New policy for families?

Old Jul 5, 2011, 9:16 am
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New policy for families?

Just arrived from EWR, traveling with my wife and 3 year old daughter. At security, told one of us "has to got through the scope". When I said I would do it but opt out, he said "Then all of you will get a pat-down" Since I didn't want my wife or daughter subject to groping, I took it for the team by going through the scanner.

Is this a new policy?
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Old Jul 5, 2011, 9:23 am
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Can you imagine a bigger security loophole than letting a group traveling together decide which one of them will go through the NOS? The guy with the metal parts up his bum will choose the NOS, and the one with the non-metallic parts taped to her torso will choose the WTMD.

This is a case where you should refuse to make the choice, and call over a supervisor. One a TSO decides who should go through the scope, that passenger is entitled to opt out. If one passenger opts out, and the TSOs pat down other members of the party due to the decision to opt out, that would be retaliatory and a basis for disciplinary action.

Last edited by janetdoe; Jul 5, 2011 at 9:30 am
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Old Jul 5, 2011, 9:29 am
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I always found it funny that at an unnamed agent at an unnamed airline at an unnamed airport printed our boarding passes, and noticed that mine was SSSS. They casually said you've probably been through this before, give your wife your carry on and all the stuff in your pockets and you will be through before the regular line.

Security at it's finest. Guess they are working to prevent that now.
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Old Jul 5, 2011, 9:37 am
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Just had another random thought - I hope this isn't the way TSA is "revising" its patdown policy for children under the age of 12... by forcing the parents to 'take one for the team'.
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Old Jul 5, 2011, 9:43 am
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Originally Posted by GuyverII
Just arrived from EWR, traveling with my wife and 3 year old daughter. At security, told one of us "has to got through the scope". When I said I would do it but opt out, he said "Then all of you will get a pat-down" Since I didn't want my wife or daughter subject to groping, I took it for the team by going through the scanner.
Gee, this isn't, in the least, retaliatory, is it? "Go through the scanner or we're going to feel up your 3-year old."

My personal view is that toddlers ARE terrorists, but not the kind that need to be subjected to that kind of abuse.
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Old Jul 5, 2011, 9:58 am
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Originally Posted by PTravel
My personal view is that toddlers ARE terrorists, but not the kind that need to be subjected to that kind of abuse.
Not to mention teenagers. Especially boys. Teenage boys are like dogs. By themselves they are fine. Let them pack up and they will kill a heifer.

As for the new family policy,this sounds remarkably like the statement that castrobenes made:

Interesting thread...I have never seen this requirement implemented. However I don't have any problem with a TSO asking for a passenger to pronounce his name at the TDC station. If that passenger doesn't want to communicate with the TSO or supervisor, then I don't see how your ID can be verified.

If you just want to insult TSOs, well then you and every member of your family is getting a pat down.

castro
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Old Jul 5, 2011, 10:02 am
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Originally Posted by InkUnderNails

As for the new family policy,this sounds remarkably like the statement that castrobenes made:
I wasn't aggressive at all, and neither was the TSA; the security man had his chest puffed out with his hands on his belt eyeing my wife and daughter and just stated it matter-of-factly:

"Then all of you will get a pat-down"

Which made me wonder if it is now policy?
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Old Jul 5, 2011, 10:04 am
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This seems like another one of the "choices" the TSA keeps telling us we have. They are going to try to make one member of the party go through the NoS to prevent the entire party getting groped. Also, this will probably be used by the TSA to say there is an increase in the number of people "voluntarily" choosing the NoS.

This does seem to be a potential security problem. A group could definitely take advantage of this by letting them pick their method of screening.
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Old Jul 5, 2011, 10:12 am
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There are a number of reasons, and this is one of them, that traveling companions might not want to appear to be transiting the checkpoint together. Where possible, put one/some of the children with one adult, and after one or two others join the line (or after stopping to pass time adjusting one's shoelaces...) the rest of the party steps into the line behind them. Don't all step up to the podium together; don't create a party to retaliate against.
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Old Jul 5, 2011, 10:36 am
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Originally Posted by GuyverII
I wasn't aggressive at all, and neither was the TSA; the security man had his chest puffed out with his hands on his belt eyeing my wife and daughter and just stated it matter-of-factly:

"Then all of you will get a pat-down"

Which made me wonder if it is now policy?
It sound to me like you got one of those TSOs who is out to ensure that everyone submits to him. (According to my personal experience, it's probably around 2-3% of all TSOs) The best thing would have been, of course, to ask him if that was a rule or just his personal decision, but I can understand that flying out the window when he's eyeballing your wife and daughter...

Originally Posted by PTravel
My personal view is that toddlers ARE terrorists, but not the kind that need to be subjected to that kind of abuse.
No, according to the onion, they are simply sociopaths.
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Old Jul 5, 2011, 10:41 am
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Originally Posted by InkUnderNails
As for the new family policy,this sounds remarkably like the statement that castrobenes made:
I'd bet that neither is official policy, just another example of local little Napoleans making things up. It's what motivates them, you know.
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Old Jul 5, 2011, 10:43 am
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Originally Posted by GuyverII
I wasn't aggressive at all, and neither was the TSA; the security man had his chest puffed out with his hands on his belt eyeing my wife and daughter and just stated it matter-of-factly:

"Then all of you will get a pat-down"

Which made me wonder if it is now policy?
Nope...they probably just made this up on the spot!!
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Old Jul 5, 2011, 10:45 am
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Originally Posted by TheGolfWidow
There are a number of reasons, and this is one of them, that traveling companions might not want to appear to be transiting the checkpoint together. Where possible, put one/some of the children with one adult, and after one or two others join the line (or after stopping to pass time adjusting one's shoelaces...) the rest of the party steps into the line behind them. Don't all step up to the podium together; don't create a party to retaliate against.
What you suggest was exactly the kind of thing that was necessary for Bosniak families to attempt to do in order to try to avoid the ugly arms of the state power and its agents that were eager to use communal punishment tactics to further their control of the civilian population viewed as suspect by the state power, its agents, its parallel cheerleader organizations and state-favored individuals. That such an approach by innocent Americans is increasingly necessary to deal with the TSA is not only well-advised it is also disappointingly clear that the TSA has put America on the wrong track (or is at least taking advantage of the country being on the wrong track) when it comes to "security" matters such that this is well-advised.
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Old Jul 5, 2011, 11:13 am
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I went through with wife and two very young children at IAH a couple of weeks ago, and each of us took one child (both under two) and just walked through the wtmd. It was actually very fast as they had a machine I had never seen used before, that they put each bottle of liquid in and a few seconds later we were cleared. This was faster than last year, where we only had one child, which my wife carried, then they send me through nude-o-scope, which I opted out of. I was the only one to get a pat down, and the TSA agent at that time said "I'm glad I don't have to go through them".

You never know with TSA. Policy is "Adjusted" on the spot. I was pleasantly surprised by the machines they used on the liquids. It was quick and painless.
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Old Jul 5, 2011, 11:18 am
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The TSO should be fired immediately for such retaliatory/coercive behavior. This is the main problem with a family trip, with such capricious actions, you never know when you will have to compromise yourself...either to submit or deal with the financial consequences of answering "NOT LIKE THIS" to the DY...T question.
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