why is tsa always at my crotch..seriously
May 15, 2019, 1:47 am
#61
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Paying $50, $85 or $100 to get into PreCheck won’t end the possibility of getting touched up by the TSA. But it may reduce the chance of it happening.
May 15, 2019, 5:23 am
#62
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There are times where passengers with PreCheck on boarding passes do get touched up by the TSA with more than a usual frisk.
Paying $50, $85 or $100 to get into PreCheck won’t end the possibility of getting touched up by the TSA. But it may reduce the chance of it happening.
Aug 26, 2019, 6:13 pm
#64
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 6
What's TSA Cleared? Is that a new program we have? I swear there's a new one made up everyday.
Last edited by TWA884; Aug 26, 2019 at 6:28 pm Reason: Merge consecutive posts by the same member; please use the multi-quote function. Thank you.
Aug 26, 2019, 7:01 pm
#66
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I didn't post this when it happened a month ago. I've seen and experienced some garbage at the hands of TSA, but this was a new one.
PHX, T2. I've cleared and I'm sitting down, facing the NoS and waiting for my travel companion. There is a male TSO standing at the side of the NoS and a female TSO standing behind it, gesturing for people to come through.
An elderly man passes through. An elderly woman passes through, has trouble holding still.
A youngish woman passes through. *beep* She's in shorts, bare legs. Her crotch alerted. OK, I've seen that before.
She assumes the position on the mat with her feet solidly inside the footprints, but the female TSO makes her spread her legs farther apart, so her feet are both completely outside the footprints. She gets a front-back-front-back crotch rub. While she's walking around the pax doing the waistband check, she's pulling the woman's shorts up and giving her a front wedgie. It was clear from her face that she was upset.
Another youngish woman in bicycle style shorts comes through. *beep* Crotch alert. Once again, the female TSO makes her spread her legs wider than the footprints on the mat and gives her the double crotch frisk plus the waistband lift.
My travel companion is next and I see the previous woman say something to her. Guess what? *beep* Once again, she's on the mat (she's a short-legged 4'11") and has her feet on the footprints, but she's told to spread her legs wide enough to put both feet outside the mat footprints. Same crotch frisk.
Next up, a guy who goes through and alarms. By this point, I've noticed that the male TSO is staring very fixedly at the hip areas of the females being frisked. None of the older folks alarmed, but finally one guy alarms. The male TSO never even moves, looks over his shoulder to see who is coming next. The pax starts to stand on the mat, but the female TSO just tells him to take off his baseball cap and he's good to go.
Next up, a young girl in her early teens who...generates a crotch alarm. By this point, the male TSO's fixation is making me uncomfortable and I'm debating whether or not to get my phone out and take a video. He realizes I'm watching him. I hold the eye contact and two pax later, he simply walks away.
Sure, the official line is that this guy isn't a creepy sleaze, nothing's going on. most women of a certain age range and build generate crotch alarms.
But when did it become SOP to force all women to stand with their legs spread wider than the footprints on the mat?
PHX, T2. I've cleared and I'm sitting down, facing the NoS and waiting for my travel companion. There is a male TSO standing at the side of the NoS and a female TSO standing behind it, gesturing for people to come through.
An elderly man passes through. An elderly woman passes through, has trouble holding still.
A youngish woman passes through. *beep* She's in shorts, bare legs. Her crotch alerted. OK, I've seen that before.
She assumes the position on the mat with her feet solidly inside the footprints, but the female TSO makes her spread her legs farther apart, so her feet are both completely outside the footprints. She gets a front-back-front-back crotch rub. While she's walking around the pax doing the waistband check, she's pulling the woman's shorts up and giving her a front wedgie. It was clear from her face that she was upset.
Another youngish woman in bicycle style shorts comes through. *beep* Crotch alert. Once again, the female TSO makes her spread her legs wider than the footprints on the mat and gives her the double crotch frisk plus the waistband lift.
My travel companion is next and I see the previous woman say something to her. Guess what? *beep* Once again, she's on the mat (she's a short-legged 4'11") and has her feet on the footprints, but she's told to spread her legs wide enough to put both feet outside the mat footprints. Same crotch frisk.
Next up, a guy who goes through and alarms. By this point, I've noticed that the male TSO is staring very fixedly at the hip areas of the females being frisked. None of the older folks alarmed, but finally one guy alarms. The male TSO never even moves, looks over his shoulder to see who is coming next. The pax starts to stand on the mat, but the female TSO just tells him to take off his baseball cap and he's good to go.
