slides his hands down my arm rapidly he also jerks so hard I almost lost my balance! "Hey, what the heck are you doing?" I demanded. "You hurt me, you pulled my arm so hard you just about pulled my shoulder socket out!"

"Sir, I am attempting to do a pat down, I will be feeling your arms and then move down to your torso to your legs, I will even feel your hair!" Now he asks, "Do you have any sensitive areas of your body?"

"No, I don't but you don't need to jerk my arm like that, I've never had a TSA patdown that was did that, I want a supervisor present right now"

So a 2 stripe comes over and announces he will watch the rest of the pat down. The assist then picks up where he left off and moves down my body and when he gets to the area of my shorts, he says, "You may want to hold on to your shorts to keep them from falling down." I've had plenty of pat downs in these shorts as I travel in them a lot when in warmer climates so I said there should be no problem.

He then proceeds to press my legs hard with his hands and slide them down, the latex from his gloves drags on the fabric and I start to feel my waistband dropping, I realize he is doing this on purpose. "Sir, I really think you should hold on to your shorts at the waistband so they don't fall down!" I reply, "They aren't falling down but you are trying to get them to do that." "Just doing my job sir!"

He does my front side now and no issue until he gets to the shorts again and I feel them dropping so I grab the belt loop to keep them up.

He checks his gloves and says I can go, I turn to the 2 stripe and tell him I want a complaint form as I plan to file it with the main office. He says no problem, goes and gets it and makes a point of going over to the assist and getting the spelling for his name off of his badge. He comes back and says, "Here is the form, I've listed my name and the other agent, just fill it in, it is all pretty clear on what to do. I will pull the video for this area and mark it." Not sure if that is good or not, will he mark it as open for review or just delete it?

Overall, I found Oahu to be great with very friendly people I met every day, I heard "Aloha" multiple times every day! He was a real bad apple, or maybe a bad pineapple!

"

redtigeriii

That sucks, I'm sorry to hear about your experience

The part about holding your shorts reminds me of something related in how ridiculous it is to have people remove their belts, then have the tsa slide their hands down the back of the shorts/pants hard enough to cause them to fall down unless the waist of it is extremely tight. Not everyone wears clothes that fit that tightly. It would make more sense to allow the individual to put the belt back on. Instead I'm told to lift my arms out for the patdown, then harshly told to hold my pants up once they get to that point. I'm flying out of PDX this weekend so I'll give another update on what is almost 100% sure to be an opt out experience in my travels.

Going out of HNL, I'd of suggested going over to the inter-island terminal to go through that checkpoint, and taking the tram back if you had time and were willing to walk since its NOS-free. I don't know if this was a realistic option for you or not though.

KenTarmac

I'd imagine that he'll mark (note) the time stamp to make it easier to find in the future when (and if) a review of your complaint is ever conducted. It sounds like the supervisor did a decent job of handling your complaint. As for the TSA assist you had. I'd have let him pull my pants down in front of everyone. Then you really would've had a good complaint and video to back it up. There's no need at all for them to be that agressive with shorts.

... and my latest NOS opt out story ...

Leaving CLT on Tuesday I ran into the fastest talking TSA I've ever met. He rattled off the pat down blurb like he was an auctioneer. I even asked him if that was his previous occupation. He laughed and said no, I just talk fast. He went on to tell me that he use to be NYC PD. The grope he gave me was par for the course and nothing out of the ordinary.

My TSA Precheck is just a few weeks away from finding its way into the system. I finished my interview at MIA last week. I can't wait to start using that lane!

Boggie Dog

TSA would claim the note a forgery.

The right answer is to use strip search machines for secondary level screenings.

reamworks

TERMINAL DUMP!

This morning (2/14) at SJC Southwest Terminal. I was just hand-scanned, having opted out of the cancer machines, and just as I was going to leave the screening area for the gate, all the doors were shut as they reset the terminal.

Perhaps there was a passenger whose iPad they forgot to steal!

After about 20 minutes (it was very empty) they yelled "ALL CLEAR" and we could proceed to safety.

And here's an interesting development:

When I opt-out at SJC, they INSIST that I walk through the machine and they assure me that it's not on. I don't believe them, but I haven't been able to get the three-striper to approve. Has Anyone Else been through this.