littlesheep

deleted

MKE-MR

MKE, checkpoint for D, was able to position at a line without scanners with no trouble.
MKE, checkpoint for C, they were alternating two lines of X-rays machines feeding into (alternately) the WTMD and the NoS. I was able to delay my things going through the X-ray long enough to get the alternate WTMD instead of the alternate NoS.
TPA, checkpoint for A, each line appeared to have NoS but they were not yet in operation. As I passed through the WTMD I heard a clerk yell "we're ready to open whenever you are" which I assume was a reference to the NoS.

RatherBeOnATrain

I self-opted out again this morning at ATL, but only after social engineering myself into a just-closed WTMD line. It appeared that all the main checkpoint lines were being routed into the cancer machines.

I avoided flying over the holidays. Since my last flight in December, they added some new glass walls. These are really annoying - if you're not careful, you'll find yourself going down a glass-walled lined corridor past the WTMDs and around the bend into a cancer machine only queue.

The bad news is that most of the lines at the main checkpoint were being sent through cancer machines. A month ago, the majority of lines were still being sent through WTMDs.

Based on this change, I think ATL flyers should start allocating time to allow for the full frisk.

mozgytog

PIT on 12/6 I did an SDPOO, which highly angered a woman who did not wan me "cutting the line" by going from the first class TDC to the far left lane where the WTMD only area is. I just ignored her protests that I was being unfair by selecting which lane I wanted after the boarding pass tso.

PIT on 1/3, I again went to the first class line because the others were out the door, and carefully timed my approach to the bag X-ray so that I got to the WTMD while the guy in front of me was being strip searched.

I stay away from the alternated checkpoint at PIT, which used to be faster than web the first class line, but now is excruciatingly slow and has strip search machines everywhere.

Seat1A

BOS, terminal B, AA side. i wasn't even subtle. got into the regular line with an F boarding pass, because there was a line there with the rapiscan roped off. then, they juggled things, and i went under the barriers to get over to the TDC on the F side, where they had just roped it off.

mozgytog

SDPOO at PIT again on 1/10/11.

Noticed that on the main checkpoint only one of the BKSX was operational so I headed for the lane that had the strip search machine roped off. There were many others in that line. The guy behind me and I discussed the strip search machines before we got to TDC, and he also chose the non-strip, non-grope line on purpose.

haggisattack

RDU, Terminal 2, on 1/4/11. I went in the "expert traveler" line. Of the 3 NoS there 2 were roped off and not in use, so it was easy to pick a line for the WTMD.

MIA, Concourse D (AA), on 1/7/11. I went through the "priority access" line and the NoS was actually up and running (first time I've seen that on this line since November). Still most travellers were being directed through the WTMD. I actually saw one woman opt-out of the NoS (good for her!) and a TSO just patted her hair and shoulders and directed her through the WTMD (no additional pat down). I just planted myself in front of the WTMD and nodded to the TSO there and she directed me through.

I done this travel (RDU-MIA) 5 times since the NoS became a first line of screening and so far not once been directed to go through it. These are my observations (and just observations).

1. I've been lucky
2. It helps that the airports I use do not direct everyone through the NoS
3. I don't see a lot of business travelers directed through the NoS, so it helps to look like a business traveler (e.g. shirt, tie, pants, jacket)
4. (This might only be for men) It helps to weigh less. I'm on a program where I've lost 40lbs over the last 5 months. Before I lost the weight (and this was before NoS became mandatory) there were several occasions where I was directed though the NoS (I still opted out and got the pre-invasive grope pat down).
5. Attractive young women are selected for the NoS in disproportionately high numbers. I see this a lot at MIA where TSOs (male) will select women before they get to the WTMD and direct them to the NoS. This is of course completely horrible and why my wife refuses to fly.
6. Body language and timing work. I can unpack items on the x-ray belt pretty quickly and plant myself in front of the WTMD and just look at the TSO there, with a "can I go through look". So far it works.

mikemey

Argh haggisattack, your discussion of RDU T2 keeps making me ill, esp. since I'm leaving through T2 on Saturday.

Gonna be interetsting.

Majuki

It was the same at PIT's main checkpoint today (1/12). One of the two BKSX was in operation in the elite line along with the WTMD. The general lane had WTMD only but the line to get to the TDC was long. I opted for the elite lane and went through the WTMD lane to the left of the operational scanner. To further increase the chance of success of my SDOO, I fumbled with getting my stuff into the bins and waited for someone to step inside the scanner. Fortunately this proved unnecessary as they had temporarily stopped the BKSX so a wheelchair pax could wait for an assist.

TSOs here were friendly and didn't blare out instructions and allowed pax to choose their own lanes. ^

Lara21

I'm afraid that sometime soon opting out isn't going to be an option unless one can't standstill or raising their arms over their head is impossible because of a proven medical condition. These machines are costing alot of money and because of that they want the passengers to go through them and I'm thinking that when they have gotten them at every airport they can get them at. Suddenly the WTMD slowly is going to be done away with at those airports.

birdstrike

Almost true. The cost of the machines are dropping to the point where you will soon see them at Sears and Walmart. WTMDs are obsolete technology. RFID tags will be obsolete soon when the WBIs can compare what you walked in with with what you walked out with with what you bought.

FriendlySkies

Flew out of MCO this morning.. When I got through the CLEAR lane, the line I was sent to had both a WTMD and Backscatter. As I was unpacking my belongings, I was just about to tell the clerk that I wanted to opt-out, when they closed the backscatter ^

Amazing how many sheeple went through the NoS at MCO

birdstrike

We're wrong at focusing attention at airport NoS. Unless some major legislation is enacted, NoSsn will soon be everywhere. It will be cheap, reliable, and contain costs.

We're pretty much doomed.

FriendlySkies

Exactly. Perhaps we'll see some people that are like these Texans ^

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...ess-texas.html

Lara21

That may be true for the machines to be placed in Sears and Walmart that the price is coming down, but when has anything the government purchased been cheap. I seem to remember toilet seats, screw drivers, and some other items the government purchased costing like a few hundred dollars each and most of those things, when bought in a hardware store, run about 7 to 25 dollars, or maybe abit more depending on the name brand.