Next up, a young girl in her early teens who...generates a crotch alarm. By this point, the male TSO's fixation is making me uncomfortable and I'm debating whether or not to get my phone out and take a video. He realizes I'm watching him. I hold the eye contact and two pax later, he simply walks away.
Sure, the official line is that this guy isn't a creepy sleaze, nothing's going on. most women of a certain age range and build generate crotch alarms.
But when did it become SOP to force all women to stand with their legs spread wider than the footprints on the mat?
Aug 27, 2019, 6:45 am
#67
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,526
What's TSA Cleared? Is that a new program we have? I swear there's a new one made up everyday.
Last edited by TWA884; Aug 27, 2019 at 9:56 am Reason: Fix BB code
Aug 27, 2019, 7:34 am
#69
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Aug 27, 2019, 10:20 am
#70
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 6
Thanks for clearing that up. I swear we hear so many different "new programs" because Clear is right next to PreCheck at some airports and the Global Entry/ PreCheck programs are so well meshed together.
Hmm, that seems strange. So many groin alarms in one. To be fair, we ask PAX to widen their stance over the footmark because of certain characteristics, such as weight or type of clothing. I know for me and my experience, anyone that has really thick thighs will automatically receive an alarm in the groin, not their fault but can't blame it on TSA who is proactively trying to reduce the alarm. Remember, L3 is the company, so you'll have to contact them regarding that specifically. As such you don't see 7 feet tall people enter the machine.
On another note, the machine itself may not have been calibrated properly. So regarding groin alarms, and as someone who works the checkpoint and has encountered multiple groin anomalies back to back it could very well be that.
Also on that last note, unless you've seen our SOP then how would you know? It's up to the officers discretion to scan the PAX how they see fit. On one hand it does sound like something fishy could be at play but after being on the checkpoint for over a decade, it also sounds like normal behavior. The markers are only there for a general scan, each individual could have different needs. Just something to think about.
I didn't post this when it happened a month ago. I've seen and experienced some garbage at the hands of TSA, but this was a new one.
PHX, T2. I've cleared and I'm sitting down, facing the NoS and waiting for my travel companion. There is a male TSO standing at the side of the NoS and a female TSO standing behind it, gesturing for people to come through.
An elderly man passes through. An elderly woman passes through, has trouble holding still.
A youngish woman passes through. *beep* She's in shorts, bare legs. Her crotch alerted. OK, I've seen that before.
She assumes the position on the mat with her feet solidly inside the footprints, but the female TSO makes her spread her legs farther apart, so her feet are both completely outside the footprints. She gets a front-back-front-back crotch rub. While she's walking around the pax doing the waistband check, she's pulling the woman's shorts up and giving her a front wedgie. It was clear from her face that she was upset.
Another youngish woman in bicycle style shorts comes through. *beep* Crotch alert. Once again, the female TSO makes her spread her legs wider than the footprints on the mat and gives her the double crotch frisk plus the waistband lift.
My travel companion is next and I see the previous woman say something to her. Guess what? *beep* Once again, she's on the mat (she's a short-legged 4'11") and has her feet on the footprints, but she's told to spread her legs wide enough to put both feet outside the mat footprints. Same crotch frisk.
Next up, a guy who goes through and alarms. By this point, I've noticed that the male TSO is staring very fixedly at the hip areas of the females being frisked. None of the older folks alarmed, but finally one guy alarms. The male TSO never even moves, looks over his shoulder to see who is coming next. The pax starts to stand on the mat, but the female TSO just tells him to take off his baseball cap and he's good to go.
Next up, a young girl in her early teens who...generates a crotch alarm. By this point, the male TSO's fixation is making me uncomfortable and I'm debating whether or not to get my phone out and take a video. He realizes I'm watching him. I hold the eye contact and two pax later, he simply walks away.
Sure, the official line is that this guy isn't a creepy sleaze, nothing's going on. most women of a certain age range and build generate crotch alarms.
But when did it become SOP to force all women to stand with their legs spread wider than the footprints on the mat?
PHX, T2. I've cleared and I'm sitting down, facing the NoS and waiting for my travel companion. There is a male TSO standing at the side of the NoS and a female TSO standing behind it, gesturing for people to come through.
An elderly man passes through. An elderly woman passes through, has trouble holding still.
