"...a severe pat down"
 

This past weekend I went through TSA checkpoints at EWR, FLL, EYW and RSW. I opted out a each and got the pat down. Oddly I have to say the easiest was at EWR followed by EYW, FLL and then RSW (Fort Meyers Florida).

At RSW we exited the secure area to get a bite to eat during our layover. When we approached the line I began reviewing each of the 4 lanes of cattle. I noticed that the 4th lane was moving the smoothest as all 4 were operating scanning machines. After having my ID reviewed for all of 3 seconds (thank you DHS background check to stop those XXXXXXXXX automatic selections) I went to the 4th lane that was still the shorest. An TSO was barking at people about how the machine was safe and he had been through it twice himself. I tried to stifle my laughter. I placed my items into the bin and placed them onto the conveyor belt. Upon hearing that I was opting out the barking TSO approached me and advised me that by opting out I was in for a "severe pat down". I asked him what makes it so severe here in RSW vs the pat downs I get elsewhere. He looked at me with the a look I give people that don't pick up their dog's poop and watch as people step in it. He went to walk away but I called out to him to answer my question.
A 3 stripper stepped over and asked what was going I. I turned my body to cut the barking TSO out of the conversation and asked the 3 stripper if a severe pat down was standard procedure as retaliation for opting out of the scanner. The look on the supervisor's face was priceless. I was ready for a hassle but instead got a pleasant surprise. The barker was asked if he used the term severe. He stammered but confirmed it. I was then given one of the most "appropriate" and by the book pat downs I have ever had. Still stupid as I could have a knife or drugs tapped to the bottom of my feet as they have never been checked. It was nice watching the barking TSO get quietly but sternly lectured in front of his coworkers on proper procedure. I did laugh a bit when the supervisor said that no pat downs were to be done as retaliation.

I do plan on following up with complaints to the TSA, RSW airport and my Government reps.

In the hopes of making a post that is decidedly meant for the debate forum somewhat practical, are you implying that your shoes didn't get x-rayed? Didn't you have to remove them and put them through the xray?

I'm having trouble understanding how (barring oversight or incompetence) a knife would go undetected passing through the xray, since the only ways I know of to avoid taking one's shoes off is precheck or a medical condition.

Are there other ways?

My feet. The things that go into my shoes. They never check the bottom of my feet where things can be taped. My shoes were X-rayed but when I opt out 9 out of 10 times I bypass the metal detector also and only get a pat down. One could easily bring in a blade or other items taped to the bottoms of their feet. Just another reason it's security theater.

As I wrote in another thread, I have an acquaintance who has gone through with something taped to the bottom of a foot. Opts out and the foot has never been checked.

the barking TSO approached me and advised me that by opting out I was in for a "severe pat down"....

Wow.
Can "enhanced interrogations" at the airport really be that far away?

Thanks for the explanation of what feet are. I would never have known. :rolleyes:

Anyway, interesting -- I've never bypassed the WTMD when opting out. That does seem like quite a hole.


Taking the actions of one rogue agent that presumably got reprimanded by his supervisor immediately and concluding this is a harbinger of "enhanced interrogations" strikes me as beyond paranoid.


(This should most definitely be in the debate forum, not in the practical forum.)

Well you seemed to focus on my shoes when I had specifically said the bottom of my feet so I'm glad we were able to clear that up.
I am with you about the overreaction about enhanced interrogations being in the near future. As for debate I'll flag the post for a moderator.

Perhaps this is yet another example of TSA inconsistency, but my experience matches that of Yoshi212: The vast majority of the time, when I opt out, I am led through a separate gate -- not the metal detector.

And it's been ages since I have had my feet wanded at an airport in the USA. During the pat-down, they will pat the top of my feet, but never the bottom. It does seem like yet another security (theater) hole to exploit.

I can't imagine anything that i could put on the bottom of my feet that would be a threat.

Mike

Maybe not a threat to the integrity of the plane but there are plastic blades that are strong and very sharp that could be used be crazy people to harm others. Also drugs. Some people just need an eight ball to make it through a flight (I actually saw some people doing bumps of drugs during a few flights).

Definitely a loophole as the plastic blade would not set off the WTMD and would go undetected by the TSO.

While I agree with you that a blade could injure somebody, the TSA is supposed to be concerned with objects that could bring down the plane, not a blade that could cause a cut needing stitches or an eight ball. Obviously, mission creep has made the airport experience that much more unpleasant.

Mike

In the early days of the opt out, was asked to sit in the chair while the bottom of my feet were checked with my socks on. It was really weird. The whole thing is weird though. I think that the opt out pat down has changed from one that looks for weapons to one that gets a good sample for the ETD machine. It would be totally wrong to run the swab down your pants, but they can do it with gloves and test the gloves for the same inaccurate result.

I think it's insane that TSOs see themselves as an extension of the DEA but they sure do pride themselves on finding someone with a bag in their pocket. The blades are designed for a bit more damage but that's beyond the point. If I can't bring on a nail clipper they can't claim their mission is only about the safety of the plane from damage or hijacking.

You won't find any wands at US checkpoints any more. They did away with them entirely when they rolled out the "enhanced pat down."

Remember that 9/11 was perpetrated with "box cutters," which are nothing more than razor blades attached to the end of a stick.

Agreed that the pat-down has become an explosives residue check rather than a weapons check.

Opt out at OKC, EWR (2x), PBI, MCO, and ORD this week among the several others I've done this year and this is the first time I've had anyone check my feet.

T'was a beautiful Tuesday at EWR (or as beautiful as Newark can be?). A slight chill in the air from the wind that just strong enough to cause a bite as it whisped across the back of ones neck. T'was also the first time that I had the TSO ask to see the bottom of my feet. He physically checked them with his hands (which tickled like hell) then swabbed my hands, his gloves, and put the swab into the machine. Interestingly enough he was one of the nicest, most professional, and most efficient TSO's I've encountered (3 striper).

It's another story with the jerk at MCO screaming at people to keep moving, put that away, pay attention, blah blah blah, and my personal favorite directly to me:
D!ck TSO: "Put your bag through"
Me: "No, not until I'm ready to go through the WMDT/Nude-O-Scope" (there was a queue)
DTSO: "PUT YOUR BAG THROUGH NOW "
Me: "Nope!" I actually had to reach and stop it as he had then moved it onto the conveyor
DTSO: *huffs away to yell at others*