dan1431

While I cannot point you to any written documentation RE: TSA policy procedure in this case, I can say this much with some certainty.

Even when TSA plainly writes policy/procedure on their website and I have printed said policy/procedure directly off their website, I have been told at the local airport that at a TSA employees discretion they can change/modify said policy/procedure to ensure security.

So, even if you found written documentation RE: injury and being ineligible for AIT, it does not mean that at any given airport TSA will follow said policy/procedure.

Dan

tkey75

And that, my friends, is the one thing we can all be certain of - uncertainty.

livevideoguy

I have gotten my freedom pat 31 times so far this year. Thank goodness for PreCheck. It has kept me from getting it a few times already. I refuse to go through those damn nudie machines. No reason to tempt fate. Besides if there is ever a class action lawsuit against TSA and those machines. I am jumping aboard it.

livevideoguy

Make that 32

loops

Welcome to flyertalk livevideoguy! So, have the freedom pats found anything dangerous on your person yet? Thank you for your sacrifices for security! I now feel 32 times safer than I felt previously. <whew!>

txflyer77

I just opted-out at Term. A in IAH.

There was literally no one in line in front of me, WTMD operational next to a MMW but I was directed to the MMW. Opted out, took about 60 seconds for a male assist to appear.

They were a little slow in moving my bags but I stood my ground and wouldn't walk over to the grope area until they had someone to bring the bags with me. The groper actually was understanding and didn't have a problem with me waiting by the belt for another agent to appear.

He was surprisingly polite, quick and professional during the grope. He asked why I opted-out but not in an accusatorial fashion. I told him I don't want to accumulate radiation and he agreed with me.

Still hate the grope but this was a far cry better than my experience in SEA earlier this year when two old British ladies stared at me during the entire grope...

linsj

Opted out at the north terminal in ATL this morning. I tried to walk through the metal detector while someone was waiting for the MMW machine and was stopped. Right after me, the matron let two people go through the metal detector. She called for a female assist more than 6 times, the first 4 weren't loud enough to get anyone's attention--obviously punishing me. I had to wait 15 minutes for the groper. No one else was opting out.

soarer

I always Opt out , but wonder why my baggage has to be hand inspected instead of the regular machine inspected ? is that just because I Opted out ?

Or was it just bad luck ?

Soarer

Pesky Monkey

It depends on the airport. The smaller the airport the more likely they'll search through your bags. The suits at the top seem to think that the nude-o-scopes actually work.

bocastephen

Why are people still opting out when you can claim medical disability ("I cant raise my arms") and have a higher probability of being waved through the WTMD without a full-on grope?

jco613

For me personally, I'm not going to lie or have my family lie. Also, and this is especially the case wt BKSX but also in general, I don't even want to step in the machine and I want to be as far away as possible. I don't know when it is turned on, and what radiation it is emitting in "idle" mode.

Also doesn't hurt that when you opt out, you show the public how much of theater the security checkpoint really is.

cottonmather0

One reason I haven't tried it (and probably won't) is that you have to go all the way into the box before you can fake your injury, and once you're in the box you can't see your stuff. Ditto for the period that you're standing around waiting to go through the WTMD after faking it, when your stuff is already on the back side of the checkpoint and you're standing in front.

KDS

I agree. My moral standards do not support lying, even in this situation with TSA and its nonsensical and illegal (in my opinion) activities.

MichaelKade

This is generally the only issue I run into. They quickly change their gloves (usually without asking), let me watch my bags, carry them over for me, etc. What they don't do, however, is get a "male assist" in an efficient manner (e.g. yelling or walkie). They will often just say "male assist" outloud even though there is clearly no male assist around to hear them say it. It's quite frustrating and I will often point out the fact that no one heard them.

Ysitincoach

I don't see where the notion of going into the NoS box comes into play.

Anytime I've witnessed someone with a medical, they pull the barker to the side, explain that they need a walkthrough, and just wait by the WTMD for a screener that would otherwise do a pat down to open up the WTMD.

In my own personal travel experiences, I've yet to witness anyone actually walk into the machine, and then articulate that they medically can not do the freeze, under arrest, pose.