chollie

If it's a Precheck lane and the WTMD is next to the belt, other posters are suggesting she walked through the WTMD and didn't realize it. If she was in a Precheck lane, she wouldn't have to take her shoes off. If she didn't alarm, she would keep walking to the end of the belt, grab her things and go.

eta: oops! I was typing as you were posting! Never mind!

Boggie Dog

She could have been selected for Pre Check at the checkpoint. It's called Managed Inclusion. Some people get Pre Check printed on their boarding pass also. That would entail WTMD but not having to remove shoes. The metal detector does not require a person to stop or anything, just walk through and if no alarm move on. Another possibility is that TSA thought she was younger than her true age and let her use the WTMD. I highly doubt that that she walked around screening. If she did that is a serious security breach and should be reported to the DHS OIG.

bigboy61

She had pre-check (she always gets it for some reason), but the rest of our party didn't have pre so we stuck together and went through the regular screening (like we did a few years ago at CLT in which we were all screened). Again, she said she walked beside 2 screening devices. The big imaging one and the smaller X-ray arch.

So she just told me they gave her some piece of paper and told her "If you show this to them they will you through." What in the world?!?!

MSPeconomist

I suspect that "the smaller X-ray arch" was a metal detector. I hope TSA isn't sending people (or animals) through their X-ray machines.

bigboy61

Whoops. That wouldn't be good Yes, the metal detector.

MSPeconomist

The paper was probably an indication that she should get "PreCheck Lite" treatment. I'm guessing that TSA wasn't operating a dedicated PreCheck lane at the airport. The paper should have entitled her to keep on shoes and a light jacket and to go through the metal detector rather than the nude-o-scope.

bigboy61

The airport had pre-check. I know becuase we accidentally got in that lane first . They still told her she didn't need to go through the metal detector. She started too and they said she didn't need too.

MSPeconomist

If you report this right way and know the approximate time that sister went through TSA security as well as a description of how she was dressed, someone should be able to check the closed circuit TV tapes and verify/correct what happened. It's shocking that she was told not to go through the metal detector, versus somehow managing to walk around it.

bigboy61

Interesting, right? She is 17 so it's not like she is under 13. We knew something was up becuase we have traveled before with her having pre and going through normal screening. They made her take off her go through the scanner. Where do you report this?

chollie

Twitter and re-tweet to the local news.

bigboy61

Actually, no one in our family has Twitter. Facebook, yes but no Twitter.

chollie

SIgn up for twitter. When people post serious screening failures like this, there is a virtually immediate response from TSA asking for more details. The general public also realizes there is an issue. Two people who went very public and got big responses from TSA were Amy Van Dyken (wheelchair bound former Olympian) and Kristen Beck (a trans-gender ex-Navy Seal). If they had just used the website or FB, their complaints would have been ignored.
There is another site - OIG - that can actually hold TSA accountable - there have been reliable reports to that effect.

TSA's canned response (other than to say it never happened) will be that there are 21 layers of security and the traveling public was never in any jeopardy.

petaluma1

File a complaint with DHS IG. I don't have access to my link to complaint form but it is easy to find on line.


addendum: search for dhs IG hotline

Finally, internet service is back on and here's the link to the IG complaint form: https://hotline.oig.dhs.gov/hotline/hotline.php

Boggie Dog

Just to be sure we're all talking about the same things.

TSA Walk Through Metal Detector



TSA Body Scanner

Transpacificflyer

The chronic complaining is quite something. Last year we were treated to the accusatory claims of perverted TSA screeners when minors were patted down. Now we are told the TSA is incompetent because a minor appeared to "walk" through. Everyone is always being hard done by and everyone has a chip on his/her shoulder.

Here's a novel idea: People should stop looking for conspiracies where there are none. If there is a concern, bring it to the attention of the security personnel right away. The event could not have been too worrisome, if nothing was said or done at the time.

I expect that despite the claim of not having walked through the metal detector, that the person did indeed go through.