Originally Posted by
einTier
I digress. My biggest concern was that at both airports when I opted out, 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."
Similar things happened at JFK except I got through quicker and the GF and I coordinated so that one of us was able to keep an eye on things at all times. Still no idea how I should handle it in the future.
What am I supposed to do? They tell me to never leave my bags unattended, then force me to do so if I want to skip having nudie pictures taken of myself.
Austin has a real problem with this and other retaliation. I simply avoid it any more, using either SAT or driving to DFW depending on where I'm headed. By the time you deal with the TERM DELETED BY MODERATOR , the longer lines with the strip-search machines, and the "we're at war with citizens" attitude, as well as the flight time, DFW isn't that much further.
Originally Posted by
InkUnderNails
I may be on the wrong side of the consensus here, but I do ask and I do not let them tell me where to stand unless it is a place where I can see my stuff.
I move myself to where I can watch my stuff. I do not move to place that in any way will violate the integrity of the process, but I will move to a place where I can see my stuff. They can scream and yell and coerce and threat. I do not care. I become a statue that can only say one thing: "Your SOP says that I must be able to keep my belongings in my sight. If you have a problem with that you need to get a supervisor and and LEO. I can see them fine right here."
Likewise. I usually get an objection (including one who fussed that I was standing in front of the WTMD and didn't like it one bit when I told her that they weren't using it so I wasn't blocking anything).