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Body scanner opt-out wait times @ SEA

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Old Nov 14, 2010, 2:03 pm
  #1  
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Body scanner opt-out wait times @ SEA

A few individuals in this thread have mentioned waiting 30+ minutes for a pat down if they chose to opt-out. My next flight is this Tuesday. What are your experiences, if you opted-out, now that these machines are active?

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Last edited by dawtips; Nov 14, 2010 at 4:15 pm
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Old Nov 14, 2010, 2:17 pm
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I have a flight tomorrow, and plan to find a lane that the NoS is not in use. However, if they are all in use, I plan to "opt out" and I will report back on the time it takes. I do plan on being at the airport with lots of time allowed for this.
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Old Nov 14, 2010, 2:59 pm
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Originally Posted by dweeb
I have a flight tomorrow, and plan to find a lane that the NoS is not in use. However, if they are all in use, I plan to "opt out" and I will report back on the time it takes. I do plan on being at the airport with lots of time allowed for this.
Watch out for the "grope".
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Old Nov 14, 2010, 3:35 pm
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At this point I am not sure which is worse - a picture of you naked or have your private parts touched by a TSA personnel.
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Old Nov 14, 2010, 4:10 pm
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Originally Posted by dweeb
I have a flight tomorrow, and plan to find a lane that the NoS is not in use. However, if they are all in use, I plan to "opt out" and I will report back on the time it takes. I do plan on being at the airport with lots of time allowed for this.
Thanks in advance for sharing your experience!

Personally I plan to opt out as much as possible. Even if they say the radiation exposure by the machines is minimal; as a weekly flier who would get scanned min 2x wk and the radiation levels all passengers are already exposed to by just flying, not convinced there won’t be cumulative effects in the long run.
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Old Nov 14, 2010, 4:15 pm
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Originally Posted by g11
At this point I am not sure which is worse - a picture of you naked or have your private parts touched by a TSA personnel.
I believe that's the whole point, to make pat-down so egregiously time consuming and humiliating that people will accept the body scanners rather than be subjected to a groping which in any other context would be illegal.

Of course when the TSA does it, that means that it is not illegal.
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Old Nov 14, 2010, 4:36 pm
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I opted out, but it wasn't in Seattle. They didn't delay me and did not fondle me much.
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Old Nov 14, 2010, 5:13 pm
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Opted out ORD to SEA last week

After yelling "female opt out", my wait was relatively short. Though, after donning blue gloves, the TSA agent did start with feeling my scalp, moved down to literally placing her hands inside of my pants/waist band, and everywhere else.

Went to the North Terminal @ SeaTac this morning and the body scanners were not in operation, though the Gold security lines were quite long at 7:30 on a Sunday.
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Old Nov 14, 2010, 5:53 pm
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Make the most of an uncomfortable situation by putting the akwardness on TSA. There is no rule against expressing moans of pleasure and stating a few "oh......yes!"-es, following by saying thank YOU with a satisfied smile. Be sure to tell the agent that you will ask for them by name for your next flight screening.
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Old Nov 14, 2010, 5:53 pm
  #10  
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What happens to your bags in these cases? Are they searched minutely like the old SSSS fine-tooth-combing?
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Old Nov 14, 2010, 6:02 pm
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Originally Posted by TWA A380
I opted out, but it wasn't in Seattle. They didn't delay me and did not fondle me much.
you sound so disappointed.

I've been subjected to multiple screenings and additional screenings and yet more "random" screenings at gates in my life. I like to make the joke to the TSA agent that "usually I have to go to Chinatown and pay for something like this" It either brings some humility to the situation or makes them feel so awkward that it ends quickly. A conversation I had with Israeli Airline personnel always ends with them laughing at US regulations when they do screens with their eyes and computers checking the lists.
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Old Nov 14, 2010, 9:47 pm
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Originally Posted by Points Scrounger
What happens to your bags in these cases? Are they searched minutely like the old SSSS fine-tooth-combing?
No, they go through the x-ray as well, BUT they are not as diligent at asking you where your stuff is so they can pull it. (not that they were ever diligent, but now even less)

I opted out at LAX the other day and while I stood in one place, my items were left on the belt, fortunately where they told me to stand I had a visual. Once they came to me, then they asked which were my bins. But that was about 4 -5 minutes later.
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Old Nov 14, 2010, 9:52 pm
  #13  
 
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Originally Posted by sigueugis
Make the most of an uncomfortable situation by putting the akwardness on TSA. There is no rule against expressing moans of pleasure and stating a few "oh......yes!"-es, following by saying thank YOU with a satisfied smile. Be sure to tell the agent that you will ask for them by name for your next flight screening.
Just what I am panning on doing on my next pass through
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Old Nov 15, 2010, 1:37 pm
  #14  
 
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No NoS

When I went through Security at SEA today, at the "D" checkpoints, the NoS's were not in use. So i did not have the option of an "enhanced pat-down" I am sure that I will have an opportunity in the next few flight to experience the "new requirements".
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Old Nov 15, 2010, 2:12 pm
  #15  
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Originally Posted by dweeb
When I went through Security at SEA today, at the "D" checkpoints, the NoS's were not in use. So i did not have the option of an "enhanced pat-down" I am sure that I will have an opportunity in the next few flight to experience the "new requirements".
This whole thing is making big news. Saw it on CNN this morning in the Board Room. They were discussing the video that was recorded by a guy subject to the enhanced pat-down recently. If you want to read more, Google "Touch My Junk." (Seriously, that was what was on the screen of CNN this morning--those exact words!--so I'm OK with posting them here... )
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