marklyon

Those of you concerned about the lady's identity have a valid point. Where possible, I have covered her face in the photos. I will try and find a way to do the same in the video.

I arrived very early at ORD - a colleague was going to the airport with an earlier flight, and I chose to take cab with him. At ORD Terminal 1, every other lane has a Rapiscan device. Depending on which line you get in, you either go through a WTMD or the AIT.

Since I had some time, I tried to get an earlier flight. When I went to that gate, though, my chances didn't look good. Coupled with the fact that I'd been upgraded already on my later flight, I decided to go back to my origional gate (B7). The gate is directly opposite the checkpoint. I had time to kill. I noticed the pregnant TSO working around the x-rays. I decided to take some photos.

A few minutes after I first started filming, the supervisor (who would later come tell me not to talk to the passenger) came and told me to stop filming. While she did that, I called the TSA's Office of Strategic Communications (571) 227-2829. During that call, I managed to somehow mess up the video function on my blackberry while trying to pause it. I could no longer take video, but I could take stills.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwr5iuueFgo

As you saw in the video, Deborah Wegner approached and demanded that I stop filming. I spoke with the Office of Strategic Communication and they were very polite. They explained that I could film, that they were calling the supervisor at ORD to let him know I was filming and that filming was allowed, and that he should instruct the TSOs not to incorrectly claim that photography was prohibited.

Since my Blackberry was a bit messed up, I decided to find a place to sit and fix it. As I was doing that, though, the pregnant TSO came back and I decided to take a few stills. I took one photo of her and then she moved to a different lane to pat down the lady shown in the OP. I moved over after I noticed a disturbance, so I didn't see the entire process. Once I realized what was going on, I took out my Nexus One and turned on its video. That's why the video doesn't show the whole process.

I don't think the passenger was wearing her shoes - she had on some sort of black sock things. As I understand it, the lady was in the black box area, but they moved the rope (they seemed not to stop the lane to pat people down, so people would stack up and they would let one person out while the other waited. They chose to pat her where she was. After having the TSO slide her hands between her legs, she got visibly upset and (I think) demanded to be allowed to take her stuff and leave. That's why the pregnant TSO was getting Ms. Wenger. Together, they convinced her to (against her will) complete the pat-down process.

When I handed her my card, she ran down the terminal, I think to the restroom.

I was also somewhat shaken by encountering this. I wanted to do more to help, but didn't know what else to do. I found a spot with wifi and uploaded the video, in the event someone tried to come and make me delete it.

After that, I moved to another checkpoint (next to where I uploaded the video) and decided to film a little bit more. Now, I was focused more on the pat-downs. All of the ones I saw were as a result of a report over the radio - I didn't see a single opt-out.

During this process, another TSO told me to stop filming. When I refused, she screamed for a TSS (or CSS, I am not certain). He told her it was ok for me to film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YpNM6L2spM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sXjmlQBe_w

I met some people who were fine with the scanners and thought my videotaping was odd or creepy. This included a United flight attendant who told me I was breaking the law and making us unsafe. The same older TSS gentleman stood behind me while I was filming. He didn't introduce himself, though at one point he did go have someone move the monitors at an x-ray station so that I could not see it. I thanked him for doing that.

When I went back to my gate, I saw them groping a bunch of young Chinese students who were obviously part of some tour group. I was certainly given much better treatment by officials when visiting China, even when they were concerned that every arriving passenger was going to spread SARS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgupXFCJS3s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wpe4DBm6SE

Welcome to America.

average_passenger

Thank you for posting these videos. It's sad that you didn't see any opt-outs. It's even sadder that people thought you were creepy for filming. Shouldn't they be more freaked out by the fact that TSO's can randomly touch your whole body? When will the sheep wake up?

What is wrong with the backscatter?!! Was it not working properly? Why were so many people given pat-downs after going through it? You said that you didn't see any opt-outs. If the scanners work so well, they should be able to differentiate between harmless items and dangerous items? Heck, we the taxpayers paid so much for the machines and they should do the job that they are supposed to.

N830MH

Yeah, I can't stand it on those TSA officers who patting it down at checkpoint. It could get very, very worst on the job. I didn't realized know TSO who is already pregnant. I thought she didn't leave from work due to birth new baby anytime soon. She didn't stay at home. She need to stay at home for a while. She have to get some rest.

Majuki

Perhaps they had the trainees working like those who call bag check every other bag. (Perhaps they've installed software that randomly superimposes false prohibited items like with carryon bags and the software was malfunctioning. - Yet they can't be bothered to deploy ATD software.)

As far as no opt-outs, many people have learned to avoid bodyscanner heavy airports to avoid the scanners or lane shop at a checkpoint not using them. It's easy to do at ORD since all terminals except 5 are connected airside.

The bottom line is that most people didn't know an opt-out was possible. For those that do know, a subset think that "Well, the body scanner is better than that patdown." Hah... not if you get both!

VonS

Which terminal at ORD does not have NOS?

FliesWay2Much

Just now having had the time to watch all of these, it seemed as if there was an extraordinary amount of friskings of people who had gone through the Cancer Machines. I don't think I saw one clerk change gloves and I didn't see a single passenger require it. There was a lot of blind obedience.

It was also clear to me that the TSA has been very diligent re-training its clerks that photogrpahy is permitted. Ms Wegner had difficulty constructing a complete coherent sentence in response to anything you said about the Cancer Machines and photography. What a great example of leadership.

The other female clerk who challenged you about photography literally ran away from you after the suit told her it was OK.

I think my overall comment is that, especially in the original filming of the woman who was traumatized, there were a large percentage of sheeple who were unaware of the dangers of the Cancer Machine or who simply trust the TSA who were still frisked. I've got to believe that a large percentage of the people went through the machine thinking they would avoid the frisking, but got it anyway.

Once again, well done, sir.

FliesWay2Much

According to the site listed in my signature line at the bottom, it looks like the checkpoint at Terminal 2 is your best shot.

http://tsastatus.net/search.php?q=or...his+airport%21

Majuki

Please send the gratitude to the OP, not me.

As far as ORD's safe checkpoints, I believe T2 is the only checkpoint where things aren't 1:1 WTMD:BXSX. I was referring the ability to shop for a lane after checking in. Lt's fairly easy to do, at least in T3. There's the G checkpoint, H/K checkpoint (general), H/K checkpoint (Plat/EXP/F), and the L checkpoint. With the exception of the L checkpoint, it's really easy to scan the options available and take your chances that they don't open up the BXSX while you're waiting.

I don't have any hard numbers, but most of my infrequent traveling friends are unaware that there is the ability to opt-out. You also have to understand that not everyone goes through an airport with the scanners or gets selected for one. It's also possible less astute individuals might think it's a "new type of metal detector" and not realize what's happening. One thing that's for uncertain is ignorance is abundant, and the TSOs are uninterested in advertising that an opt-out is available.

The only time I ever heard a TSO say that an opt-out was available was in early 2010 at BOS. This was before many airports had the body scanners, and it might have been limited to just BOS and LAS at the time. Admittedly, I wasn't too aware of what the machines did since they were new and this was before all of the publicity, and I certainly wasn't aware it was emitting ionizing radiation. I wasn't confident about opting out at the time, but the TSO was saying "this is optional". "If you are selected to go through it and don't want to, you will get a patdown." Luckily, the moat dragon ushered me through the WTMD at the last minute. The next time I encountered the machines, I was prepared, stood my ground, and opted out. (And I have ever since...)

cattlekid

But if you are flying United, which only has check-in at T1, and you are checking baggage, you wouldn't be able to clear security in T2 and then make your way over to T1, right? Or am I missing something?

doober

You are a hero, marklyon!

I had to snort when I heard Deborah Wegner tell you that you were "intimidating" the other screeners as the TSA is all about intimidating. Also, thank you for getting her name and posting it for all to see.

FliesWay2Much

I don't originate from ORD, so I'm pretty unfamiliar with the set-up.

Majuki

There shouldn't be any problem. If the TDC gives you grief just say that you know everything is connected airside and you wanted to visit the food course by the G concourse.

RatherBeOnATrain

U.S. Citizen.

TheGolfWidow

Why would a screener complain that a camera would interfere with the process or that a camera is disturbing the screener? The whole thing process is always being filmed.

saulblum

A few months ago I had a layover at JFK and observed one of the checkpoints with the NoS. Nearly all passengers who went through it ended up with some sort of frisk. Not necessarily the full grope, but still a quick patdown of the arms and legs.

So this is nothing new. It's becoming more and more clear that these machines are a fraud.