jackonferry

Did you escalate by asking for a supervisor or FSD? What if you had been unable to assume the surrender position? I'm sorry you felt pressured to go through the scanner. It seems these people have an unending list of excuses to try to force compliance.

docmonkey

What unprofessional and dishonest clowns. It is sad we are paying taxes for people like this.

cottonmather0

That's not right and you should have escalated it for them not following their own policy.

I also find it absurd for them to say that going into the machine - WHERE YOU CANNOT SEE YOUR BELONGINGS - is more secure than waiting for a patdown.

FWIW, this is why I refuse to put my stuff through the x-ray until they're ready for the grope or the dragon allows me to walk through and wait on the other side. Even if the wait for the grope is long (and sometimes it legitimately can be), they'll let you walk around if you start to hold up the line. You have to be firm on this because sometimes they'll piss and moan and ask you to move your stuff and wait to the side. If you're obstinate and show that you're willing to make their delay on you become a delay on them, the mystery groper will often magically appear.

Ysitincoach

I took the advice of wait for the dragon until putting my items through the x-ray at RDU. That didn't go so well. They had a LEO come over and grab my bags and the hot head STSO started with the "disturbing the screening process" bit. I kept silence with him and continually thanked the LEO for being so kind as to help me with my bags, and for being so kind to take the liability of custody of my items while I waited for the dragon. The LEO didn't like it, but I was too nice to him for him to have anything to say to me.

chollie

Use a wheelchair next time.

I'm physically incapable of assuming and holding the NoS postion, but because I'm not an amputee or in a wheelchair, some TSOs seem to think I can be bullied into suddenly 'healing' my limitations and using the NoS.

Now, when I encounter 'resistance', I just go ahead and enter the NoS. When the NoS monitor tells me to assume the position, then I explain that I can't. It works out to be faster than explaining ahead of time (but still much slower than the WTMD, which I can use without a problem).

Since I'm already in the NoS, I don't get scanned, but I get to wait on the other side for my grope, and usually my grope is performed by an NoS monitor. That's much faster, because there are always TSOs ready to do an 'anomaly resolution' grope on the other side of the NoS - I don't have to wait for a dedicated groper to be summoned. Oddly enough, when I declare my limitations ahead of time, I always get a bag check and swab. When I wait until I'm in the NoS to demonstrate my inability to assume the position, I don't get a swab or bag check (not yet, anyway).

Caradoc

A wheelchair won't save you from that.

My own father has been shouted at to "at least try to stand up!" by TSA "employees."

T-the-B

But I'm sure they shouted "with professionalism and respect".

chollie

Sorry, the 'wheelchair' comment was a response to being told that no female assist would be available for an extended period of time (therefore the OP had better re-think his opt-out and go through the NoS).

I frequently hear 'time' or 'long wait' when I point out that I'm not able to assume and hold the position in the NoS, and I know it is done because the TSO assumes I'm faking and I will stop faking if I know they're going to keep me waiting all day.

That's why I switched to the technique above - people who 'fail' the NoS don't generally get stuck waiting 20 minutes for a dedicated specialist to grope and resolve the anomalies. The checkpoints aren't configured to handle large numbers of people whose bags are still sitting on the belt while they wait for a post-NoS anomaly-resolution groper to arrive - way too much opportunity for a pax to pick up his/her bags and leave in the confusion, I would think. Plus both the x-ray belt and the NoS will get backed up. Even if they start routing everyone to the WTMD (assuming it's open), the xray will still be backed up.

Even TSA realizes there's limited value in being punitive (ie, prolonging the wait) for a wheelchair pax. If they can't get out of the wheelchair, they can't use the NoS. And even if they do have limited mobility, it's unlikely they are a good candidate for the NoS.

Rondall

I am sure you meant to type "hers".

Caradoc

Based on personal experiences and observation, you are incorrect.

The average TSA employee appears to be just as convinced that shouting at a stroke victim will magically restore their ability to walk as they are that any doctor recommending their patients avoid the BKSX scanners is "stupid."

KDS

Went through DEN at 4:30 am this morning; no SDOO possible.

After my "assistant" called for STSO because he took offense at my answer to his question ("Do you have any sensitive areas"; I answered, "Yes, my groin, I don't like men touching it."), the STSO with a straight face "informed" me that Congress mandated the patdowns, and that the patdowns have been standard procedure for over 10 years.

I corrected the STSO by telling him that the patdowns have been procedure for just under two years. He then took offense at my attitude.

I also told them I could not hold my arms out with my palms up (uncomfortable for me); I had my palms facing forward. This also was used as a trigger for another STSO to be called because I was uncooperative.

In short, my patdown involved two STSOs, a TSO, and a threat about getting an LEO and not flying today.

DEN TSA "people" are jerks. And liars.

FliesWay2Much

Great line about "sensitive areas"....

Isn't it strange the way they "swarm" when someone pushed back? It's almost like they are rubbernecking at a traffic accident.

Caradoc

"DEN" is an unnecessary modifier.

Replace it with "all," and it's still true.

beofotch

Up Until today I was 2/2 with the "medical opt-out" working because i couldn't raise my left shoulder due to rotator cuff issues. In the past I would get in the scanner, when asked to put both arms up only put one arm up and explained, and then be redirected to the metal detector.

Today in CLT I was not selected for pre-check. I went into the scanner and put one arm up and told the agent I couldn't raise my left arm. TO my surprise, she said, "OK no problem", ran the scan (damn it, i got the radiation blast) with one arm down, and then had an agent pat down the arm that was down. Is this a new policy where they are allowing the scanner to run without having both arms up?

One other item of note is that the line I was in only had a WTMD next to it which was the pre-cehck WTMD. The other line had a roped off WTMD and a nude-0-scope. I am thinking maybe if I had done the same thing in the other line they would have put me in the WTMD.

bocastephen

I need some clarification regarding medical opt-out. Is there a written policy that actually states a medical opt-out (unable to raise arms) is to be sent through the WTMD and then only patted down if the WTMD alarms? Or is the "policy" nothing more than a discretionary procedure that screeners can adhere to or ignore at their discretion?

I am involved with a case regarding a medical opt-out and want to be sure the advise I give someone is completely accurate. Any links to TSA public (or even internal docs or references) would be very helpful.