Fredd

This suggestion deserves being placed in a "best ways to earn your grope / pat-down" thread...

Alexdi

One more for the rolls..

My trip was Atlanta to Memphis and back. Hartsfield was busy the Friday of the first flight. Of something like ten security lines, only a few were using NS machines. I simply chose one of the other lines.

For the return trip from Memphis International on a Sunday, there was a single security line at my gate leading to an NS machine. No other passengers were present. I asked the TSA agent if everyone was routed through the machine. He said yes, so I said I was opting out. He then asked for my license, which I provided.

Because of the curvature of my wallet, my license is slightly cracked on a section of the bottom third. I attached a piece of clear tape to ensure it didn't break off. The agent examined it for over a minute, then called another agent over to lecture me on how I needed to have the license replaced, and how they'd let me by this time, but wouldn't in the future. In twenty flights, I've never seen this sort of scrutiny.

I was then escorted forward to a holding area, and then to another. Two agents described the nature of the frisk with the usual language. Backs of the hands, and so on. I opted to do it in public. It lasted perhaps three minutes. He asked me to raise my arms, then started from behind, prodding my head, and working down. He ran a finger around my waistband. He then stopped, described again the crotch procedure, and then frisked both of my legs from toes to testicles.

Then he did a front frisk, which involved rubbing his hands down the front of my shirt. The pressure for all of these frisks was strong and thorough, to the point where I asked him to back off because he was stretching out my shirt. He then went down to my feet and did the same frisk as before from legs to crotch, for whatever reason. And then he finished.

My possessions were all swabbed for, presumably, explosive residue. I'd been to a firing range earlier in the day, but apparently nothing from that caused a flag. My dress for all this was fairly form-fitting; tight jeans and T, that sort of thing.

Was such a thorough frisk necessary? No, I don't think so, not when any hidden objects would have been evident under my clothing. Was it offensive? No, except for what seemed like a bit of unnecessary harassment about the license. The holding station was next to conveyor belt and I'd placed my wallet and the like in my bag, so I wasn't worried about possessions. I think I'll continue to opt out in the future.

CavePearl

It appears that NoS are now primary at HOU, so I opted out again this morning. I got the grand feel-up, all the way to my resistance. Twice. Geez. They couldn't figure it out the first time on this middle age grandma?

I am the same person that has flown in and out of that airport weekly for four years. I never set off the WTMD. I never got patted down. Now that they have installed WBIs I am suspect every time.

This is absurd.

FriendlySkies

Remember, if you opt-out, or have any knowledge of the security procedures, you are a terrorist.

mikemey

RDU T2, 1/15/2011, 7am-ish

Process through TDC, go down to the far end, as a MMW was working the near lane. Didn't see the MMW down there. They seemed to be putting 40% in the box, 60% throught the WTMD.

Put stuff on belt, Clerk tells me to take everything from my pockets. Told him I was opting out. He makes a face. He directs my wife into the machine and SHE opts out. Now he gets annoyed and hollers that he needs a male and female opt out assist.

Male clerk comes to me. Gets annoyed when I ask him to change his gloves. "I just put these on." I tell him I didn't see him, so I want him to change them. He grabs my stuff, goes through the description. Asks if I want a private room. "No way" I tell him. Fairly straight forward, back of the hand across my butt, he stopped well short of my inseam when checking my legs, didn't grope me, but did do the waistband thing, which I *really* don't like. Didn't go through my stuff. He clears me. As I sit down, I watch the woman finish my wife's grope. Looked similar to mine. She tells me that they didn't feel her bra, but did the waist thing, which she *really* doesn't like. About 5 minutes, tops, was the encounter.

