exbayern

For years TSA had women wearing skirts perform something akin to a fencing lunge. It is a difficult position for people with any restrictions on mobility. I suppose that the 'spread em' is supposed to be a more humane alternative.

I've never had to 'spread em' by the way at any airport in Europe or Asia.

bdschobel

FLL, Terminal 2 (Delta), June 21, 5:15 am: Directed to NoS and opted out. Male assist arrived quickly. Pleasant enough. Gave me the usual spiel. I objected to the word "resistance," telling him repeatedly (while he kept repeating his canned speech) that I had no intention of resisting him because that would be "interfering with the screening process." I asked him several times, "Do you mean my testicles?" At long last, after 5 or so minutes of debate in front of two supervisors and a very nice screening manager, the clerk admitted that he would be touching my testicles. At that point, I told him to go ahead.

Afterward, I had a long conversation with the screening manager about the absurdity of the word "resistance." He seemed to agree, without explicitly saying so, but said that they just read a script that comes from headquarters, and they have no power to deviate from that script. After another 5 minutes or so, I headed to the Sky Club.

Bruce

nachtnebel

^^^^
Thanks for sticking to your guns, before *they* stuck to yours....
The time they will spend simply to avoid stating the truth.

FliesWay2Much

Interesting -- the screening manager who was one of the clerks who swarmed around me during a similar confrontation said that the clerk would NOT be touching my testicles.

doober

Very interesting and confirms that the TSA is afraid to use "real" words for fear of revolt on the part of the flying public (and perhaps in the ranks also).

bdschobel

The screening manager never admitted that -- and, in fact, tried to argue that different people's testicles are in slightly different locations, which struck me as pretty bizarre, but I haven't really done a survey! The one-stripe screener was the one who admitted that, yes, he would be touching my testicles -- four times, twice from the back and twice from the front. But he promised to be gentle. Really!

Bruce

divemistressofthedark

I've got a new one...last Wednesday, 6/15/11 at C terminal, BNA around 0900 hours...

I had locked up all my gear with my usual anti-TSA locks and was preparing to opt out after I found myself shunted into an AIT line. As there were no TSA staff in the immediate area, I announced to the staffer in the line next to mine that I wouldn't be entering the AIT and would need a female staffer for the opt-out.

To my surprise this agent announced that I shouldn't have said anything, since I might have been directed into the X-ray...?! IMO this wouldn't have happened, but I wouldn't have suspected the TSA would be announcing loudly that not everybody was going to be forced into the NoS.

(The frisking wasn't too bad generally, given the staff people have now been read the Dale Carnegie school riot act - they're so "friendly" it's eerie - but let's say I've had less intensive breast exams at my doctor's office. I didn't have to make a big deal about getting new gloves for the staffer or in having my stuff brought over, but I really am not wild about having my junk played in, extensively and with fronts of hands. I have of course filed my ACLU complaint as of just now - do folks think filing with TSA is a waste of time?)

On the way back, no frisking but the FLL agent yesterday afternoon had plenty of comments to make about the dive gear in my carryon as he swabbed it all down. Honestly, who in their right mind would make chitchat or say anything at all to a TSA staffer unless s/he was required to? I answer direct questions with yes/no and don't offer any information that isn't mandatory.

Again, the staffer seemed almost offended that I wasn't hap hap happy to have him wasting my time, asking nosey questions about my personal habits and disassembling all my gear. Guess I'm grateful it wasn't worse, especially since I was then subject to a six-hour flight delay (not the TSA's fault, but it would have been nice not to have to been stuck in a tiny area with only five or six gates and not many food or other options - leaving would have meant more TSA interaction so I stayed put.)

jmd001

Now here's some underwear that one could wear with pride.

Mabuk dan gila

If a TSA manager tells you different peoples testicles are in slightly different locations, I would believe him. TSA should be preeminent experts by now in the variety of possible testicular arrangements there are, seeing is how they HAVE undertaken the biggest survey in the history of mankind. I'd believe the man.

redreeper

That was funny.

