Originally Posted by
HighPotter
I fly twice a week, LAX-ORD-LAX. Have so for the past 9 months.
I have witnessed many a pat down and screening.
I have heard and read the protests, and I am all for them. I think this sort of "cart after the horse" security is a waste of time, money, and our freedoms.
But I really don't have much choice at this point. I have to get from point A to point B. My company is not concerned with my personal opinion, that my freedoms are being stomped on twice a week.
I make my way through the NudieScan when told, have had the "pat down" a few times, both in the past and recently, and on MOST occasions, just make my way through the metal detector as usual, and collect my items.
I am curious what other business travelers are doing, if anything, to let there dissatisfaction be known to the TSA?
HP
One RT each week until Christmas. I average 3.5 RT per month. That makes me a regular. I have started adding at least 30 minutes to my clear time. Just needed it once and that was due to a total failure at throughput when not enough lines were open.
1. I try to seek out and position myself in a line that avoids a scanner. I call it a SDPOO, self directed positional opt out. Sometimes possible, sometimes not.
2. If I have to, I get in line behind the prettiest young women I can find. While they get scanned I get the WTMD. Got in line with the Denver University Women's Soccer team. I became invisible. They did not even swab my bag.
3. If I am selected for the scanner, I opt out. I take the pat down, and leave. I can put myself into another world for a few minutes and I just wait for them to say it is done. If they want to look down my pants, well it bothers me, it is stupid, but it is them that looks like the idiot doing it. I just grin.
4. Not real sure what will happen if they ask me to go to the private room.
While it is becoming less likely to avoid opting out, I have been able to avoid it except for three times. That is about a 10% hit rate over the flights I have taken since mid year.
By the way, I do not consider it a sexual assault. An assault, yes. Just not sexual. I only worry that an overly aggressive screener will cause an injury. If that happens, I have decided I will go to the first red phone once clear, call the AP medic, and seek medical attention for the rough handling. That should generate enough paperwork to keep them busy for awhile. I will only do this if I really am injured or in pain. No harm, no foul as they say.
The airport is my workplace transportation. Without it, I might be forced to find a job from a pizza box or something. Also, I am a self-employed businessman. The TSA authoritarianism is one of many heavy hands of government to which I have to bow down. It is a cost of doing business today. Is it right? No. It just is.
I do not talk to the TSA screeners. They are pawns. There is absolutely nothing I can say to them that will make anything better. I do tell the pat down person that I am hearing impaired and if I do not respond to his instructions it is because I do not hear his instruction. I ask them to repeat the procedure two or three time until I am sure I understand, "I have trouble hearing can you repeat that?"
If they try to make small talk, I give grunts and put them on ignore. The TDC sees I am from Kentucky and asks me if I go to he Derby. I say "What's a derby?"
Short answer: I do nothing at the screening to let them know of my displeasure. Oh, one exception: when they do not take my Nexus. This really frosts me.