SAN T1, Gates 11-18, 1/19/2011, 11am-ish
Get checked in, etc. Head off to TDC. All ready know the BSX is in operation here. Get past TDC, here's a barking clerk, get everything out of the pockets, etc. Oh swell. Get up to the belt, drop everything in. Barker gives guy in front of me a hard time for the belt he's wearing. He then opts out. I opt out. My wife opts out. 2 people behind us opt out. I love it. Barker says "it's going to be a few minutes, we're short handed." Not my problem. I then object that I can't see my stuff. "We're short handed, you'll have to wait." I then remind her that her website states we have to watch our personal items. At that point, I'm greeted by another clerk for my pat down. We identify my stuff. He has trouble (I have my backpack, a bin with my CPAP, my shoes/sweatshirt, and the carrycase for the CPAP), and I'm seriously afraid that he's gonna drop the CPAP, but he gets help (I even offered, but he said no). Meanwhile, my wife still is waiting, and her stuff is at the end of the xray. Clerk explains to me what's going on while I'm watching my wife's stuff from where I'm getting patted down. I acknowledge my grope. He asks me to turn around, I hesitate, saying my wife hasn't been collected up yet, and I'm watching her stuff till she gets picked for her grope. He lets me watch. I guess he realizes I'm not leaving until she's done anyway, and is actually understanding. *shock* Clerk starts his pat-down. Pretty basic up top. Leg, he hits me fairly hard when moving his hands up my right leg. I don't think it was intentional; I saw the glove stick to my jeans just before it happened, but I did gulp audibly. Much more careful the other leg, back of the hands down the butt and in the front, leaves the main part alone. He doesn't check my stuff, but swabs his gloves. All is good. Go over by my wife, watch how hers goes. She *didn't* get the waistband check (I did) or her bra. Right before the clerk checks her gloves, she asks if she had used any cream with glyceryn, as it can cause a false positive. She doesn't.

What amazes me is the inconsistencies between clerks. Either do the pat-downs the same for everyone or get rid of them.

Also, can someone tell me if the CPAP rules have been changed? I treat it like a laptop, pulling it separately, but haven't had it checked since before thanksgiving. I'd love to leave it in its carrier, but as soon as I do they'll want to check it.

Thanks.

eturowski

I am posting this because there isn't much info on CMH in here (nothing since NOOD), and CMH is also the only airport where I have been pulled from the WTMD line (twice) and asked to undergo the NoS.

1/17/2011, CMH, Concourse C, around 2:00 p.m.

Very, very sparse crowd at the checkpoint. One WTMD and one NoS were up and running, with short (5-10 people) lines leading to each. I chose the WTMD line and started putting my things into bins and onto the belt. The TSO asked if I was wearing a belt or had anything in my pockets, and then asked me to step up to the yellow line and enter the NoS. I said, "I'm going to opt out." He called over his radio for a female assist, and I waited probably 5 minutes before they finally picked someone to grope me. There was a female TSO in the X-ray belt area, but she obviously didn't appear eager enough to want to perform a patdown, so they eventually recruited the TDC from one of the desks (ironically enough, it was the woman who had looked at my license and boarding pass in the first place). While I was waiting for them to select a groper, I was directed to a waiting area, where a male TSO (maybe a BDO?) asked me questions about why I was in Columbus, where I had gone to dinner, etc. I replied halfheartedly and wasn't really paying attention to him because I was instead craning my head over his shoulder to keep my laptop and carry-on in sight.

When they finally found a groper, she took my items off of the belt and led me to the sterile area. My items were placed on a table in front of me, and somehow she could tell that this wasn't my first pony ride. ("You've done this before, I assume." "Yes.") I was offered a private patdown, which I declined. She took new gloves from a box and proceeded with the patdown, which seemed standard and followed protocol (asked about sensitive areas, told me where she would be touching and what parts of her hands she would be using, etc.). She did lift my shirt to feel along the outside of my waistband, but she was very careful to do it slowly, with ample warning, and not to expose any skin. I noticed that the swab she used on her gloves afterwards was pre-loaded onto the tongs, not new from the box, but I saw her throw the old one away right after my screen and replace it with a fresh one from the box, so I let it slide. I still felt like a criminal the whole time, though.

