Hip Replacement and TSA
Jul 9, 2012 | 9:36 pm
#16
Join Date: May 2012
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 506
It still does not resolve the alarm as to the actual cause.
http://blog.tsa.gov/2008/02/why-we-d...dditional.html
Jul 10, 2012 | 7:24 am
#17
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 3,728
Exactly. And yet TSA employees still demand to see scars, demand that bandages be removed, and assorted other antisocial behaviours.
It'd be a nice first step if the TSA moved on from "deliberate humiliation" into "resolving alarms."
Exactly. And if you show that to a TSA employee, they'll tell you "That's from 2008. It's outdated, and we have different (more humiliating) procedures to follow now. If you don't like it, don't fly."
It'd be a nice first step if the TSA moved on from "deliberate humiliation" into "resolving alarms."
Jul 10, 2012 | 9:55 am
#18
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Oceanside, CA
Programs: LT AAdvantage Gold
Posts: 544
Well, I have a scar that looks like a knee replacement, but was really for a torn quadriceps tendon. No metal in there. I wonder what havoc I could cause if I went through the checkpoint wearing shorts? They might think their magic machine is broken and evacuate the airport.
Jul 10, 2012 | 11:09 am
#19
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards. Tha... that's about it.
Posts: 4,430
Sure. But what does that have to do with what I said? Of course, the alarm has to be resolved. But it can be helpful to give a hint as to how to proceed. In the most common case, the passenger forgot about some metal. So the first procedure is to ask the passenger to check for metal and try again. But if the alarm is due to an implant, there's no point in wasting anybody's time with that step.
In general, it seems quite reasonable to me for the passenger to be involved in a discussion of the various possible ways of resolving an alarm, so long as all options would properly resolve it. I'm surprised that you seem to be against letting the passenger have options.
In general, it seems quite reasonable to me for the passenger to be involved in a discussion of the various possible ways of resolving an alarm, so long as all options would properly resolve it. I'm surprised that you seem to be against letting the passenger have options.
Obviously, the card is useless and any person who alarms the WTMD needs a pat-down. Yet again, the only value in asking the question is to skip the step of having the passenger go through the WTMD multiple times. If the person lies, no harm done since all that's happened due to that lie is that time will have been saved.
What was the motivation for ridiculous idea of actually taking away one of the most useful tools in security screening, one which only cost a few hundred bucks per unit instead of a few hundred thousand, and could be used by almost anyone, with no special training? I haven't the foggiest...
Jul 10, 2012 | 11:16 am
#20
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 642
The most stoooooooopid part of this entire conversation is that, prior to the deployment of AIT, WTMD alarms were resolved with Hand Held Metal Detectors (The Wand). But since the wand was forcibly retired after Scope and Grope was deployed, the ONLY way to resolve WTMD alarms now is with a full body rubdown with genital contact (which TSA laughably calls a "pat-down").
What was the motivation for ridiculous idea of actually taking away one of the most useful tools in security screening, one which only cost a few hundred bucks per unit instead of a few hundred thousand, and could be used by almost anyone, with no special training? I haven't the foggiest...
What was the motivation for ridiculous idea of actually taking away one of the most useful tools in security screening, one which only cost a few hundred bucks per unit instead of a few hundred thousand, and could be used by almost anyone, with no special training? I haven't the foggiest...
It could find a detonator though.
Jul 10, 2012 | 11:32 am
#21
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 392
The OPs question made me remember something from my opt out experiences that I never really thought about before. I've always thought it rather absurd that when I opt out of the NoS I'm often directed around - not through - the WTMD. Yet when I am getting the spiel from the groper they ask me if I have any metal implants. Why would that matter if I haven't gone through the WTMD? What difference does it make at that point?
Jul 10, 2012 | 5:43 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 18,346
The scar proves nothing other than that surgery took place.
It still does not resolve the alarm as to the actual cause.
http://blog.tsa.gov/2008/02/why-we-d...dditional.html
It still does not resolve the alarm as to the actual cause.
http://blog.tsa.gov/2008/02/why-we-d...dditional.html
Jul 11, 2012 | 11:05 am
#24
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: BNA
Programs: HH Silver. (Former UA PP, DL PM, PC Plat)
Posts: 9,538
Jul 11, 2012 | 11:10 am
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 30,971
What was the motivation for ridiculous idea of actually taking away one of the most useful tools in security screening, one which only cost a few hundred bucks per unit instead of a few hundred thousand, and could be used by almost anyone, with no special training? I haven't the foggiest...
The HHMD and WTMD both work very well so TSA has eliminated the HHMD and severely restricted the use of the WTMD.
Doing stupid things is par for the course at TSA.