Clearing security easily - Page 2

Mats · Jun 25, 12, 2:07 pm

I handle it this way:

1. I take a sedative.
2. I say hello to the TDC, use my driver's license only (even for international trips), and use a mobile boarding pass whenever possible. This means that there's nothing to scrutinize, no scribbles to write. If I'm connecting, I keep my onward boarding cards hidden. That just confuses them, and they start asking questions.
3. I plan for a "treat" after I finish security (a cocktail, a chocolate, a nice cup of coffee.)
4. Aim for queues that have no imaging at all (check www.tsastatus.net)
5. I have "security clothes:" pocketless shorts and a tucked in t-shirt (i.e. obvious that I have no belt), and no shoes or socks. I carry my real clothes in my bag. It sounds extreme but it works.
6. It it's an MMW airport, I take the punishment and just try to think happy thoughts.
7. If it's a backscatter airport, I opt out. But since I have barely any clothes on, the opt out is much, much quicker.

If I'm in Europe, South America, or Israel, I don't worry about a thing. I wear normal clothes, need no medication, and don't even think twice about it.

KDS · Jun 25, 12, 5:43 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by exbayern

The scanners were rejected in part by Germany because the following causes an alarm:
- sweat stains
- damp areas on clothing (see above)
- folds of clothing
- pleats in clothing
- layers of clothing
- tissues in pocket

Essentially, any time one has more than one layer of clothing ie a shirt inside or outside a pair of pants, and any time one has dampness from sweat, the machine can raise an alarm.

Since the above includes the vast majority of travellers, the alarm rate was so high with so little actual security issues, that this was one of the major reasons for not using scanners in Germany.

While redressing after a groping at FNT, I watched the MMW-ATD results for people coming through. Many were "pleats"/"folds" on pants legs or shirts; some were loose-fitting clothes that seem to "hang" over other parts.

But many of them made absolutely no sense, as there was nothing on the person and nothing visible. I did see one lady's "costume jewelry" bracelet, with spherical balls about 1/2" in diameter, cause a false alarm.

I'm convinced it's stupid. Again, it seems that 60% or more of the people coming through are getting patted down for resolution.

One other thing from else-thread...some of the people I saw with "alarm boxes" had 6 - 8 of them; none of them received any patdown except in the area of the boxes. So TSA again is inconsistent with regard to when someone gets full patdown after MMW (and I've seen very old ladies get them in CLE; the look on their faces was pathetic to see when they got the patdown after doing what they were told).

ctporter · Jun 26, 12, 9:19 am

I have always wondered why the machines cannot distinguish between a tissue and my undies or bra! Is it because the machines cannot detect through 3 layers? (sigh)

shoegal0107 · Jun 27, 12, 7:00 pm

So what happens about women wearing sanitary towels, or I guess people with incontinence pads? Will it always alarm then? (Seems it meets some of the criteria of things that cause an alarm).

If it does always alarm in that situation, I guess you'd get the nastiest kind of genital groping, in which case it's better to opt-out from the start...