As I was leaving, I passed a group of mature-aged women who had also gotten patdowns after alarming the NoS. They were less than happy. I told them, "Welcome to the club. Enjoy your freedom while it lasts."

PTravel

SJC yesterday afternoon. All the NOSs were working. I tried to time it so the one in my line would be occupied, but the TSO at the WTMD was watching carefully and just as I was ready to step through the WTMD, he said, "We're using whole-body scanning today, so you'll have to take off your belt and empty your pockets." I immediately said, "I opt out." He called for a male assist and another TSO was on the spot in seconds. The second TSO asked me to identify my things and he carried them over to a table by the side. He asked me if I had any sensitive areas and I said, "Yes, my genitals." He said, "I won't need to touch them." The pat-down was very quick -- he didn't come anywhere near my "junk" or my butt, didn't stick his fingers down my pants, and was polite (as was the initial TSO to whom I said, "I opt out."). I experienced no attitude from anyone. I thanked the second TSO for his professionalism, and he said, "We really try to not inconvenience people." I am absolutely and unalterably opposed to both the NOS and the mandatory grope on constitutional grounds. However, until it is thrown out by the courts, at least these TSOs accomplished this egregious Fourth Amendment violation efficiently, politely and professionally.

kiriel

I brought mine through around Thanksgiving or Christmas and I didn't have to take it out. I'm used to them having to clear it by manual inspection, so I was pleasantly surprised. I asked a TSA agent, and he said that if they can visually clear it using the xray machine, then they don't have to take it out. He seemed familiar with them, so maybe it depends on whether or not the individual agent knows what to look for.

nachtnebel

That used to be one of my favorite airports, easy to get in and out of. Now I just sigh when I drive by it on 101. Friends of my own kids fly in there to visit us, and it kills me to have to tell them what to beware of in the security areas. Hoping they'll be alright and not get molested. what TSA is doing is just plain evil.

Caradoc

To me, that smacks just a bit of thanking one's molester for being gentle.

PTravel

I know and, frankly, while I was saying it I was thinking the same thing. This was, however, my first opt-out/groping and, even knowing what was coming, I was a little bit shocked that my government would treat me this way. I'm a lawyer and once had to take a deposition in a federal prison. Everyone going in to the prison was searched. This "enhanced pat down" was more thorough than the one administered by the prison guards.

doober

We are hearing more and more of the pat downs avoiding the genitals and gluteal cleft - makes me wonder if a change has been made to the pat down procedure.

makfan

I arrived plenty early for my 9:45 departure. I scouted out the situation and saw the usual setup of two x-ray lines, with the left feeding to WTMD and the right feeding to MMW, so I picked the left line. Unfortunately, I failed to notice the TSA person standing between the WTMD and MMW directing *most* people through the MMW, no matter what line they are in. They send an elderly woman who doesn't speak much English through the scanner and send the employee pushing her wheelchair through the WTMD.

The person from the right line opted out (good for him), then I got pulled over from the left line by the barker, so I opted out. I got sent through WTMD to the penalty box which is a roped off area just past the exit of the WTMD. (The penalty box itself is right beside the baggage x-ray, oh joy.)

Note to self, even if everyone is going through the scanner, the left line is actually better since the penalty box has an unobstructed view of one's bags on that side.

To their credit, the wait was fairly minimal (maybe 60 seconds for me, less for the person in front of me). They identified my bags, with no drama today, and went through the drill. Today's pat down included the hands in the collar and hands in the waist, but the trip up "to resistance" was less disturbing than the one I had about two weeks ago.

Of three trips through this terminal in January, I have had to opt out twice. This is really getting old. I won't give in to the scanners, but I might find other ways to travel.

exbayern

I'm curious - did you manage to see if she was
1) able to stand and hold the required position in the scanner
2) able to understand and follow directions

MDtR-Chicago

Why not just enter through a UA checkpoint without scanners, then walk over to the AA wing?