First-Time Opt-Out: What Exactly To Do/Ask?

Old Dec 12, 2012, 11:01 am
  #61  
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Originally Posted by Vidiot
There's ream upon ream of advice here, some contradictory, but here's what I'm planning to do:
--try to avoid an AIT machine in favor of a WTMD (a SDOO);
--if unsuccessful, calmly say "I opt out."
--Insist that my belongings be brought to me or within my sight;
--Ask the TSO conducting the search change into a fresh pair of gloves;
--Decline to go into a private room or area;
--Ask for clarification if they mention "resistance" in the pre-patdown briefing. ("You mean my genitals?");
--Be prepared to complain if the screening is painful, undignified, disrespectful, et cetera, or if I get any pushback/retaliatory measures/DY...T. (I still think that any patdown is ridiculous and offensive, but I doubt I'll file a complaint if the TSO treats me reasonably professionally.)
The reams of advice is from a bunch of drama queens. Pretty much everything you said above they do already. They do this to probably millions of people a week. You don't need to research this in advance.

I got 3 pat downs this week and I've probably gotten 100+ this year. You're blowing things out of proportion.

In terms of the fresh set of gloves, yes it is important that they use them so that they don't dirty your clothes before you go and sit in seats that have been sat in by tens of thousands of people. You know, those seats that have been farted in and puked on. Those seats. I'm sure they're far more clean than a set of gloves that were used on another person. Incidentally, they ALWAYS use fresh gloves as it would taint the test they do otherwise.

I get not wanting the radiation as the devices haven't been proven safe. Getting upset about the pat down is really not needed.
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Old Dec 12, 2012, 2:29 pm
  #62  
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Fresh gloves (out of the box, not the TSA employee's back pocket) lessens the chance of a false positive.
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Old Feb 4, 2013, 3:52 pm
  #63  
 
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I've only been through 10+ pat downs and about every third time I meet up with a nasty TSA worker (yes, I'm always polite). I'm glad people research. TSA will claim all kinds of things - such as you're not entitled to stay within eye-sight of your bags (thanks DEN), "Are you sure you don't want to just go through - it's going to be a long time..."
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Old Feb 6, 2013, 11:59 am
  #64  
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Originally Posted by KM123
TSA will claim all kinds of things - such as you're not entitled to stay within eye-sight of your bags (thanks DEN),
"Sir, I need you to stand over there"

"Sorry, your employer's website states I need to keep an eye on my belongings, so I'll stand here."

"Sir, I need you to stand over there"

"Sorry, your employer's website states I need to keep an eye on my belongings, so I'll stand here."

Lather, rinse, repeat until your placer-of-hands-down-your-pants shows up.

TSA.gov (all CAPS theirs):

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Old Feb 6, 2013, 2:10 pm
  #65  
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Originally Posted by N965VJ
"Sir, I need you to stand over there"

"Sorry, your employer's website states I need to keep an eye on my belongings, so I'll stand here."

"Sir, I need you to stand over there"

"Sorry, your employer's website states I need to keep an eye on my belongings, so I'll stand here."

Lather, rinse, repeat until your placer-of-hands-down-your-pants shows up.

TSA.gov (all CAPS theirs):
I just carry the print-out with me. So much easier than arguing.

In case they have any questions about that, or tell me that it's not really necessary, I also carry a copy of an article talking about theft at BOS, my home airport. But I have yet to go to Step 2.

Mike
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Old Feb 6, 2013, 3:17 pm
  #66  
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The only potential problem with showing them a printout off the site is that they'll point the the part that says "whenever possible", then claim that this is now a time when it's not possible. Then there's always the "website is out of date" or "we do things differently at this airport" retort.

I prefer the general statement of how I always need to keep an eye on my stuff, because it's accepted common sense to keep bad things from happening. A one striper can huff and puff, call over a supervisor that may huff and puff, and if they want to escalate it by saying I'm "interfering with the screening process", I'll be more than happy to discuss it with a LEO.

This hasn't happened yet, but my conversation with the LEO will be:
  • I'm the sole person responsible for my belongings.
  • The TSA will not accept responsibility if my things are stolen.
  • The TSA will not accept responsibility if a foreign object is placed in my stuff while out of my view, and I would be in a world of .
  • At some point in my travels I may be asked if my belongings were ever out of my possession. Honestly answering they were out of my view in a public area would likely put me in a world of .

Not much to argue with there, and it's likely the TSA employees will be viewed by the LEO as being on a power trip over their few square feet of floor space at the checkpoint.

Everyone has their own strategy, that's just mine. It's the end result that counts. ^
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Old Aug 21, 2013, 2:17 am
  #67  
 
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Can you ask for a private room
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Old Aug 24, 2013, 5:37 am
  #68  
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You can, but it's not usually considered advisable.
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Old Mar 14, 2014, 10:03 pm
  #69  
 
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I have only told them "I would like to opt out." From there, the safety officers (a privately hired company at my airport, whom I have found to be nicer than TSA), ask me to step to the side. Once I did so and was too close too the baggage scanner; an officer said not to step too close because there's more radiation emitting from the machine than the scanner. Once an officer who has been trained to do the pat-down arrives, the process begins. While the pat-down is slightly uncomfortable, I never felt violated and they have always been professional. Lately though my home airport has added PreCheck and now mostly uses safer security scanners with no radiation.
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Old May 6, 2014, 11:22 am
  #70  
 
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Originally Posted by 99luftballoons
Quote:





Originally Posted by Vidiot


There's ream upon ream of advice here, some contradictory, but here's what I'm planning to do:
--try to avoid an AIT machine in favor of a WTMD (a SDOO);
--if unsuccessful, calmly say &quot;I opt out.&quot;
--Insist that my belongings be brought to me or within my sight;
--Ask the TSO conducting the search change into a fresh pair of gloves;
--Decline to go into a private room or area;
--Ask for clarification if they mention &quot;resistance&quot; in the pre-patdown briefing. (&quot;You mean my genitals?&quot;
--Be prepared to complain if the screening is painful, undignified, disrespectful, et cetera, or if I get any pushback/retaliatory measures/DY...T. (I still think that any patdown is ridiculous and offensive, but I doubt I'll file a complaint if the TSO treats me reasonably professionally.)




The reams of advice is from a bunch of drama queens. Pretty much everything you said above they do already. They do this to probably millions of people a week. You don't need to research this in advance.

I got 3 pat downs this week and I've probably gotten 100+ this year. You're blowing things out of proportion.

In terms of the fresh set of gloves, yes it is important that they use them so that they don't dirty your clothes before you go and sit in seats that have been sat in by tens of thousands of people. You know, those seats that have been farted in and puked on. Those seats. I'm sure they're far more clean than a set of gloves that were used on another person. Incidentally, they ALWAYS use fresh gloves as it would taint the test they do otherwise.

I get not wanting the radiation as the devices haven't been proven safe. Getting upset about the pat down is really not needed.
Drama queens is exactly what they are. I've opted out a few times without going there prepared with printouts and comebacks and I've been just fine .....
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Old May 6, 2014, 3:29 pm
  #71  
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 729
Originally Posted by Mauibaby2008
Drama queens is exactly what they are. I've opted out a few times without going there prepared with printouts and comebacks and I've been just fine .....
You are a drama queen if you don't want a stranger's hands in your crotch?
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