"Anything for safety!" -- TSA mantra to justify trampling the Constitution.

Welcome to FT, iowakatie1981.

One important note: Do not, under any circumstances, check any of the presents, and assume that TSA will want to unwrap any you carry through (how else will they know what to steal?).

I'd strongly urge you to continue sending all valuable (and sentimental) gifts by FedEx. This will ensure that they get their safely.

I too wear a prosthetic device. I wear a colostomy appliance. They have to see it and swab it for explosives, which I understand and support..

I actually prefer going through the body scanners now because the process of failing that is much quieter--just agents talking into their arms via ear pieces--than the alarms and yelling that comes with the metal detector..

I believe you may not have a choice on the secondary screening being in public. One time I was hauled off into the private room and not given a choice. The second time they started doing it in public before I asked for a private room. The differences was that the first time the failure on the body scanner--and they tell you where it fails--was in the groin region and the second time they decided it was in the waist region. I was wearing the same appliance in the same exact spot with the same type of underwear three days apart..

The appliance did not move but the agents interpretation did. The bag was fuller te second time, but still the bottom of it is most definitely in the pubic/groing region. It was amusing something that did not move was in different regions of the body to different agents. .

If your prosthetic attaches at the hip bone, they will probably force a private screening on you. The pat down itself is not too bad in terms of the crotch touching, but they really focused on my bag through the pants the time it was in the groin region..

That is really bad, as it got the clip stuck on my underwear; this happened because they couldn't see what they were doing. Thankfully the force was low enough to avert disaster. Still, it was extremely uncomfortable. .

The second time, they had me expose it and touch it myself then they swabbed my hands. This was much preferable to risking a leak because some agent can't see my bag and doesn't know where the trouble spots are.

From now on, I hope they use the expose and swab procedure. It is much more comfortable than a pat down which could cause a leak..

Good luck and you will be on my thoughts .

The Humphrey Terminal (where Southwest is) at MSP did not have scanners last week when I went through. They are WTMD only. Now as for your destination airport?

It's fortunate that you are going through MSP. The TSA are far more professional than those that I have encountered elsewhere. I wish you a safe journey.

Austin does not have scanners.

There was a story in today's Austin newspaper that they are getting NoS shortly.

i suspect that will not be a popular decision....

Have you considered a double opt out?

Have you considered contacting the friendly local news media for the event?

This conversation is so sick, and I'm worried we're having it in an exclusive club and not with Obama and the major news outlet.

The only way it will end is if everyone says NO, what are you CRAZY? This is sexual assault! You will not touch me like that!

Or, if the leaders get their act together.

It's just so wrong that you have to put yourself through this...this is no different than if you asked: OK, I'm going to have to be raped in order to go buy food at the store. Help me prepare!

There is something so twisted about the idea that you should 'prepare', wear the right clothes, whatever...

Please share your story with the media...

The Austin American Statesman reported today that enhanced scanners will not be operational until March 2011 at the earliest. Before or after SXSW is the question.

iowagirl1981 : For what it's worth, I think the bodysuit is an excellent idea. Yes, you can still be groped, but it would provide a thin layer of protection and potentially avoid the gloved hand between your skin and underwear. Enjoy the weather in Austin - it should be beautiful.

One of the things I love in all this is the fact that virtually no one in Congress is putting their bodies in the way of the looming state power. If they don't defend the rights of citizens, who is left? The reason for the separation of powers is not to pay more people, it is to create some sort of capacity for the action of one branch to be criticized from separate and independent branches. I guess the Founding Fathers didn't consider what would be if all three branches went insane together.

I guess it doesn't really surprise me. Our congress folks have shown in many ways that they are not 'us'. They are the 'state power' and we are the 'citizens'.

They do not see any loss of citizen rights as affecting them.

A good example is the 'no-fly' list. When Ted Kennedy and Kat Stevens (wife of Sen. Ted Stevens, confused with 'Cat Stevens') started getting flak because they were on the 'no fly' list, it got straightened out. No months of redress numbers, harassment, et cetera.

Of course, once their personal problems were resolved, neither one of them tried to ensure that other innocent American citizens wouldn't be caught up in the same nightmare.

Sigh, I know. It's so ridiculous. I mean, it's really hard for me to understand how all the high-level DHS peeps have managed to convince themselves that this is ok. Would they want this to happen to their own grandmothers or children? I literally don't understand the mental process here.

Anyway...I will be more than clear with the agent about how uncomfortable this is, I will get her name/badge #, make sure she puts on clean gloves straight from the box, etc...At least I won't have to worry about the actual "opt-out" moment, since there aren't any NoS at MSP or AUS.

I would still like to hear from eyecue about whether I will be forced into a private screening, or whether it would be acceptable to xray my leg and go through the mag on one foot.

I did notice on a couple other threads the idea of having the airline provide a witness in case of a private screening, and that actually seems like a good idea. All in all, though, if given the option, I'd actually prefer to stay in public, because I want the public to know what's really going on. This is ABSURD.

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions! I'll let you know how it goes!

~Katie

Hey, first it's liberation theology, next stop terrorism, right?

I really believe the most major problem is that TSA agents really are so untrained and myopic as to assume that disabled people are inherently threats if they have any assistive or prosthetic equipment.

I do wish you safe, and unassaulted, travels.

Personally I would never allow a private search, unless a LEO and witness of my choosing were present. All sorts of nefarious BS can happen behind closed doors. Please realize that eyecue is a TSO, so he has his happy "government is good and trustworthy at all times" bib and glasses on.

TSA's website says do not remove prosthesis, nor should an agent ask you to remove it: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtrav...rial_1370.shtm

ALWAYS ship presents ahead - less for you to carry and worry about when you need your wits about you as you travel.