Caradoc

Isn't the official TSA party line "only 3% get pat-downs?"

It would seem from your observation that they've dropped a zero from that estimate.

CavePearl

I agree. I've seen as many as every other passenger passing through the MMWs at HOU patted down.

I watch the activity at the scanners because I always linger a bit while collecting my stuff and putting all the bins in a stack like a good Samaritan. One of the little things I do for the cause is always spread my stuff into as many bins as possible. After I'm cleared with my 4 or 5 bins I can put a NoS brochures into each bin as I stack them up. They'll stay hidden until they come up in the bin rotation. The way I see it, each brochure is an educational opportunity...

barbell

:-:

Good for you!

Incidentally, 5 are on a plane into the heart of the Midwest as I type this.

FriendlySkies

^

I do the same, especially when I am in DEN.. I thought about getting some stickers to put into the bins.

SATTSO

No, it is about 3% who get the full pat down. More on some days, less on others.

CavePearl

Stickers... ooooh. I like it! ^

Caradoc

I wonder why it is the TSA feels the need to lie about the actual statistics involved in the so-called "pat-downs." Doubtless they're only counting "resolution" pat-downs as opposed to the "enhanced" pat-downs given to people who opt-out vs. the "modified" pat-downs given to the under-12 travelers.

It's probably along the same train of thought as Pistole's statement that touching the genitals isn't in the SOP, so Texas is making it illegal to do so - and yet the individual TSA employees seem to think an injunction will be filed to prevent Texas from arresting TSA employees for doing something that their Glorious Leader says they're not supposed to be doing anyway.

Caradoc

I'd urge caution with that. They'll probably try to stick you with an $11,000 "civil" fine for "defacing government property" or something equally silly.

bdschobel

Monday, May 16, 5:00 am, FLL Terminal 2 (Delta): Thirty-ish woman and her early-teen daughter opted out in front of me. I thought that would save me, but it didn't. I headed for the WTMD, and a TSA clerk told me to go through the NoS. I opted out at that point, making a line-up of three opt-outs. The clerks seemed a little surprised and said that it might take a while. They then stopped the x-ray belt, holding up everybody behind us. Weird.

While we waited in front of the WTMD (as instructed), blocking everybody, the clerk on the other side of the WTMD began lecturing the woman about how the machines are safe, blah, blah, blah. She said that you get more radiation from the flight itself, so if radiation is the concern, "then you might as well just stay home." When the clerk was momentarily distracted, I whispered to the woman passenger that the clerk was lying. The woman, who seemed not to know who to believe, said that radiation isn't the issue, anyway, but didn't want to be seen naked -- or to have her young daughter seen naked.

Eventually, female clerks arrived to take the woman and her daughter through for their pat-down. At that point, I was face-to-face with the lying clerk at the WTMD. Trying to safe us both time and aggravation, I said to her (reasonably pleasantly) that I didn't need to be told that the machines are safe, that she could save that speech for someone else. She got into a huge huff about that, asking me how I knew what she was going to say, etc., etc. She called for a supervisor. We insulted each other back and forth for a while while waiting for the supervisor to arrive. When he got there, we chatted for a bit, while the woman clerk continued to rant at me. The sup had to tell her twice to be quiet. Meanwhile, the sup had brought along a male clerk, a nice young guy who unfortunately must remain nameless here, to do my pat-down.

The new guy took me through to the other side, and we bantered with each other about how stupid all of this is. I told him how I had freaked out the other clerk (Paul V.) on April 18 by mentioning his family, and the new guy laughed about that, too. He said that he's just there for the benefits and doesn't take it all so seriously. My pat-down was quite cursory and superficial. Meanwhile, two Broward County sheriff's deputies sat just a few feet away, chatting with each other and ignoring us.

I chatted with a female supervisor afterward about the whole experience at the checkpoint this morning. Nice conversation. So, all in all, just one cranky clerk this morning and several pleasant, reasonable ones. Somewhat surprising for FLL.

Bruce

susiesan

My DH and I both opted out at ABQ yesterday, May 15, 1:30pm. Very busy. All lanes had NOS and WTMD. Some in the WTMD line were being diverted to NOS, including us. When we both said we'd opt out, clerks' eyes rolled. They made sure we each showed them all our bins and carried our belongings with us to the side for the grope.

There were 2 female clerks with me. One did a quick cursory pat down with spiel. She did put on fresh gloves without my asking. The second clerk swabbed the gloves of the frisker. Both women were very chatty, complimented me on my blouse, asked how my visit to NM was, blah blah blah.

As I looked around, there were a lot of people opting out and taking the grope, far more than 3%. The clerks at ABQ seem overall fairly polite.

There was a lady with a small schnauzer on a leash ahead of me. I didn't get to see how they screened her and the dog. Do they do the pat down on the doggies?

G_Wolf

How did they know you were just visiting, and didn't actually live there?

susiesan

I have a luggage tag on my carry on that has my address on it. Maybe they looked at it while they swabbed the bag for explosives.

chollie

Don't put any kind of street address. Put an email address or a P O Box mailing address, if you have one.

chollie

Yes, but only to the point of resistance.

I wonder what the repercussions would be if a dog nipped the frisker? Seriously. Would the dog be denied access to the sterile area? I'm sure reports would have to be filed, delays incurred, etc. Would all dogs (and cats?) subsequently be required to wear muzzles?

LeeAnne

That figure rings awfully hollow to travelers like me who, due to metal parts in our bodies, have to get the pat-down EVERY SINGLE TIME. That's 100%, if the numbers are challenging for you.

And there are lots of us like this. And note that the vast majority are either elderly or disabled...which validates our claim that TSA's intrusive pat-downs unfairly target the elderly and disabled.

I love how the TSA throws that 3% figure out all the time, completely ignoring the fact that, for many of us, it's actually 100%. Typical TSA obfuscation.