Originally Posted by
packet
I just got the oh so lovely pat down yet again at SEA and had a rather new experience. The TSO told me he was going to do a 'visual inspection' of my wallet. and proceeded to open my wallet and tried to rifle through it. I've been through quite a few pat downs, but have never had this happen. Is this new, or have I just managed to avoid it so far?
I recently had yet another encounter with the TSA where they would not let me pass through the WTMD unless I removed my wallet. Only problem was, the x-ray belt / machine being used was not within my line of sight. All other items had already been sent through.
In this case I requested a 'visual inspection' and was denied the 'visual inspection' - I was carrying a decent amount of cash in a few currencies and just did not feel it was safe to separate myself from the cash and have it out of sight.
This particular checkpoint had two lanes feeding into one x-ray -- one cancer box and one walk-thru metal detector. Agent tried to assure me it was "safe" because this checkpoint was for international passengers only who had already cleared customs.
Long story short, I was forced to put my wallet in a coin container and sent it thru the x-ray. Thankfully I wasn't held up with an alarm or secondary and was able to rush over to claim my wallet and then my belongings.
Wallets going thru an x-ray machine in the open (and out of pax site) are perfect opportunities for criminals.
OT - but noteworthy: I have a cousin who dropped out of High School, he got his GED in jail, but he apparently can't read at an adult level; he has a long criminal rap sheet as well. I was traveling with his mother (my aunt) about a year ago; we had just attended a family funeral and we were all on the same flight to ATL .. from ATL we went to SDF while she went onto DTW.
At any rate, I was telling her about the cancer boxes ... she didn't seem to think they were an issue, in fact she thought they were a great idea because of a joint replacement; during our conversation she tells me that most of "cousin's name" friends work out at DTW as TSA screeners. Sadly that didn't surprise me, and let me tell you, these are not people you want working at TSO's.
