AwardBee

Is this happening all the time, at all airports, or is it an isolated incident where they scanned w/ arm down? Can the software the scanners use even handle that?

cmn.jcs

Twice in the past week at TBIT at LAX, I've had shoulder syndrome since Precheck wasn't available. Both times I went through the WTMD + swab.

FliesWay2Much

No. You weren't properly screened and you need to report to the nearest Department of Fatherland Security facility immediately. All of your fellow passengers need to be hunted down and immediately reverse screened.

The clerks did it by the book, so no breach of national security occured.

macintoshd

Watch out for slick TSOs telling you that "after 8am (or any time) you can't opt out" after you ask for an opt out.

I told the TSO that it was my right to opt out, and to call his supervisor, he promptly agreed for me to opt out without saying anything.

Nothing more was made of it since I had a connecting flight to catch.

chollie

What airport?

?? If you were connecting, why were you going through a checkpoint?

FriendlySkies

They might have been on an international > domestic connection, or flying through an airport that has separate terminals for the airline they were on.

chollie

Ugh, forgot about those possibilities.

macintoshd

DFW International - Domestic.

mollyluise

When I have more time I need to poke through all the back pages of this thread- it's relevant to my interests! 40+ trips this year so far and I have not walked through that scanner one single time. Have had a whole myriad of pat down experiences, only a small handful were grabbier than they should be and only one was so grabby it was offensive/obscene. So bad, another agent watched in wide eyed disbelief. If I wasn't so stunned at the whole thing (and a little late, as I usually am haha) I would have asked for her supervisor on the spot, and still regret not reporting it after the fact.

Phoenix is my home airport, and they are either quite good or quite bad about getting a female assist in a timely fashion. It's kind of all over the board.

Funny thing though, I was about to break my record of never having to use the scanner but I was so late to catch a flight home I was barely going to hit my gate in time to board, so I relegated myself to the fact that I'd have to get in the scanner as there wasn't a female to be seen at the entire checkpoint and I couldn't waste time to wait. I was third in line, and just then, a security agent opened the metal detector and flagged me and the person ahead of me through. Saved! haha! It was awesome

TheBOSman

What a crapshow at STL today. Precheck qualified, BP good. Was traveling with two non status friends, so I went through the Priority line to bring them along in case a line dragon questioned us. Got to ID check, agent told me I could not go over to the Precheck area despite being qualified. I slightly protested (sensed power tripping employees), was told I could not go over to the Precheck line despite it being on my BP and qualifying. Was told "that's not how it works", despite having done the exact same thing in LAX when an AA line dragon told me I couldn't use the priority line despite being EXP. Had to opt out (I personally don't use the shoulder as I don't want TSA changing the rules on people who have bad shoulders or similar). Pretty standard opt out, though I haven't had one for nearly a year. Told the agent patting me down what happened, I felt bad for the guy because I'm only there because his coworkers are clearly poorly trained and on power trips and unable to use basic logic (not that any of this is a surprise). I pointed out who told me what to do, he seemed more irritated than I was, I'm sure he had no desire to pat me down, especially when it was really unnecessary. But his power tripping coworkers don't have to be the ones to pat me down. Ridiculous.

9Mile

I scored a small vistory for our team the other day!

Last Friday afternoon at HPN, I tried to explain to clerk #1 that I have a shoulder injury that prevents me from using the NOS. Clerk #1 then informed me that I had opted out and would be getting a pat down. I told the clerk, firmly but politely, that I had never used the term "opt out", but rather had told him that I was physically incapable of using the machine and was therefore an involuntary medical exemption. Clerk #1 apparently has some trouble with polysyllabic words because he quickly summoned his supervisor, Clerk #2.

Clerk #2 also didn't understand the concept of a medical exemption and insisted that I had opted out and would be getting a pat down. I continued to resist until we got a 3 striper involved. Clerk #3 told me that I had opted out and would be getting a pat down. When I continued to protest, Clerk #3 told me to wait a moment while he checked with his supervisor for further clarification.

When clerk #3 returned a couple of minutes later, he instructed clerks 1 & 2 that their SOP for medical exemptions was the WTMD and a hand swab. I cleared both with no problem and went on my way.

The whole process took about 15 minutes.

It was only a small vistory, but you take them when you can

Oh and BTW, the randomizer at ORD pointed me to Precheck on my return flight Sunday night ^

chollie

How long do you think it will take before #1 and #2 are back to telling people who are physically incapable of assuming and holding the position in the NoS that they are 'opt outs' who, because of their physical limitations, deserve to get hands down their pants and between their legs - because there's nothing more suspicious than flying with physical limitations.

If #1 and #2 are like the TSOs at PHX T2, I guarantee you the very next pax who came through with a physical limitation was sent for the grope.

Other TSOs have posted here in the past that any FSD can impose checkpoint regulations above and beyond what TSA requires. (They just can't do anything to ease TSA regulations).

cepheid

Basically the same thing happened to me last week at EWR... I was post-surgery and really couldn't use the NOS, so they said I'd get a pat-down, and I had to explain their own SOP to three different agents, who obviously didn't believe me and kept me waiting at the WTMD until the "male assist" would show up (and none did), and then disappeared without explanation. After a few minutes a different agent (who had taken over) asked me why I was standing around, I explained I had a medical issue, she immediately put me through the WTMD, and then yet another agent gave me the standard hand swipe. Thankfully this was only 5 minutes, not 15... but yes, amazing how they don't know their own SOP.

Majuki

Usually don't you get taken through the WTMD and wait on the secure side for the assist? If you were already airside, you can just ask the question, "Am I free to go?" If the answer is yes, you pack up your things and leave. ^

Xyzzy

I can only speak as an opt-out, but a couple of years ago they began to deliberately move opt-outs around the WTMD and nt through it.