CavePearl

My actual grope monologue depends on the length of the grope, but for the past year as time permits I've included asking the blue shirts (in my sweetest grandmotherly concerned voice) if they are watching for the announcement of a class-action lawsuit regarding backscatter radiation exposure.

marktwothousand

I'd like to know how many people out there avoid the machines because of radiation, and how many avoid them for personal privacy (i.e. they don't want their wobbly bits seen by strangers).

I always thought it was mainly the wobbly bits that caused hesitation, but I'm finding a lot of people in this thread are actually concerned about repeated radiation exposures.

InkUnderNails

How about the 3rd option: The revulsion of a government search that requires that a person wishing to travel on a common carrier submit to a virtual search of their naked body or a law-enforcement full body rub down, either exercise that may violate protections of the 4th Amendment except for generously interpreted decisions involving administrative searches. With only two options, I take the frisk.

And no, not flying is not a reasonable option so do not even bring it up.

chollie

If I go to my doctor or dentist, I voluntarily submit to xrays. I can ask to see the calibration and service records of the unit. I can research the unit to see what sort of testing has been done on it or what sort of problems may have been encountered with it.

I don't trust TSA, ergo, I don't trust anything TSA says about this or anything else without independent verification.

The units haven't been independently reviewed. Dosimeters aren't allowed.

If these units are so safe, why did TSA grant pilots an exemption so quickly?

If these units are so safe, why is TSA so reluctant to come forward with the details? (Oh, right, I know, if TSA allows independent examination of the machines, it will tip our hands to the terrorists).

We have seen instances (albeit rare) where a terminal was dumped because checkpoint equipment failed and no one noticed in a timely manner. How soon does someone notice that a scanner is malfunctioning?
Even medical devices have been miscalibrated or have otherwise malfunctioned.

jackonferry

All of the above plus Ink's answer below to your OP, plus a few additional:

• I object to their use as a primary screening mechanism. I have no issue with using them as a secondary search mechanism on a small sample -- random or otherwise -- of passengers.

• I'm not especially concerned about the radiation but I think it's inappropriate to make people go through these until a reputable, independent, third party has evaluated them in field conditions of maintenance and operation.

• You can't see your stuff on the x-ray belt from the backscatter machines (you can from the MMW machines). This, combined with the slowness of the process, raises the risk of theft.

• I watch carefully at airports and in most cases at least 1/3 of the people going through WBI get a patdown anyway.

• For these reasons, ATR (ie, cartoon images instead of the body image) does not solve any problems for me.

I opt out because it is the only way of expressing my displeasure with the process.

chollie

There are 'involuntary medical opt-outs', too - those folks who can't assume and hold the position. I suspect some of the post-NoS frisks are on folks who fall into this category without realizing it (elderly folks with slight balance issues, compounded by having to hold the arms overhead). John McCain isa public figure who can't assume and hold the postion either. He's an 'opt-out for life'.

spd476

The radiation is more of a concern to me. If I didn't have a medical condition that prevented me using the machines, I would probably go through the MMW, but not the backscatter one. I don't agree with the machines usage from a privacy standpoint, but I would rather be scanned than groped. Either way, I feel like I'm punishing the TSA either way. I don't think they want to see me naked and I can't imagine they like to grope me.

Brattflyer

I opted out at IAD for the first time last week. it was quite painless. The one striper was sympathetic when I told him I didn't want to stand there with my hands over my head like a criminal just to get on a plane.

Wick00

Opted out at SAT this morning...checkpoint was almost empty, but the shared line that led directly to the WTMD was pretty full, with an empty one next to it. They were funneling the people from the WTMD line to the BSK machine anyway. So get all my stuff on the belt, and try to go through the WTMD, but got sent to the BSK . Say I opt out at this point and they send me through the WTMD.

