Weird TSA Opt-Out Chatdown
 

Last week going through OKC, three-stripe: "I see you are very organized, have the butterfly bag and everything, have all the procedures down, very quick through the line. Let me ask you, do you opt-out?"

"Umm, no"
"Are you sure, because we have someone who looks like you who opts-out, I thought that was you."
"Umm, no, I think you have the wrong person."
"Well we appreciate that."

This week through OKC, one stripe: "So you're opting-out?"

"No, I'm not."
"Really, you're not opting-out."
"No, I think you have the wrong person, that's the second time in two weeks one of you guys have asked me that."
"Okay, I won't ask you again."

Anyone else encounter this chatdown? It struck me as a little odd, almost like they were trying to facilitate me through an opt-out procedure.

Is this strange or another part of TSA's program of randomness?

They think you look hot? :eek:

Maybe they just want to handle your junk? :D

You should opt-out as a matter of principle.
My opt-out number is over 100 now.

Perhaps a BDO making "small talk"?

I would have wanted to respond, "Why, yes. Grope here often?" :D

"I'm not interested in speaking with you."

I doubt it. I'm one fat, ugly SOB. I appreciate the scanners because I'm sure someone back in their little isolation booth is going "damn, oh that's just wrong, I can't look at that." Maybe they are running short of staff because I keep burning out the back of people's retinas when they see me naked.

assuming you're as hideous as you claim, the only way to really punish them is to make them touch your objectionable parts directly. :p

I would venture that there is someone that resembles you (and opts out every time) that they see fairly frequently . We have a regular that flies almost every week and opts out every time, and another passenger that could be a sibling based on looks that never opts out. This could be the same type of situation.

I've speculated the same, but I've been through OKC 42 different times now and this only started about three weeks ago. I would think it would be the opposite, them asking my hypothetical doppleganger why he suddenly started opting out.

Who knows, I have a fairly good rapport with the TSA at every other airport I fly through, I usually recognize and talk with them about the weather and all, but OKC seems to have an inordinate amount of turnover. Just in general, OKC is weird, such as the time an agent asked casually "you fly through here a lot don't you" and a three-stripe pulled her aside, in front of me, and started yelling at her "don't act friendly in front of the passengers!". I mean, wow, what's that about?

This doesn't explain why the clerk was asking him if he opts out.

That's odd for OKC, I generally find it to be one of the least troublesome airports that I go through.

One does not necessarily preclude the other, there may be some doppelganger passing through that is wondering why they asked him why he started opting out all of a sudden!

I have no idea, I have always encouraged the TSOs I work with to be friendly, or at the least courteous and always professional, what you mention here sounds wierd to me as well...

If he thought it was someone that opts out regularly, it could have been that the TSO was trying to get a jump on the opt out (since it can take some time to get an available TSO for a patdown - at least it can from time to time). It could have been that he was trying to do the passenger a solid. Or he could have simply been interested in whether they were opting out or not. There is really no telling why the question was asked without input from the actual TSO.;)

Yes, that's what other people tell me as well. It's my most troublesome airport. :confused: