I think that's a toss-up. Many of your co-workers don't seem particularly impressed by SOP's.


~~ Irish

Think we already know some of it. We know AIT (in spite of what Nappy originally said) is going to become primary. That will please folks who have joint implants. Won't make folks who are involuntary medical opt-outs, of course. And eyecue already posted that anyone even thinking about opting out better be prepared for a full-body patdown.

If the number of folks with joint implants who don't need a patdown is greater than the number of involuntary medical opt-outs who do need a patdown, then I imagine the TSOs will be happy.

Still just one detail that doesn't make sense. If the post-WBI opt out patdown is the same as the no-WTMD patdown has always been, why does there seem to be a shortage of folks trained in the patdown? Someone posted that they were patted down twice. Not a big problem, but apparently someone noticed that the TSO who did the first patdown hadn't received the 'training', so a second 'trained' TSO did another patdown. Poster didn't say they were unprofessional, as I recall, just a bit of a surprise. I believe the poster didn't see any difference in the patdowns.

You could have closed your current account and opened a new one - but then you would have had to return to the starting line. Or you could have added a signature line to advise that you had been promoted.

How is the public suppose to know if a screener has violated the rules or law?

Are BDO's trained to conduct a more in depth pat down than the screener working the checkpoint?


So you are confirming that front of the hand pat downs are being used by TSA.

As far as I known TSA said earlier this year the WBIs will be the primary screening method. Or are you meaning to say "mandatory"? If so, I haven't heard anything about that.

As far as the pat-down, it may not make sense to you why very few are certified (not talking about the enhanced par-down), but it makes sense to me. Again, this is because I have access to TSA SOP.

Ummm I confirmed that days ago; I confirmed it specifically to one of your post, i believe.

No, it makes perfect sense to restrict who's trained to do an enhanced patdown. If I understand you correctly, by definition it applies to pax deemed suspicious or higher risk.

I'm referring to reports of folks opting out of the WBI and having to wait for someone who's trained to do the alternate pat-down. Seems to be more women than men. One poster reported getting patted down twice. IIRC, she was patted down once, thought it was over, then someone said she had to be patted down again because the TSO who did the initial patdown hadn't received the training yet. This was 'just' a public, post-opt-out patdown. And I think eyecue might have posted something about a lot of new TSOs coming on board and not being fully trained.

(Edited to add: see post #54 about the double-patdown)
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...-merged-4.html

Unless I misunderstood you (entirely possible!), I thought you were saying that under ordinary circumstances, the public patdown following a WBI patdown was the patdown we currently get if we're unable (unwilling?) to go through the WMD. I don't remember ever encountering or hearing of a shortage of TSOs authorized to conduct the patdown currently conducted on folks who can't use the WMD.

You may have but seems to me that you have tried very hard to confuse the discussion of what, when, why and where any type of pat down may be used while reports from travelers confirm that TSA employees are using front of the hand and groping genitals during normal screening for those people who Opt Out of E-Strip Machines.

Just how is a person to know if the TSA employee has acted improperly if we don't know what or why we are being treated in a given way and is correct procedure or not?

Can BDO's grope genitals?

I don't want to delete my account; what i specifically asked a moderator is f I could change my name and have my old post "follow" me. Putting a signature is not good enough.

But to be very honest, im not too worried about my name. If I can't change it and have my old post follow me, I will not change it at all. And if people get is a fit because of it...well, too bad for them.

The pat-down for those who opt out of the WBI is basically the same as what has exist for years, however how it does have some changes. What has NOT changed is what parts of the body this pat-down covers (genitals not patted down); what has changed I will not go into. And believe it or not, this means retraining for all checkpoint TSOs, which takes a while.

BDOs do not so pat-downs, as far as I know.

I have not tried to cofuse anyone. Certain things I can not and will not say. And i don't apologize for that.

There is a front the hand pat-down that covers the genitals , it is not give to opt outs of the WBI, and TSOs do not perform it.

It must be digital rectal exam training.

Thanks, that explains the other poster's experience and occasional reported delays for opt-out patdowns.

OK, here is my confusion. When you say TSO's do you mean the TSA employees that we normally encounter at the checkpoints, 1, 2, & 3 strippers or something different? To me they all look the same and seem to be doing the same jobs so if they have a TSA uniform on they are in fact TSO's just working at different levels.

One question I have asked and that goes unanswered is how the public can know if they have been mistreated by TSA if we don't know what to expect.

Are you embarrassed to address that question?

edit to add:

It is being reported that TSO's are in fact using the front of the hand and groping gentials at checkpoints.

Are all of these people lying or is it something else?

Oh really?
 

I've just GOT to ask. What in the world is the "enhanced pat down"?

I suspect that's what I received at Atlanta on 9/11/2010. Short of a full body cavity search, there's not much left that could have been searched on my 5'9" body.

You aren't allowed to know. It's for your safety, and the safety of your fellow travelers. :rolleyes:

I think it's 'anything goes'. Also probably means that if a TSO does cross the line (and it will happen sooner or later) and the pax complains, that will be the 'out'.

I believe what SATTSO is saying (few of us are likely to get one), but certainly the aggressive patdowns that are being reported now are not the patdowns folks are accustomed to getting as secondary or because they can't use the WTMD. Maybe we should all fly out of SAT.

How did he edit it?

Wouldn't it be just as quick and more effective for those that opt out to go through the WTMD and, if they don't alarm, then just do an ETD on their hands and some part of their clothing?