dustyrose

smf opted out on dec 3rd both me and husband hes hard of hearing so after i opted out i told them that man behind me is hard of hearing and he opts out . did not go through any metal deters or nudo scope. got my pat down nothing harsh but she was confused as i wear no bras lol the black tsa agent who did my husband try to agrue that the michines are safe i told him show me the fda fact sheet that they ran the test to prove it was safe , he still agrued for ten minutes , while this was going on he was patting down my husband talk about a black man turning bright red well he got embarrassed my husband and i had a good laugh . get to lax we both opted out again , no barking no unusal spills how ever coming back from lax at south west , barking tsa agent yelling belts off ect apparently my husband forgot his hat and the tsa started yelling , i am polite and said he cant hear you so barking at him isnt working made the statement we arent cattle we are humans respect works both ways, i do prefer austrila tsa even with husband getting the ssss on his boarding pass . shoes on lap top in bag the second screening on hubby wasnt bad at gate except the way they complained where is his meds , they are in one little bag she opened and said thanks on our way , thats our true account smf is using nudo scopes as primary so no other choice but to opt out

Khabibul35

I opted out at SFO, agents spent 2-3 minutes trying to convince me it was safe. They asked if I had a cell phone and said it's safer to go through this thing than making a phone call. I told them I wasn't going to take their word for it and needed more information. They gave me some leaflet, but it didn't say much about it. I insisted on opting out and they made me walk through the metal detector then took me and my belongings to a glass room. The TSA agent put on his gloves, patted me down (telling me what he was about to do). There was nothing too intrusive except at one point I felt like the agent might have gone up a little to high on the legs/thigh putting his fingers in between the area of my legs and testicles. It was a strange sensation but it didn't seem vindictive. The agent left and tested his gloves. Came back in a minute and gave me the all clear.

Overall, the screener was pretty professional while the ladies arguing with me were not.

Majuki

I would say do what is most comfortable for you and what allows you to keep your sights on your belongings at all times. Too many times I see people just dump everything on the rollers (not even on the belt) and head through the WTMD or NoS. I always wait for the belt to clear and see my belongings go into the x-ray before I'll proceed to the WTMD or NoS opt-out.

Ineverthoughtthiswouldhappen

This is very odd...as SFO is known to allow you to line yourself up with the WTMD and go through. They are not the TSA there fyi. I am flying there tomorrow because SMF is horrible!! The TSA has destroyed most of CA's airports.

Also...I know what bothers me the most about these scanners....it's never 100% of people that go through them. Apparently toddlers are never sent through (but that's not to say that it has never happened, because we all know that the TSA makes mistakes). If they got rid of the WTMD and replaced it with the scanner and EVERYONE who boarded the plane went through it together I suppose we'd all be in the same boat and I would feel more calm about it. It's the fact they are discriminatory about it that bothers me. If you have more plastic surgery and seem younger, you might get excused from the scanner. If you seem like you're "having a bad day" they might pick on you. It's just bullsh*t. They are discriminating based on age which is anti-american and senseless. Also I hate L-3 and rapiscan because they purposely made the scanners inefficient and slow so that they would be used in a discriminatory manner. The whole operation is shady and I will never submit to it until it is completely changed. I think that both the TSA and L-3/Rapiscan need to face criminal charges for what they've done to the innocent traveling public.

SMF WAS AWFUL!!!!! I will never go back. They didn't even have the scanners when I purchased my ticket. Even the skyclub and first class on the way back did not undo the pain from the sexual assault here thanks to the MOAT DRAGON OF HELL! I hate him and hope he suffers severely until he dies. Remember it's not really the person who does the pat-down who is the problem......it's the MOAT DRAGON who selects you that screwed up, especially if you politely ask to be screened by the WTMD. IT IS ABSOLUTELY WITHIN THEIR AUTHORITY TO GRANT YOU THE RIGHT TO USE THE WTMD WITHOUT "OPTING OUT." In the future if I ever have a moat dragon abuse me I will personally warn them that not only will I complain to the TSA, but I will PERSONALLY file criminal charges against them for setting up a sexual assault against me. I will state that if they think they can use me to meet their body scanner quota they thought wrong and criminal charges will be filed against BOTH the TSA and them PERSONALLY in the court of law. If they say I can't use the WTMD and that I have to use the scanner/pat down I will IMMEDIATELY take my pen or phone out of the tray on the x-ray machine, and write down their badge number and NAME. If they refuse to give this information I will report them to the police for threatening me with a sexual assault and immediately call for a supervisor. This is correct the way to deal with the TSA. Stand up for your rights as much as you can legally!!! (Note: this scenario is more warranted in a case where you specifically observed other passengers being allowed to use the WTMD)

