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Whole Body Scanners Opt Out Stories [merged]

Whole Body Scanners Opt Out Stories [merged]

Old Aug 7, 2012, 10:19 am
  #2851  
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Originally Posted by dan1431
I had one TSA employee flat out tell me, he has very little understanding of the reasoning behind the actions of his job, other than what TSA has told him, that by following their policies and procedures he in ensuring the safety of the nation. Essentially he is trained how to do X, but not given much of a reason for why he does X.
In other words, he's not even intelligent enough to be trusted to do the job, let alone understand why the job shouldn't be done in the first place.
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Old Aug 7, 2012, 10:34 am
  #2852  
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This is from my trip through the SAN Commuter Terminal on Saturday.

For those of you that have not flown through the commuter terminal, it only has four gates, and one checkpoint with one WTMD, one bksx, and two bag x-rays. Naturally, the WTMD was rped off, and the BKSX was primary

I was the only person going through security at the time, so the clerk seemed to dedicate most of his attention to me. I really didn't appreciate his attitude, which reminded me of

Here is our exchange:

Clerk: <points to BKSX>
Me: I have a shoulder injury, and can not raise my arms
Clerk: Alright, then you're opting out?
Me: No, this is a medical issue, and we are allowed to go through the WTMD
Clerk: I don't know where you are getting your info, but that is false
Me: Oh, really? I've had to do it four times in the past week.
Clerk: If you don't go through the BKSX, you will receive a full body pat down
Me: Go ahead and ask a three-striper if you don't believe me.

At this point, it seems that the clerk was getting annoyed because I wouldn't play along with his little game.

He kept arguing with me, which led to the TDC to step-in and say "If he's ineligible for the "AIT" , then you open up the WTMD.

It got more interesting as the clerk began to argue with the TDC

Clerk: He said that a supervisor allowed him to go through
TDC: Then let's ask the supervisor.

Clerk: He has a medical issue, and says that he is allowed to go through the WTMD?

Three Striper: That is correct. If he is ineligible, then let him through the WTMD. He'll only get a pat-down if he alarms.

Clerk: :sigh:

After a couple minutes of back and forth, I made it through. It's just ridiculous to see how stupid some of these people are. If I were the three-striper, I would have pulled this clerk for his rude attitude, and for arguing with the passengers. When you have fellow employees telling you that you are wrong, it's time to admit defeat, not keep arguing.



Originally Posted by cottonmather0
Which exemplifies the cynicism and hypocrisy of the whole system. If it's such a "key" technology that is more secure than WTMD's, then you should never bypass it without resorting to a patdown.

But if the scanners and the patdowns can just be bypassed whenever things get crowded or backed up, then it must not be that critical and therefore it's not needed at all. This is what seemed to be missing from coverage of Opt-out Day, that one final step of journalistic inquiry.
Bingo :-:

I went through ORD twice this past weekend, and noticed that only 2/5 Chertoff Irradiation machines were turned on, with the rest blocked with carts. Why even run two
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Old Aug 7, 2012, 10:47 am
  #2853  
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Originally Posted by FriendlySkies
If I were the three-striper, I would have pulled this clerk for his rude attitude, and for arguing with the passengers.
If all of the TSA employees who were rude, stupid, or dishonest were fired, there wouldn't be any left.
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Old Aug 7, 2012, 10:48 am
  #2854  
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Originally Posted by Caradoc
If all of the TSA employees who were rude, stupid, or dishonest were fired, there wouldn't be any left.
Very true :-:
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Old Aug 7, 2012, 1:55 pm
  #2855  
 
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Originally Posted by Caradoc
If all of the TSA employees who were rude, stupid, or dishonest were fired, there wouldn't be any left.
^
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Old Aug 9, 2012, 6:07 pm
  #2856  
 
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Originally Posted by Caradoc
If all of the TSA employees who were rude, stupid, or dishonest were fired, there wouldn't be any left.
This is so true, and those are the ones I get every single time I fly. I can't remove my shoes due to medical devices in them, and going through the rigamarole is a nightmare - every single time.
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Old Aug 9, 2012, 8:07 pm
  #2857  
 
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Originally Posted by Caradoc
If all of the TSA employees who were rude, stupid, or dishonest were fired, there wouldn't be any left.
This would be a problem exactly how?
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Old Aug 10, 2012, 3:20 am
  #2858  
 
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Originally Posted by FriendlySkies
This is from my trip through the SAN Commuter Terminal on Saturday.

For those of you that have not flown through the commuter terminal, it only has four gates, and one checkpoint with one WTMD, one bksx, and two bag x-rays. Naturally, the WTMD was rped off, and the BKSX was primary

I was the only person going through security at the time, so the clerk seemed to dedicate most of his attention to me. I really didn't appreciate his attitude, which reminded me of

Here is our exchange:

Clerk: <points to BKSX>
Me: I have a shoulder injury, and can not raise my arms
Clerk: Alright, then you're opting out?
Me: No, this is a medical issue, and we are allowed to go through the WTMD
Clerk: I don't know where you are getting your info, but that is false
Me: Oh, really? I've had to do it four times in the past week.
Clerk: If you don't go through the BKSX, you will receive a full body pat down
Me: Go ahead and ask a three-striper if you don't believe me.

At this point, it seems that the clerk was getting annoyed because I wouldn't play along with his little game.

He kept arguing with me, which led to the TDC to step-in and say "If he's ineligible for the "AIT" , then you open up the WTMD.

It got more interesting as the clerk began to argue with the TDC

Clerk: He said that a supervisor allowed him to go through
TDC: Then let's ask the supervisor.

Clerk: He has a medical issue, and says that he is allowed to go through the WTMD?

Three Striper: That is correct. If he is ineligible, then let him through the WTMD. He'll only get a pat-down if he alarms.

Clerk: :sigh:

After a couple minutes of back and forth, I made it through. It's just ridiculous to see how stupid some of these people are. If I were the three-striper, I would have pulled this clerk for his rude attitude, and for arguing with the passengers. When you have fellow employees telling you that you are wrong, it's time to admit defeat, not keep arguing.
I had the same experience at Houston Hobby.
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Old Aug 10, 2012, 7:04 am
  #2859  
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Originally Posted by Carl Johnson
This would be a problem exactly how?
How are you going to trust the corrupt/stupid three-striper to recommend terminating the corrupt/stupid one and/or two-stripers?
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Old Aug 10, 2012, 9:34 am
  #2860  
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Originally Posted by FatherAbraham
I had the same experience at Houston Hobby.
Lucky you.

PHX T2, a month ago. I was directed to the NoS. Running late, I explained that I'm physically unable to assume and hold the position. TSO told me (as usual) that I'm an 'opt-out'. I explained that I was NOT opting out, I was incapable of assuming the position. TSO said "if you choose not to use the scanner, you're an opt-out, full-body patdown, all parts of body, may have to wait, bla-bla".

Generally, I just go into the NoS when I'm directed to do so (which seems to be always ). When the NoS monitor tells me to assume the position, I explain that I can't. They're not happy about it, but it does result in an expedited grope because there's always someone standing there to perform post-NoS anomaly-resolution gropes.

It's faster than the forced 'opt-out' because I never have to wait for a TSO specially dedicated to perform opt-out gropes. Also, for some odd reason, the post-NoS immediate grope is never accompanied by a swab test (and the involuntary opt-out grope generally is).
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Old Aug 10, 2012, 10:03 am
  #2861  
 
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Shhhhh, don't let the bad guys know they just have to feign a shoulder injury and they can avoid being swabbed.

Next generation of the NoS will probably involve a dozen little robot arms that swab you at the end of the scan, making it into a full-service car wash.

Q: Is a grope by a robot arm less of a sexual thing?

I so wish they had spent the proper amount of money and time on the puffers to make them work, instead of rushing them to the field only to mothball them. Puffers would have avoided all this drama. No nude pics; no "position" to assume; fewer gropes needed for resolution.

Last edited by TheRoadie; Aug 10, 2012 at 10:04 am Reason: Another icky image came to mind.
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Old Aug 10, 2012, 11:22 am
  #2862  
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Originally Posted by chollie
Also, for some odd reason, the post-NoS immediate grope is never accompanied by a swab test (and the involuntary opt-out grope generally is).
I'm sure that that is because the MMW "rays" immediately neutralize any WEIs that were on your person, and therefore are no longer a threat.

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Old Aug 10, 2012, 5:02 pm
  #2863  
 
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Originally Posted by chollie
Lucky you.

PHX T2, a month ago. I was directed to the NoS. Running late, I explained that I'm physically unable to assume and hold the position. TSO told me (as usual) that I'm an 'opt-out'. I explained that I was NOT opting out, I was incapable of assuming the position. TSO said "if you choose not to use the scanner, you're an opt-out, full-body patdown, all parts of body, may have to wait, bla-bla".

Generally, I just go into the NoS when I'm directed to do so (which seems to be always ). When the NoS monitor tells me to assume the position, I explain that I can't. They're not happy about it, but it does result in an expedited grope because there's always someone standing there to perform post-NoS anomaly-resolution gropes.

It's faster than the forced 'opt-out' because I never have to wait for a TSO specially dedicated to perform opt-out gropes. Also, for some odd reason, the post-NoS immediate grope is never accompanied by a swab test (and the involuntary opt-out grope generally is).
so they went ahead and scanned you anyways and subsequently you received a grope because they claim there were anomalies?
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Old Aug 10, 2012, 6:13 pm
  #2864  
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Originally Posted by cottonmather0
Which exemplifies the cynicism and hypocrisy of the whole system. If it's such a "key" technology that is more secure than WTMD's, then you should never bypass it without resorting to a patdown.

But if the scanners and the patdowns can just be bypassed whenever things get crowded or backed up, then it must not be that critical and therefore it's not needed at all. This is what seemed to be missing from coverage of Opt-out Day, that one final step of journalistic inquiry.
This.

Cheers.
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Old Aug 10, 2012, 6:21 pm
  #2865  
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Originally Posted by FatherAbraham
so they went ahead and scanned you anyways and subsequently you received a grope because they claim there were anomalies?
I usually avoid the experience at PHX T2. I am physically incapable of assuming and holding the NoS position - when I explain this when I get directed to the NoS, I always get told that makes me an 'opt-out'. That means I have to struggle to keep sight of my bags while waiting for a grope and swab.

I was hurried and stressed and distracted at PHX T2. I have learned to avoid this experience somewhat. When I'm directed to the NoS, I don't argue, I just go and stand in place. When I'm directed to assume the position, then I explain that I'm unable to do so. There's always a TSO on the other side of the NoS ready to resolve any anomalies. In my case, because I can't assume the position, there's no scan - my entire body is an anomaly and I get a full grope.

The difference between the two approaches? If I explain ahead of time that I am unable to assume the position, I struggle to see my bags, I have to wait (sometimes, not always, for up to 10 minutes) for my grope, and I always get swabbed (another slight delay). Sometimes I even get a gratuitous bag search.

If I do not explain ahead of time that I'm unable to assume the position, and I wait until I'm in the NoS, I get an immediate grope, better chances of keeping an eye on my bags, no swab, and, to date, no extra bag check.
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