Originally Posted by
phoebepontiac
If I or any of my family members should make a trip on a NoS-free route, what sort of objectionable TSA procedures might we be likely to encounter? I'm specifically concerned about getting randomly chosen for screening and/or groping, random swabbing leading to false positives, and BDO nonsense.
If it is me flying, I'd be going, possibly alone, with a 5 and 1 year old. No stroller or anything like that. This is the main reason I'm concerned -- I will not submit the kids for molestation, and I can't have them watching me getting molested either. I'll probably decide against us making the trip unless things change for the better, but my dad, who's a private pilot and has a serious aversion to commercial flight, hasn't met my daughter, and it's starting to break my heart.
The route I'm thinking of is between ANC and TUS, if it makes any difference (and also to explain why realistically we can't drive, which I'd much rather us do).
This is all assuming we clear the WTMD. But on that point, are wedding bands still safe to go through?
Traveled through a number of airports recently. Somehow, the only ones where I had to pass through security was Burbank CA and Manchester, NH (BUR and MHT), which do not have NOS.
At Burbank, the kid in front of me was randomly chosen for additional screening. The metal detector didn't go off but the TSO told him that he was randomly chosen. He had darker skin, was about 16 - 20. I think he was probably Italian or something else with darker skin and hair. He had really pouffy curly hair that kind of stuck out. One TSO was at least nice enough to ask him to keep an eye on his belongings and pointed in that direction. The airport is tiny so it wasn't a big deal. The kid was placed in a clear box right in front of the metal detector. There were two x-ray carry-on belts and only one metal detector in between. In about 10 seconds, a male TSO guy walked up and swabbed the kids' hand really quickly and put the swab into a machine. The kid didn't even have time to notice the white swab thingee. The kid looked distressed and a little nervous. He was then directed towards a black lady, who opened up his carry-on and took out 2 things. She wasn't very nice to him, maybe because he was a teenager?? The male TSO's were nicer to the kid. After me, a lady with two young children were walking through. Some male TSO swabbed the stroller and put it into the machine. It beeped loudly and they had to pat down the lady. She had two young kids and she was holding one that was crying. They at first wanted her to put down the kid and she shook her head. The female TSO that patted her down let the lady hold the baby on one arm while they patted down the upper part of her other side. They let her switch sides and the TSO doing the pat-down wasn't really doing anything. It was security theatre at its finest!! Seriously, how can a stroller test positive?!!! The TSO made sure the swab touched every part of the double stroller. The lady didn't seem to mind?!! I saw a lady who was getting a MAJOR pat-down to the side of the x-ray belt, complete with a hair massage. Now, the lady was wearing a ton of metal on her jeans and jewelry and she did look like she was high on drugs or something. She seemed almost stoned or out of it. The funny thing was that the druggie lady went out of the sterile area to go and smoke. I wonder if they patted her down again?!! I also saw a younger female passenger who had her carry-on opened. It looked like her liquids bag was too big and she had a metal thermos that caused them to look at it for a long time. I think they ran it through the x-ray a bunch of times. Some TSO lady escorted her to the exit door and the girl was still shoeless. I later saw her so I think she just put her items into her luggage. They didn't seem to be that friendly with the girl but she didn't seem upset or anything.
At MHT, some larger middle aged guy set of the metal detector with his suspenders. The lady asked him if he wanted to take them off and walk through again. He said no and walked into a glass booth. He got a pat-down after 30 seconds and the TSO did change gloves in front of him. The suspenders wearing guy also got his carry-on opened and searched. The guy didn't seem to mind his pat-down. What is it with people not minding strangers touching them? I also saw some 30ish guy who was waiting for a pat-down as well. MHT seemed pretty "friendly" that day when I was there.
At another airport, I noticed a lady in a full burqa. I'm kind of curious as to what the TSA did for her screening. This airport had NOS. I feel bad for those women, people get mad if you screen them, other people will get mad if you don't screen them. If it really were that important for security, the TSA would screen EVERYONE going through an airport.
I think they can still choose you for a random pat-down even if there are no NOS machines.