ocschwar

INDEED. There is a legal term for what you do if you trick somebody into stepping into an X-ray machine: battery.

The TSA needs to make sure its staff don't commit felonies on the job.

the_happiness_store

Dec 3rd, ORD T1 no scanners at about 5pm.
Dec 4th, ATL (UA terminal T) no scanners at 6am.
Dec 5th, HNL no scanners at 4pm.

FriendlySkies

BNA has MMW, not Backscatter. See this thread - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...y-scanner.html


We were lucky when I went through with you at 4pm. They were running the MMW at 8pm when we went through. Luckily somebody in my group went through the machine, letting me bypass it.

EasternTraveler

NO! BNA has L3 MMW machines which are emitting radiation as well.

Another user name to remember

Sunday 12-11, flying home to AMS from ORD - T5 together with my wife. Only Nude-o-scopes in use. I opt-out, walk through the metal detector to have a better look at my stuff at the belt and somehow this annoys the TSA. I should have waited until I got the order to move forward. All of a sudden, I'm the most important traveler and 4 TSA clerks are basically busy with me. They escort me to a Plexiglas booth and a 5th clerk does the pat-down (*).

While they are so busy with me, nobody is watching my wife. She walks through the metal detector and sets off the alarm (as she did not bother to take shoes, belt, jacket, etc off). But again, nobody is paying attention as they are so busy with me. She gets to the belt, collects all my stuff (which, according to the TSA, was perfectly safe at the belt and nobody else would leave with my stuff...) and leaves the screening area (air side).

Great job TSA! Well done.

(*) Pat-down itself was not too bad actually. Apart from the finger inside the waistband, it does not differ a lot from what you get at any Scandinavian airport.

VH-RMD

What a shame you didn't take the opportunity to make them explain where all your stuff had gone to...

Another user name to remember

Did not want to risk:
1. My wife being arrested for stealing my stuff
2. TSA reviewing the tape and realizing they did not scan her, close the airport, clear the 'sterile' area, rescan every body, hence delaying/missing our flight
3. TSA filing charges because they think it was all pre-arranged, master plan, practice run for the real thing, etc, etc

and most importantly:

4. My wife got into the sterile zone without receiving radiation or a pat-down. Could one be any more happier?!

flapping arms

Good point!

I suggest after your trip submit a follow-up feedback form indicating that while there were 5 TSOs Standing Around you, "one or more" passengers cleared the WTMD unobserved by TSOs. (I suggest using the phrase "cleared" to indicate that the pax were no security risk.)

HazeCraze

I suggest when everyone opt out of the scanners, to copy our friend Alan....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgnW0S0mbRY

spaceflyer

DIA, early Friday morning (the 10th). Got to security line, opted out of Nude-O-Scope. Several TSOs try to tell me that it's no more dangerous than a cell phone and I should just go through. I say, "no, I am opting out." One TSO gets her panties in a bunch about my choice and yells at me that I'll have to wait, and she parks her ample fanny in front of the metal detector archway so that nobody can go through. This, of course, backs up the line and even her fellow TSAs are not happy. I am undeterred.

I wait about 2 minutes, another TSO comes up and beckons me through. She is nice, explains what she's going to do, warns me not to touch any of my stuff, and proceeds through the Freedom Feel. We chat about stuff -- turns out she doesn't live too far from where I do. She said I was her first feel of the day. I told her that the TSOs who tried to intimidate me into taking the scan were rude and unfriendly and that might account for why she's not getting more business. She sighs and comments that they don't need to be nasty. At no time was my identity asked for.

We did our business, I packed up and left. Total time: about 7 minutes.

DR73

Wanted to post this sooner. SFO on 11/19...flying UA international. Thanks to members on this forum, I was told that the UA domestic terminal didn't have NOS and that I could access the international terminal once I got through the domestic one. So, after checking in my luggage, I walked past the international check point and headed downstairs. Stood in line and there was a guy checking tickets. Uh-oh. When he saw that I was flying international he made me head back upstairs and go through the international check point. Foiled!

I get back upstairs and into line. It looks like everyone is being directed to the NOS and no opt-outs that I could see. I'm getting closer to the machines and mentally preparing to make a spectacle out of myself when I opt out and alarms start sounding. An elderly man in front of me is directed to the NOS. When the TSO sees that he's wearing a belt, he asks that he remove it. The man moves very slowly and this leaves me in the front of the line, directly in front of the WTMD. A TSO is standing on the other side, looking bored. I look at him and give the "can I come through?" gesture. He just nods and I walk through. Pretty anti-climactic since I had been preparing for this for a while.

Since I had time to kill before my flight, I stuck around to watch the show. From the other side, I could see everyone was going through the NOS and many even had to do the enhanced pat down afterwards. I didn't hear any TSO's yelling "opt out!" and the ones that were performing the pat down looked as if they were being courteous. I did witness one irate traveler approaching the manager and saying something along the lines of how he travels a lot and has never been treated so rudely by security as just now. After he had gone through the checkpoint and gotten his bags, one rogue TSO made him come back and take out his wallet to show his ID! The manager asked if he wanted to file a complaint but the guy just wanted to get moving. He pointed out the TSO goon and stormed off. I could understand his frustration. He knew filing a complaint wouldn't lead to anything. After he left I tried to listen in on the manager as she talked to another TSO. She pointed out the TSO in question and said something along the lines of "he's going a little overboard. Maybe I should talk to him..." But she didn't pull him aside for as long as I was standing there. Also, I didn't see any signs that said travelers could opt out of the NOS.

My travels took me to India, Korea, and Singapore. The security checkpoints were nowhere as intrusive as here.

FriendlySkies

Was the guy checking boarding passes right before you reached the TDC? If so, you should have just ignored him. IIRC, he works for Airserv. I'd just say that you want to get some food from the domestic airport area..

exbayern

And yet one of our TSOs here has insisted several times that security in airports outside the US is 'far more intrusive'. Many of us dispute that and we have been unable to obtain specific examples about which countries have more intrusive security than TSA.

FriendlySkies

+1

I guess they have never been out of the country

AUS2008

Had my first chance to opt out yesterday evening at HOU. Not that I'm particularly as against MMW as I am against the backscatter, but I figured I might as well experience my first "enhanced" patdown when I had plenty of time. Was thinking I would get the WTMD since the passenger 2 people ahead of me was an elderly gentleman who they made to get out of a wheelchair (he could walk some, but needed a little assistance) to be put through the MMW. But since it took enough time for them to roll a wheelchair and an unloaded luggage cart through the checkpoint, the MMW was free for me to be picked.

I opted out and had to wait a minute or two. I'm in view of my belongings, though far enough away that I couldn't have done anything if someone grabbed my purse. I insisted that I needed to be in view and in some bit of control of my belongings, so I was finally walked to the patdown area and my bins brought to a table next to me. (this, after the bins backed up almost to the point of some falling off the belt on the cleared side). The arrangement was supposed to have been that I was standing with my back to the table where my carryon and purse were, and directly next to a male pax being patted down--he had a much better view of my belongings than I did. I kept looking over my shoulder, so the TSA woman let me turn 90 degrees to keep my stuff in view while she explained the patdown. She was very professional in her explanation (I've heard it all here, but I let her do her spiel). The patdown was not gropy, I am pleased to report. Backs of hands over the sides and around my breasts (didn't touch my areola area/fronts of breasts at all). Did not get all up in my vulva, just up to high upper thigh. Backs of hands over my butt. She had put new gloves on before the patdown without my having to ask, and let me go after cleared. My belongings were not gone through (they had cleared the xray fine) and I did not have to show ID or BP for opting out.

We chatted for a few minutes. I told her I was more against the backscatter than MMW, but opted out on the principle of the thing. She told me about the backscatter still not being a big dose and compared it to medical/dental xrays as if you were in the room with a child, etc. I told her that I am in that field and anyone accompanying a patient is shielded with lead, and that body parts not of interest are shielded. Also, there is a CAUSE for a medical xray and this is not really one of them. She was pretty cool about it and it was a cordial conversation. I did thank her for her professionalism and she did indicate that she has heard of some bad TSA apples out there.