lovely15

Just like the subject says: what's the policy on carrying a toddler through the metal detector if they can walk on their own? I've always used my child as a backup "get out of the scanner" card if ever I didn't clear PreCheck - but now I wonder if a mobile child isn't allowed to be carried and has to walk through alone while I go through the scanner. Anyone know?

Yoshi212

Preferred policy is to have an able bodied toddler walk on their own. Their website does state an infant or small child can be carried at the parent's request. If there is an alert both people get the thorough swab and freedom molestation.

The TSA cannot separate you from your child if the child on their own alerts.

As you're able to opt out anyways why do you need to carry your child through? I understand wanting to limit the situations where your child is more than a foot from you for their own safety and your peace of mind but if you don't want to go through a scanner you just say so.

I have seen when two parents are traveling with their children one will go through and stand on the other side and ask the child to walk through the WTMD. Most do a quick run which I have yet to see an TSO get worked up about. Be sure metal is limited to avoid an alarm.

lovely15

Short answer? I'm a prude. I dread being touched near (or on, as the case my be) my genitals. I'm one of those rare anti-TSA people who would rather be microwaved in the scanner then touched by a stranger in sensitive areas. I do not and will not opt out.

Of course, I'd prefer neither and I'm about 99% with PreCheck anyway, and 100% with the child backup.

I'm curious though. If I don't get selected for PreCheck, how does it actually work? I have to go through the scanner, but where is my 18 month old during that? In that case, I do have a big problem with being separated like that, only partly because said toddler would be halfway across the airport by the time I was done in the scanner.

I guess that's also why I'd prefer to carry. I can't imagine them standing quietly on the other side of even a metal detector while I walked through, much less coming through when I called.

tanja

Going through a scanner does not stop TSA from "getting personal" with you.
About your child I dont know. I just know when my son was younger ( before 9/11) he would not wait. He passed everybody and "airport personal" would tell him to stop. Plus I was not allowed to stop him. They were angry. But what do you do. Kids are kids.

lovely15

Obviously not. I'd still rather be seen than touched, though.

AllieKat

"Be microwaved" - OMG, you're around radio waves all the time. They're harmless!

*in quantities we're talking here, obviously like ANY heat source, they're quite harmful in doses millions of times stronger.

Yoshi212

Ok so you prefer the scanner to a WTMD with out out freedom molestation. Slightly different approach. According to TSA website and some people I know TSA will more than likely direct you towards a WTMD without additional touching (unless there is an alert) for both of you. According to the website you and your child are not to be separated. As we all know TSA doesn't always follow their own rules/guidelines if a TSO tries to separate your child from you beyond 5 feet start screaming bloody murder and hand them a printout of this page. http://www.tsa.gov/tsa-kids/parents-page

IME TSA doesn't want screaming kids and parents.

AllieKat

If, of course, you were actually seen. Which you aren't. IF the TSA had their MMW scanners set up to create and display images, which they do not, the images are hardly anything someone would get off on. But they don't, they have them set up to only flag suspicious areas on a generic outline.

lovely15

Yeah, ok.

Probably you should hang out here more and find out what peoples' actual objects to them are.

Hmm, thanks. The more I think about this, the more I don't even see how I could be forced to use the scanner while traveling with a young toddler. Someone could walk off with a child and there would be nothing I could do about it. My rule at airports in arms reach at all times.

Of course, I hope PreCheck will continue to be 100%. I do know carrying an "infant" through the WTMD is supposed to earn me a hand swab - not that they have ever been able to explain why - but they've only been about 50/50 on their required procedure so far. And I'd for sure take a hand swab over rubbing my genitals or viewing my nude body on a screen.

I'm sorry, did my sarcasm automatically necessitate me posting this in the debate forum?

squeakr

this is bordering on debate not factual info - so depending on where it continues I'll either leave it or move it

thanks

cqueakr
co Mod TS/S

AllieKat

Oh? Is this picture your nude body?:

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/...20110926034647

pewpew

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (BB10; Touch) AppleWebKit/537.35+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/10.2.1.3442 Mobile Safari/537.35+)

Someone sounds jealous

Play nice.

mikeef

My wife is the same way and I completely understand. Doesn't make you a prude or anything else.

We never had any problems carrying our kids. It helps keep the kids from reaching out and touching the sides, as well.

Mike

tanja

Intressting that you mention the sides. Cause I always have wondered what happens if you touch them?

lovely15

They will alarm. I did have that issue once baby was past 6 months or so.