Opt-out experience in AMS
 

Just thought I would share this. I flew from AMS the other day and while it is "US-style" security theatre, there were a couple of noticable differences that made it a little more bearable.

First, each gate (non-schengen) has it's own security checkpoint. The gate I was leaving out of had two MMW machines, a WMD, and two x-ray machines for bags.

After the initial security questions (i.e., did you pack your own bag), I approached the x-ray machine. As with the US, the little baggy goes in the bin, the laptop comes out, but your shoes stay on.

Thw MMW was being used and the WMD was roped off. I asked if I could opt out of the MMW and was told yes. Immediately (without waiting 10 mintues for a TSA agent to become "available"), I started the opt-out process. The guy asked why I wanted to opt out (he told me that he had to ask why). I gave him my reasons, and life went on. No smart remarks like most TSA agents I've come across. I then walked through the WMD, before being patted down. The pat-down was fairly standard, but much quicker than the U.S. version, and without the grope. The entire opt-out process took about 30 seconds, versus the 5-15 minutes in the U.S., and was relatively painless.

My wife went through the MMW machine, and was patted down. The difference is, however, that the machines show a cartoon figure of the person (i.e., no details) to the operator of the machine and identifies areas of concern for the operator to search. So, my wife's patdown consisted only of the boots she was wearing. While the machine identified two other areas of concern, the operator was able to see that one was her bracelet, and the other was a zipper on her shirt. The operator then VISUALLY determined that my wife's bracelet and zipper were not a threat to security of the plane, and life went on without my wife being fully patted-down.

One other thing, something in my carryon must have looked odd. Unlike the U.S., however, they just opened my bag (in front of me) to see what it was. I wish they would do this in the U.S. I can't tell you how many times I've been at an x-ray machine and there are 4-5 TSA agents staring at the x-ray screen (literally for 10 minutes in one instance) trying to figure out what is in the bag. Just freakin' open it and see!! But, of course, I've been told by the TSA agents that this would be too dangerous.

Of course. But pouring all of those "dangerous liquids" into a common barrel right there at the checkpoint seems to be perfectly acceptable.

Morons.

Good to know your experience was good. Mine was not. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...l-aid-ams.html .

thank you for the report.

Can you please clarify if you were flying TO the US, and if you were on a US carrier? That would be helpful.

Glad to hear that somebody has some common sense over there ^ Perhaps TSA could learn something from AMS?

They have for a while now. They have been smoking that wacky stuff and then making their idiotic rules.

Yes, it was a U.S. carrier, and the flight was to the U.S.

This is, for me, one of the biggest and oddest differences between the US and the rest of the world. In Australia, Asia, or Europe, when I set off the WTMD due to my hip implant, the screener tending the WTMD either calls a colleague to take over her position and does the patdown, or calls a female colleague to do the patdown right away. The longest wait has been for someone to walk, at a brisk pace, from a position two lanes away; maybe 20 seconds.

These checkpoints don't seem to be overrun with excess staff Standing Around, yet they are able to do this promptly. I'm astonished at the frequent reports here and in the wider media of people waiting at TSA checkpoints for 10, 20, 30 minutes for a patdown, coupled with the reports (and my own observation) of lots of staff at each checkpoint.

Then again, in Australia, Asia and Europe, they're not busy shining UV lights on OLCI BPs, moving shoes from the bin to the belt, or sizing up "cuties" for the NoS. ;)