Haha!! We all have to join forces on here...we really do.
But you know...we can't assume that everyone who goes through the scanner really views it as a "joy ride." When I first went to RDU I never opted out...went through the scanners 5 times in my 100+ flights out of RDU in 2010. I will NEVER go back to that airport. The last time I went through I was granted the right to use the WTMD without opting out. I won in the end and they will pay the price when I either 1) take over L-3 with my own aerospace division, 2) put L-3 out of business, or 3) have all of them sued personally. My brother is a doctor at one of the nation's TOP research universities. We have ways of finding out and publishing whether these poorly calibrated MMW machines are toxic in the long run. I'm sure my brother wouldn't mind using his M.D. to help me publish. In fact, he's the one who told me to start opting out! =) I have experienced severe trauma, sexual assaults, and abuse at the hands of the TSA and L-3/rapsican that have scarred me for life! I won't let this go easily. I intend to act. Mark my words...I will make sure this is always a free country and that their horrific acts will not go without facing justice in the court of law. They truly want to force us all into submission into using the scanners. I'm proud of myself for making it clear to every TSA agency that abused me that they are in the wrong and I will NOT tolerate it. I have yelled at TSA supervisors from RDU-DFW-SMF-LAX. I DID MY PART AND I'M PROUD!

Hell yes we do! I HATE them for putting this garbage in my favorite Alaskan airports!

Buster

I opted out at LAX T3 on Christmas Day. Backscatter was the only option - no self-opt out possible. I opted out while my belongings continued through the x-ray machine. I was told to stand out of the way, and when I complained that I couldn't see my belongings, I was told "that's what happens when you opt out." The TSA agent did say that it was one of the things she keeps telling them to change, but that the rules are that I am not allowed to see or be with my belongings when I choose to opt out. Other than that, the process was pretty painless - the pat down was pretty innocuous (no fondling, groping or genital contact), and the whole thing actually took the same amount of time as the backscatter machine (which, by the way, leads to a painfully slow moving line).

If you're a thief, this is where you want to be - lots and lots of unmonitored bags and laptops sitting around while people wait to go through the machines. The TSA agent who told me to wait out of the way was actually yelling at people to keep their watches and jewelry on because they have had problems with those items being stolen out of bags as they sat on the other side! Good grief.

MDtR-Chicago

This seems like the most relevant thread to post this, as it is a comparative anecdote.

I flew thru SYR this week. There was a tremendous backup at the checkpoint I used. It was across the street, into the parking garage, and on its way back. I would guess about 150-200 people waiting. Maybe more. Lots of families with strollers.

Using two baggage x-rays and a WTMD, the TSA cleared it in about 30 minutes with no barking and almost everyone made their flights.

I'm really excited for the day when their checkpoint consolidation project is finished. Then the two checkpoints can be combined into one hyper-inefficient AIT checkpoint and those crowds won't make their flights.

Upgraded!

Anyone opted out at ORD T3 recently care to share the experience? Is it still a ball-buster, so to speak (with hands in waistband/collar for dessert)?

mikeef

What are all these reports where there is no WTMD available? I always thought that the NoS were a secondary form of security?

Mike

buzzsaw999

I opted out at CMH terminal B in November. Can't say the exact day, because I was through that airport a number of times on the same convoluted trip. But, I think the trip total security checks were three times here in Asia, and six times in the US. The CMH check was the only time I had the opportunity to opt out, unless we count careful selection of the queue at ORD.

I received the go-slow punishment, but other than that, it wasn't too bad. I recommend opting out when applicable.

Michael El

It's become primary.

buzzsaw999

Say, I just realised NRT doesn't even have a segregated American ghetto. If you are flying to the US, you're thrown in together with everyone else, and you don't even have to take your shoes off. Surprised (but not bothered) that the Americans tolerate this.

Majuki

My latest was in July, but it was still a finger inside the waistband check. I tuck in my shirt before proceeding to the checkpoint to prepare for this eventuality. You can usually find a lane at the main checkpoint using the WTMD only, but it's often a mess. I find the Platinum/EXP line with an opt-out to be faster. If you time it right, the NoS won't be in use.

cmn.jcs

When did that happen?

InkUnderNails

I seems to have been concurrent with the ATR roll out.

Allie202

My opt out was this summer in PIE. I took a vacation with a good friend from work, and honestly had I known a NoS where there, I would have reconsidered. I didn't do my research, but just assumed ahead of time that such a small airport wouldn't have them

Anyway, everyone was going through the WTMD so my friend and I lined up for it also. Then go figure soon as it's our turn we are now supposed to go through the NoS. (My friend and I are in our late 20s, so I really do think younger women are singled out).

We both opted out and the lead clerk left his post to come over to me and threaten me with "you know what you are in store for, don't you?" DISGUSTING. Of course I thought of a good response too late.

Then a police officer came over and he informed me that he "always opts." You could tell he respected our guts in standing up to this garbage. That gave me a shred of faith in humanity.

I had an idea of what the patdown would entail, but was thrown off when she started caressing my scalp. I still get shivers down my spine thinking of that. I didn't see any other opt outs. Everyone was looking at us curiously though as we stood to the side bypassing the NoS. Like they wanted to do the same, but didn't know what to do. Not to be overly dramatic, but it truly was twilight zone type stuff.