I take 2 steps forward to look over to see my stuff come out of the x-ray and the 1-striper manning the WTMD tells me to come back and stand by the WTMD (BSK blocking view to the x-ray machine). I politely tell him what I'm doing and where I am (without moving), and he repeats 3 times, increasing his volume each time (not deaf, just not sheep). Finally calls for a supervisor, to which I say "thank you".

Supervisor (3-striper) and male assist show up at the same time, but I stay where I can see my belongings. Supervisor discusses with the volume-impaired agent, and then stops me on my way to my rubdown...asks if the 1-striper told me to stay somewhere, to which I said yes, but couldn't see my stuff. Said "I should do as I'm told", to which I said "what about seeing my belongings?" He said they'll be there when I get there . I then said "your own policy requires me to see my belongings at all times"...he then just shrugged and sent me to my rubdown, which was fairly benign (although the 3-striper stayed there throughout the process).

If I remember next time, I'll just ask which directive I'm supposed to follow...the ones they publish repeatedly or the ones they make up on the fly.

So ridiculous.

Have to fly out of there again on Sunday...so not looking forward to the 9/11 buffoonery.

InkUnderNails

If you were deaf like me you could just ignore (but it is not really ignoring if you can not hear) their commands and when they get in your face and ask you just say "Oh, were you talking? I am hearing impaired and had no idea."

It happened to me today. I moved where I could watch my stuff and stood there. I think they were telling me I was not standing in the right place but I could not hear them. I looked away from my stuff and saw three or four screeners looking in my direction with their lips moving. Oops, I, thought, these guys are talking to me. I stated my medical condition and two started giving hand signals. Good move, now I knew what to do. I looked at the one that appeared to be in the lead and said that if I am looking at him we can communicate. He asked where my stuff was and I showed him. He carried it to the pat down area and we were done in jiffy. He even just gave me a thumbs up sign when the gloves were clear rather than try to tell me.

SFOSpiff

Good luck with that. I've been yelled at for not following the instructions of two different TSOs standing a few feet away from each other. Apparently I was supposed to be in two spots simultaneously.

I flew on 9/11 last year - it was a day trip, so I went through the rigamarole twice. But supposedly this year is "a big deal." I think they assume our enemies place too much importance on symbolism, and somehow getting hit on a 9/11 anniversary is far more likely than, say, last Tuesday.

linsj

Two months ago, the expert traveler line went through the metal detector.

This morning, the expert traveler line was all funneled through the NOS. I opted out and was the only one who did so the whole time I was in the security area. Female groper was right there and picked up my stuff. Asked for clean gloves, and she readily complied. Got the full massage this time, including fingers in the collar and waistband, which is creepy. (First time for the latter.)

When I got my things together, I discovered the water bottle I forgot to throw out. It was about 1/3 full and in the outside pocket of my briefcase, that side up on the conveyor belt. Inspires confidence in the screening process--not!

G_Wolf

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.2.2; en-us; Droid Build/FRG83G) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/533.1)

Just went through BOS Terminal A C/P. They opened up a few new AIT primary lanes right after we got in line. The TSO directing traffic asked me if I had everything out of my pockets. I asked why. She just answered "you NEED to empty your pockets, is that a PROBLEM?" Eventually my wife and I opted out, and it was pretty standard after that.

bajajoes

==================================================
I am in the category of involuntary opt out BUT even if I could keep my arms up I would still opt out because of the machine.
I question WHETHER & WHY it is necessary to have arms raised?
It seems from the pictures shown that there is room on the scanner picture to simply spread the arms slightly away from the body.
Anyone have thoughts regarding this?

G_Wolf

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.2.2; en-us; Droid Build/FRG83G) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/533.1)

Just went through BOS Terminal A C/P. They opened up a few new AIT primary lanes right after we got in line. The TSO directing traffic asked me if I had everything out of my pockets. I asked why. She just answered "you NEED to empty your pockets, is that a PROBLEM?" Eventually my wife and I opted out, and it was pretty standard after that.