Strange TSA comment
 

The other day, I was going through the security line at DAL. I told the TSA guy outside the xray that I wanted to opt out. His comment? "I wouldn't say that so fast".
I wish I would have thought to say it much slower for him.
Not sure what he meant by that comment.
Did he think I would regret my decision?

Was it "I would" or "I wouldn't?" If the former, sounds like he would do the same. If the latter, sounds like (he would make sure) you would regret that decision.

Mike

So did you actually opt of the x-ray scan?

There are no TSA X-ray scans to opt out of; AFAIK all body scanners they operate are MMW nowadays.

My guess is that they were randomly selecting people for the magnetometer like they do at airports where the slow machines can't keep up and he was about to select you. Once you say you opt out you're stuck getting the hand pat-down but if you wait to see you might not have needed to.

I agree. I'd interpret "I would..." to mean "If I had to go through security, I'd opt out immediately without giving it a second thought," or in other words, he was endorsing what you were doing.

If he actually said "I wouldn't..." in a threatening or cautioning tone, totally different meaning.

My mistake. He said "wouldn't.

Maybe as mentioned above, I could have been offered the WTMD if I had kept quiet, but I don't think those were in use at the time. Usually, if I see a WTMD, I walk towards it in hopes they will let me go thru.

As for the "xray" term, I don't trust any of those machines, so always opt out unless offered the WTMD.

Once, just once, at IAD, I was a little quick to opt out (my first opt out ever) "I opt out" (as taught by you guys), and the lady said, "no, you don't" and sent me through the WTMD. I felt both stupid, lucky and a little confused. But it was quick :-)

DanishFlyer

About a year ago @DAL I walked up to the Body Scanner and said that I would like to opt-out to which the very frustrated TSA employee said, umm we are under staffed and have three opt-out ahead of you, then motioned me to the metal detector and said I didn't hear you request the opt-out, have a nice day.

Dan

Whether you "trust" it or not, it's still not an X-ray!

that being said, have we stopped opting out now? maybe I missed something.

Who is this "we"? I'd rather go through a MMW scanner than be touched from head to toe.

Exactly, I didn't realise there was some "we" consensus on here. Backscatter X-ray scares the heck out of me - skin cancer risk, because the surface dose is pretty high actually in places.

Millimetre wave machines, however, don't worry me at all.

As others have implied, I think the OP opted out too early. Once you state you want to opt out, you're stuck getting the patdown. Wait until you're actually chosen for the body scan to say it, in the off chance you get selected for the metal detector. The agent was probably well-meaning with his advice.

On the contrary, in some places if you tell them you opt out, they can "choose" to send you through the WTMD to save themselves the hassle of calling someone for a pat down. However, once they have "selected" you for the MMW, they can't change it.