What Makes a Screener Pick You? Anyone Notice a Pattern?
I took a number of plane trips in 2010 fall and 2011. Every single time, they picked me for the scanner. 100%. I'm female, young, thin and normal looking. So, I pretty much stopped flying and haven't for a long time and probably will not. Has anyone noticed a pattern in who gets picked? It seems like if you are young and female (college aged), you will get picked. Other people I've talked to notice that girls under 30 get picked a lot. Also, random business guys like the ones here in FT. Also, elderly ladies, physically disabled people, and sometimes children.
Random question - are flight attendants exempt from the scanners?
It's pretty discouraging to always be picked, esp. when hardly anyone else around you gets picked. I feel like one of the tributes chosen for the Hunger Games.
Last edited by essxjay; Jul 3, 12 at 4:05 pm..
Reason: derogatory references
Sorry you've been repeatedly singled out. Hope it doesn't keep happening and I did get a chuckle out of the reference to feeling like a Hunger Games tribute. My teen daughter plowed through all of the books first and I enjoyed them too.
Last edited by essxjay; Jul 3, 12 at 4:06 pm..
Reason: reference to edited OP
Sorry you've been repeatedly singled out. Hope it doesn't keep happening and I did get a chuckle out of the reference to feeling like a Hunger Games tribute. My teen daughter plowed through all of the books first and I enjoyed them too.
Even when I was using the elite/premium line, it didn't matter. I don't think it's the flyer status, it's me.
Last edited by essxjay; Jul 3, 12 at 4:06 pm..
Reason: reference to edited post
Other people I've talked to notice that girls under 30 get picked a lot. Also, random business guys like the ones here in FT. Also, elderly ladies, physically disabled people, and sometimes children.
I think you've answered your own question.
i.e., "People who won't argue with them, and will meekly follow the directions of a complete stranger merely because that person is wearing something that resembles a uniform that represents authority."
__________________
"Fear profits a man nothing - unless they're a TSA employee, and then it's the only reason they have a job."
Programs: AA Ex Platinum, Marriott Gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 1,760
Quote:
Originally Posted by average_passenger
Random question - are flight attendants exempt from the scanners?
I can't remember whether they are officially exempted, but in practice, just about every airport I've been in screeners will open up the WTMD for them instead.
As of late, it seems that the only people to go through WTMDs are crew and airport staff, families with small children, and those lucky enough to walk up to the AIT machine when there's a line three or four deep already.
__________________ Every increment of radiation exposure produces an incremental increase in the risk of cancer.
Programs: Platinum-CO-DL-Priority Club WN A-list Diomond-Hilton-BW Gold-Choice Hertz Presidents Club
Posts: 270
Quote:
Originally Posted by T.J. Bender
As of late, it seems that the only people to go through WTMDs are crew and airport staff, families with small children, and those lucky enough to walk up to the AIT machine when there's a line three or four deep already.
That's disappearing fast. At most airports, the lines are out the door, and the WTMD's are blocked off.
__________________
Discuss the Latest TSA Issues, uncensored, at travelunderground.org
You identified Woman under 30, businessmen of indeterminate age, elderly people, handicapped people, and children.
Isn't that just about everyone?
I don't fall into any of those categories. (I'm not male)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Houston.Business
That's disappearing fast. At most airports, the lines are out the door, and the WTMD's are blocked off.
Exactly. What OP seems to fail to understand is that the scanners are PRIMARY in many US airports now, not secondary, and hence there is no picking and choosing of passengers.
I don't fall into any of those categories. (I'm not male)
Exactly. What OP seems to fail to understand is that the scanners are PRIMARY in many US airports now, not secondary, and hence there is no picking and choosing of passengers.
The question had been reversed: Who is selected for the WTMD?
In a few airports, some are asked if they have surgical implants and are directed to the scanner allowing others in line to use the WTMD. As said above, this is becoming more rare.
__________________
Livingston's observation of complex systems: The purpose of a system is what it does.
I found it a little ironic that a few hours ago OP was saying that Americans wouldn't fly to the UK because of the scanner use there. Yet it is in America where the scanners are primary, and the chances of being selected for a scanner at the few terminals in the UK which have them are very, very low, and they can be generally avoided.
Programs: AA Ex Platinum, Marriott Gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 1,760
Quote:
Originally Posted by Houston.Business
That's disappearing fast. At most airports, the lines are out the door, and the WTMD's are blocked off.
Yup, ABQ for one doesn't care how long the line into the NoS is (I've seen them 10+ deep at every machine) or whether they are even working correctly as one screener was telling another screener last Sunday, but they were still putting people thru them
I don't fall into any of those categories. (I'm not male)
Exactly. What OP seems to fail to understand is that the scanners are PRIMARY in many US airports now, not secondary, and hence there is no picking and choosing of passengers.
I was just curious how it worked now, that's all. It sounds like everyone is going through them now.
I found it a little ironic that a few hours ago OP was saying that Americans wouldn't fly to the UK because of the scanner use there. Yet it is in America where the scanners are primary, and the chances of being selected for a scanner at the few terminals in the UK which have them are very, very low, and they can be generally avoided.
I didn't mean to say that lots of Americans wouldn't fly to the UK because of scanner use. I've heard that some people have chosen to not fly to the UK because of the no opt-out rule. I guess it's good that you can still opt out in the states.
I didn't mean to say that lots of Americans wouldn't fly to the UK because of scanner use. I've heard that some people have chosen to not fly to the UK because of the no opt-out rule. I guess it's good that you can still opt out in the states.
Opt outs in the USA are reportedly down to close to nil and, anecdotally, that's certainly true.
I'm sure there's somebody who didn't fly to/through the UK, but w. overbooked flights most of the summer, it's not meaningful.