A youngish woman passes through. *beep* She's in shorts, bare legs. Her crotch alerted. OK, I've seen that before.
She assumes the position on the mat with her feet solidly inside the footprints, but the female TSO makes her spread her legs farther apart, so her feet are both completely outside the footprints. She gets a front-back-front-back crotch rub. While she's walking around the pax doing the waistband check, she's pulling the woman's shorts up and giving her a front wedgie. It was clear from her face that she was upset.
Another youngish woman in bicycle style shorts comes through. *beep* Crotch alert. Once again, the female TSO makes her spread her legs wider than the footprints on the mat and gives her the double crotch frisk plus the waistband lift.
My travel companion is next and I see the previous woman say something to her. Guess what? *beep* Once again, she's on the mat (she's a short-legged 4'11") and has her feet on the footprints, but she's told to spread her legs wide enough to put both feet outside the mat footprints. Same crotch frisk.
Next up, a guy who goes through and alarms. By this point, I've noticed that the male TSO is staring very fixedly at the hip areas of the females being frisked. None of the older folks alarmed, but finally one guy alarms. The male TSO never even moves, looks over his shoulder to see who is coming next. The pax starts to stand on the mat, but the female TSO just tells him to take off his baseball cap and he's good to go.
Next up, a young girl in her early teens who...generates a crotch alarm. By this point, the male TSO's fixation is making me uncomfortable and I'm debating whether or not to get my phone out and take a video. He realizes I'm watching him. I hold the eye contact and two pax later, he simply walks away.
Sure, the official line is that this guy isn't a creepy sleaze, nothing's going on. most women of a certain age range and build generate crotch alarms.
But when did it become SOP to force all women to stand with their legs spread wider than the footprints on the mat?
On another note, the machine itself may not have been calibrated properly. So regarding groin alarms, and as someone who works the checkpoint and has encountered multiple groin anomalies back to back it could very well be that.
Also on that last note, unless you've seen our SOP then how would you know? It's up to the officers discretion to scan the PAX how they see fit. On one hand it does sound like something fishy could be at play but after being on the checkpoint for over a decade, it also sounds like normal behavior. The markers are only there for a general scan, each individual could have different needs. Just something to think about.
Last edited by TWA884; Aug 28, 2019 at 9:43 am Reason: Merge consecutive posts by the same member; please use the multi-quote function. Thank you.
Aug 27, 2019, 10:37 am
#71
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 6
You mean like this: Apparently, the male TSO enjoyed watching. Do you advise passengers that you will be touching their genitals when doing a so-called "pat down" or do you use the standard TSA words "resistance" or "sensitive area"?
Do you mean that TSA comes up with a new program everyday? If so, perhaps that's why passengers are unable to accurately following directions and suggestions and therefore find themselves being mauled, pawed and groped by screeners.
Do you mean that TSA comes up with a new program everyday? If so, perhaps that's why passengers are unable to accurately following directions and suggestions and therefore find themselves being mauled, pawed and groped by screeners.
I get it, you absolutely hate TSA and probably the government and anyone that doesn't do anything you see fit. However, a few bad apples does not speak for the rest of us. There was a story about a gay TSO that intentionally created groin alarms because well he was gay. Was he justified? No. Do I stand by him as a fellow officer? God no. Was it inappropriate? Yes, it was disgusting. I can only tell you from my personal experience and the officers I work with, they do not enjoy touching a PAX sensitive area.
Aug 27, 2019, 10:41 am
#72
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Join Date: Sep 2006
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Something to think about: I have never yet been forced to widen my stance wider than the footprints.
I have never before witnessed anyone else forced to stand with their feet wider than the footprints.
Only younger women were forced to spread their legs wider than the footprints. No males were forced to spread their legs wider than the footprints. The women were all wearing shorts and two of them were wearing very fitted bicycle-style shorts (no padded crotch). My traveling companion is 4'11" and weighs just under 100 pounds - no thick thighs.
Given the recent report of yet another back room strip search, I can't help but wonder if this 'spread your legs wider, ladies' PHX practice is an HQ order or if it's just something the PHX TSOs came up with on their own.
I have never before witnessed anyone else forced to stand with their feet wider than the footprints.
Only younger women were forced to spread their legs wider than the footprints. No males were forced to spread their legs wider than the footprints. The women were all wearing shorts and two of them were wearing very fitted bicycle-style shorts (no padded crotch). My traveling companion is 4'11" and weighs just under 100 pounds - no thick thighs.
