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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 10:28 am
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Uncomfortable Pat Down at IAH E

On a recent trip I "opted-out" of the naked scanner (they were requiring everyone to go through it) and was subjected to a somewhat embarrassing pat down.

Right out in the open I was felt up and down. With parts touched that only my wife and doctor are allowed near.

Are they doing these pat downs in the open to embarrass us into going through the machine?

From now on I'll go through Terminal C, especially when traveling with my wife, I can't imagine subjecting her to a similar pat down, she'd never fly again.
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 10:36 am
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Originally Posted by Hartmann
On a recent trip I "opted-out" of the naked scanner (they were requiring everyone to go through it) and was subjected to a somewhat embarrassing pat down.

Right out in the open I was felt up and down. With parts touched that only my wife and doctor are allowed near.

Are they doing these pat downs in the open to embarrass us into going through the machine?
This, I believe, is beyond debate at this point. Is the Pope Catholic?

Originally Posted by Hartmann
I can't imagine subjecting her to a similar pat down.
This is exactly what I told my wife when I explained to her that we, as a family, will never go anywhere near an airport again until they stop this disgusting practice.

I, for one, fly only when a job interview is involved. My present job does not involve travel, thank God.
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 10:43 am
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Originally Posted by Hartmann
On a recent trip I "opted-out" of the naked scanner (they were requiring everyone to go through it) and was subjected to a somewhat embarrassing pat down.

Right out in the open I was felt up and down. With parts touched that only my wife and doctor are allowed near.

Are they doing these pat downs in the open to embarrass us into going through the machine?

From now on I'll go through Terminal C, especially when traveling with my wife, I can't imagine subjecting her to a similar pat down, she'd never fly again.
There are, I believe, two reasons for the humiliating pat downs done when people refuse the strip search:

You hit the first one - they are trying to force people through the machine and

two, when you refuse the strip search, you become the control part of their experiment to determine if the machine misses anything - like in one's crotch.

Did other passengers seem to know what the machine was? Was there signage showing an image of the scan and informing people they could opt out?

Good for you for finding another way through the airport to avoid this abomination! Please encourage all your friends and colleagues to do the same.
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 10:50 am
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I've got an email in to the TSA to ask if it is SOP to force a pat-down on a passenger who does not alarm the WTMD and refuses the strip search. We'll see.

Mike
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 10:51 am
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Originally Posted by doober
There are, I believe, two reasons for the humiliating pat downs done when people refuse the strip search:

You hit the first one - they are trying to force people through the machine and

two, when you refuse the strip search, you become the control part of their experiment to determine if the machine misses anything - like in one's crotch.

Did other passengers seem to know what the machine was? Was there signage showing an image of the scan and informing people they could opt out?

Good for you for finding another way through the airport to avoid this abomination! Please encourage all your friends and colleagues to do the same.
When Terminal E is busy there are 4-5 different lines that one can go through, only one has the scanner. When the terminal is not busy, everyone uses the single line that has the scanner. The scanner does not have any markings saying what it is and since it is where the old "puffer" machine used to be, I doubt anyone notices that's it different.
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 10:54 am
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Hartmann, you know about the E connector checkpoint don't you?

E connector is normally fast and easy IMO.

Ciao,
FH
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 10:56 am
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Originally Posted by Hartmann
When Terminal E is busy there are 4-5 different lines that one can go through, only one has the scanner. When the terminal is not busy, everyone uses the single line that has the scanner. The scanner does not have any markings saying what it is and since it is where the old "puffer" machine used to be, I doubt anyone notices that's it different.
Very interesting.....TSA at its reptilian best.

So you noticed NO signage, is that correct?
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 10:56 am
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Originally Posted by FlyingHoustonian
Hartmann, you know about the E connector checkpoint don't you?

E connector is normally fast and easy IMO.

Ciao,
FH
Yes I know about it but a lot of the parking shuttle drivers still don't believe that C dropoff is open
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 10:57 am
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Originally Posted by doober
Very interesting.....TSA at its reptilian best.

So you noticed NO signage, is that correct?
None whatsoever. People were being told "go in there and raise your hands above your head".
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 10:59 am
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Originally Posted by Hartmann
None whatsoever. People were being told "go in there and raise your hands above your head".
Would you care to go over to the TSA blog and write this information?

I would also ask that you e-mail your Congresspersons this information and perhaps write a letter to the editor of the newspaper.
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 11:08 am
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"nice discussion" over here and that is not what they are supposed to do according to the tsa's very own document....
The enhanced pat-down will be used only after all other screening methods have been used and the alarm remains unresolved
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 11:13 am
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Originally Posted by Hartmann
None whatsoever. People were being told "go in there and raise your hands above your head".
If this is not treating a person like a criminal, I don't know what is.
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 11:15 am
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Originally Posted by Hartmann
Yes I know about it but a lot of the parking shuttle drivers still don't believe that C dropoff is open
ohh, bummer. I have not seen the signage at E either.

Ciao,
FH
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 11:18 am
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Originally Posted by goalie
"nice discussion" over here and that is not what they are supposed to do according to the tsa's very own document....
What you're missing, goalie, is that the "enhanced" pat down as a result of refusing the strip search, is the control part of the experiment. Every experiment has to have a control and sexually assaulting passengers is the TSA's control.

TSA has to actually sexually assault everyone who refuses to be virtually strip searched in order to try to determine if the MMW can miss anything - which we all know it can, but even the "enhanced" pat down won't pick up things put in the goody hidey places.
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 12:10 pm
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This was posted within the last two days, hope it helps everyone with questions.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...-new-post.html

Travel same
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