I opted out in ATL last week and got a karate chop in the crotch. Twice. I seriously don't know what the heck that was, but she used the side of her hand to give a somewhat firm chopping upsweep right into my groinal region, from the front and the back. I didnt get a crotch-chop in ORD, so is this a new move for the ladies?

DeafBlonde

If that happens to you again, I would advise you to firmly admonish the screener to take it easy on your "sensitive areas"! Warn (do not threaten) her that you will have to call a LEO if she doesn't take it easy "down there."

CavePearl

I've been groped so many times I've lost count, and my opt-out this morning at HOU was by far one of the worst experiences I've ever had.

It started when I was directed to the NoS. As I always do, I politely said I don't believe I'll go in there - I'm an opt out. The blue shirt said "You're an opt-out?" I said yes, that's what I said. She told me to wait. I said I was concerned about seeing my stuff. She ignored me. I said it again, a little louder. She ignored me. I said it nearly loud enough for the entire room to hear, and she put her hands over her ears!! While she had her ears covered she told the guy looking at the bag x-ray machine to watch my bags. I said even if he watches them I still can't see them, and said I was worried about not being able to see my laptop. She ignored me again. Then the bag x-ray guy said "you don't have to see it because we know its there and it will be okay." I didn't say what I really wanted to say (I bit my tongue) and said well that won't work for me, because I wanted to see my stuff myself. At that point (about 5 minutes had already passed) I said to please call a supervisor since no one would listen to me. Just then my groper magically appeared.

She took me to the magic feet pad and started to touch my arm and I asked her to change her gloves. She said she had just changed her gloves. I said I didn't see her change them, and she pulled them off and slammed them on the table and yanked open the drawer and got new ones, which she put on as she walked over to a two striper to observe me since I was uncooperative. I said I was not refusing to cooperate as I was very familiar with the process and wanted to see for myself that those gloves had not been stuck down another person's pants before me.

That's when she started her spiel about her process. She never asked me if I had any sensitive parts and I told her anyway. She said I'm going to run my hand up to where your leg meets your torso at exactly the time she did it. She did it four times - hard. This was by far the most invasive grope I've had to date.

As soon as she finished I asked for a comment card. She said the supervisor would get me one. Complaint has been filed and this evening I will email my complaint as well. Not that it will do any good.

billycorgan

Had a freedom grope at DFW.

Security was very slow and they were using the WTMD until it was our turn (I think they wanted to see my wife naked)

I refused to go through, had to walk through the WTMD and then got groped.

The grope itself wasn't too bad. He didn't say the word resistance and never touched my testicles. He did a pinching thing around my waistband (they were elastic workout shorts) instead of the finger inside and I was on my way.

Even though that grope wasn't that bad the whole process makes me extremely angry.

UALpremier

For those who haven't heard, AA at LAX T4 has re-routed Priority AAcess to the east end of the terminal. Along with that, PA passengers are sent to a separate screening room that consists of two bag-scanner lines and then a merged single line for either the WTMD or Nudo-scope (backscatter). A TSO decides where you go. At the time, about 80% of passengers were being sent to the nudo-scope (which might have been why the lines were slower than they used to be).

Of course I was selected for backscatter, so I politely asked to opt out. To the TSO's credit, she complied no questions asked and asked in a normal voice for the male assist. The male assist was an elderly man, who was pretty courteous, almost apologetic. He arrived within about 1 to 2 minutes, then asked what things where mine and if I wanted to gather them. The freedom massage wasn't as bad as I had thought it could have been, but then this TSO was carefully explaining everything, using the back of his hand on 'sensitive areas' and changed his glove without asking. It was more or less like the wand pat-down of yesteryear and he stopped before the 'resistance'. He commented that, "Hey that wasn't as bad as what they say in the media . . ." And I guess it wasn't. He ultimately informed me that I "will always have the option to opt out at LAX" and happy travels, yadda yadda yadda. Incidently, because I opted out and held the line back for half a minute, my friend got the metal detector

If ALL pat downs were guaranteed to be like that, I wouldn't be so concerned. I think, however, that I got lucky here.

sk3

Thanks for the info (and sorry to hear you weren't luckier ). May I ask you - did the TSO also give your hand the EDT test? And/or were any of your carryon items tested?