Given the recent report of yet another back room strip search, I can't help but wonder if this 'spread your legs wider, ladies' PHX practice is an HQ order or if it's just something the PHX TSOs came up with on their own.
Aug 27, 2019, 11:00 am
#73
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,526
Had to edit your post because I can't post URL's
I get it, you absolutely hate TSA and probably the government and anyone that doesn't do anything you see fit. However, a few bad apples does not speak for the rest of us. There was a story about a gay TSO that intentionally created groin alarms because well he was gay. Was he justified? No. Do I stand by him as a fellow officer? God no. Was it inappropriate? Yes, it was disgusting. I can only tell you from my personal experience and the officers I work with, they do not enjoy touching a PAX sensitive area.
I get it, you absolutely hate TSA and probably the government and anyone that doesn't do anything you see fit. However, a few bad apples does not speak for the rest of us. There was a story about a gay TSO that intentionally created groin alarms because well he was gay. Was he justified? No. Do I stand by him as a fellow officer? God no. Was it inappropriate? Yes, it was disgusting. I can only tell you from my personal experience and the officers I work with, they do not enjoy touching a PAX sensitive area.
Aug 27, 2019, 11:02 am
#74
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,526
Something to think about: I have never yet been forced to widen my stance wider than the footprints.
I have never before witnessed anyone else forced to stand with their feet wider than the footprints.
Only younger women were forced to spread their legs wider than the footprints. No males were forced to spread their legs wider than the footprints. The women were all wearing shorts and two of them were wearing very fitted bicycle-style shorts (no padded crotch). My traveling companion is 4'11" and weighs just under 100 pounds - no thick thighs.
Given the recent report of yet another back room strip search, I can't help but wonder if this 'spread your legs wider, ladies' PHX practice is an HQ order or if it's just something the PHX TSOs came up with on their own.
I have never before witnessed anyone else forced to stand with their feet wider than the footprints.
Only younger women were forced to spread their legs wider than the footprints. No males were forced to spread their legs wider than the footprints. The women were all wearing shorts and two of them were wearing very fitted bicycle-style shorts (no padded crotch). My traveling companion is 4'11" and weighs just under 100 pounds - no thick thighs.
Given the recent report of yet another back room strip search, I can't help but wonder if this 'spread your legs wider, ladies' PHX practice is an HQ order or if it's just something the PHX TSOs came up with on their own.
Aug 27, 2019, 11:16 am
#75
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Hmm, that seems strange. So many groin alarms in one. To be fair, we ask PAX to widen their stance over the footmark because of certain characteristics, such as weight or type of clothing. I know for me and my experience, anyone that has really thick thighs will automatically receive an alarm in the groin, not their fault but can't blame it on TSA who is proactively trying to reduce the alarm. Remember, L3 is the company, so you'll have to contact them regarding that specifically. As such you don't see 7 feet tall people enter the machine.
On another note, the machine itself may not have been calibrated properly. So regarding groin alarms, and as someone who works the checkpoint and has encountered multiple groin anomalies back to back it could very well be that.
Also on that last note, unless you've seen our SOP then how would you know? It's up to the officers discretion to scan the PAX how they see fit. On one hand it does sound like something fishy could be at play but after being on the checkpoint for over a decade, it also sounds like normal behavior. The markers are only there for a general scan, each individual could have different needs. Just something to think about.
On another note, the machine itself may not have been calibrated properly. So regarding groin alarms, and as someone who works the checkpoint and has encountered multiple groin anomalies back to back it could very well be that.
Also on that last note, unless you've seen our SOP then how would you know? It's up to the officers discretion to scan the PAX how they see fit. On one hand it does sound like something fishy could be at play but after being on the checkpoint for over a decade, it also sounds like normal behavior. The markers are only there for a general scan, each individual could have different needs. Just something to think about.
You are correct, it is why I finally posted. I am curious if it making younger women spread their legs wider than the footprints, regardless of their height or the thickness of thighs or clothing while older women and all males are not forced to spread their legs wider than the footprints is now SOP across the country or only at PHX. Clearly the PHX FSD knows his people are forcing only women of a certain age range and build to assume an extra wide stance during groping.
It's highly unlikely to be a machine calibration problem because 1) the calibration is supposed to be checked regularly and 2) if that were the case, I'm sure the PHX TSOs would suspect something was amiss and would check the calibration that for some reason only false alarms on the crotches of women of a certain age range and build.