Originally Posted by
einTier
I was immediately separated from luggage and placed in an area where I could no longer view my luggage. Moving where I could see it absolutely enraged the TSA agents in Austin and they took their sweet time waiting for someone to come over and grope me. I watched at least one guy try to walk off with my luggage before my girlfriend (who got through first and quicker) stopped them. It would have been a nightmare had I been traveling alone. The supervisor took the attitude of, "guess you shouldn't opt out then."
The TSA's own website says to
insist that you be able to see your luggage at all times. I always opt out, and if I can't see my belongings, I tell the TSO as much, then tell them that I'm moving over a few feet to where I can, and then I do so. Don't make it a question, just state your intentions and do it. If the TSO freaks out because you moved three feet to the left, tough dookie for them. And if I were to observe someone trying to steal my luggage off the line, TSA be damned, I'm running over there and taking them down myself.
The "guess you shouldn't opt out then" attitude is totally unacceptable. While the actions involved with an opt-out frequently are punitive in nature, they're not supposed to be. If that line is a direct quote, you should have asked for a three-striper (an actual supervisor--many two-stripers will refer to themselves as the "supervisor") immediately. If you were already dealing with someone wearing three stripes, take a look at their ID, address them by name and number (two reasons: one, it helps you remember their number, and two, it REALLY drives them nuts), and tell them that you would like a comment card. They're not supposed to refuse to give you one, but occasionally one will. If that happens, tell them that you expect either a comment card or the FSD to be presented to you within the next 30 seconds. That also gets a great reaction.
Also, absolutely opt out at JFK. They use backscatter x-ray scanners as opposed to the (theoretically) safer MMW technology that AUS has.