AMS experience
 

Now the Dutch have budged. Before entering the boarding area for my UA flight to IAD we had to go through the obligatory questioning and were released to have our belongings scanned. However, instead of going through the regular metal detector, to my surprise that they now have a body scanner working on the basis of "harmless millimetre waves" ( quotes the provided brochure ). I was not sure about the machine and kept asking if i could opt out. It was not a language problem, they understood and spoke good English, but they refused and I had to go through the machine, arms up resigning myself to the fact that I had no choice, like at LHR. After passing they gave me the brochure which clearly states "....for now, the use of the Security Scan is not obligatory":td:
I want to ask : When is all of this nonsense going to end? But sadly, I already know the answer.

'This is why, for now, the use of the security scan is not obligatory'

From the brochure also located on the AMS website http://www.schiphol.nl/Travellers/At...curityScan.htm

There are also reports here from other US bound travellers that they were able to opt out. Did you use the term 'opt out' or did you phrase it differently? (English is generally very good in Holland because unlike in Germany their films etc from the US and UK are subtitled not dubbed)

Initially, as I am used to, I requested to "opt out". Their facial expressions in response to my request indicated to me that they might not understand that phrase and in so many other ways I tried to make myself clear to them. One problem we had that we were a tad late, having enjoyed the SIA lounge to long and faced with time pressure, I gave in after they continued to deny me alternatives and went through the procedure. Also I did not have the brochure at that point, they only handed it to me after I had passed through the machine. Had I had the brochure in hand prior to the experience, I would have been able to point it out to them.

You should state that you won't go in the machine to be scanned but you will go through a metal detector and/or pat-down as they deem fit. That is how I "opt-out" still at AMS for flights to the US. They try to avoid the pat-down there but they do eventually do it if you insist.

This is whyat I did a few months ago on my AMS-ORD flight and they let me skip it. Not an issue whatsoever.

BTW, the "frisk" was quick, but I was really taken aback when the guy did the waistband thing. He certainly went into uncharted waters with it. :eek: :td:

The Dutch are unfortunately very responsive, possibly subservient to, and in admiration of U.S. security policies. I seem to recall that plans were announced at least over a year ago to implement scanners at AMS.

As far as I know, the Dutch use the L3 MM-Wave scanners with ATR, and no goon-in-the-box.
http://www.schiphol.nl/Travellers/At...curityScan.htm

If this is true, nobody should have a reason to avoid them, even though they may be ineffective.
More here:
http://www.schiphol.nl/InDeSamenlevi...security-scan/

I may be confused on this point, but vis a vis AMS, The Panty Bomber transited AMS as his final departure point on a NW flight bound for the US. If I understand correctly, the whole body imaging scanners were in place at the time, yes? If so, the d*mn things are completely and totally ineffective because they scanned and let through the very threat it is claimed they are used to detect.

Am I missing something here?

Well, except that there are zero scientific studies describing the long-term human health effects of this technology. When it comes to my own health and personal safety, as well as the safety of those around me, I err on the side of caution.

They have been in patial use at AMS since May 2007.

I started reading here after the underwear bomber but thought that something smelled fishy when I read people crowing about the 'bad' security overseas compared to the 'good' security in the US.

Your argument is the same that Werner Gruber made in the program on German television shortly after the incident, and whilst the TSA was jubilant about the 'success' of the scanners and the need to purchase hundreds more.

That is indeed the case. In its over-eagerness to please the US, Dutch authorities have even locked up innocent people who had no contraband with them.

AMS had the strip search machines in play even before the failed "underwear bomber" became known for burning his groin area. After that, they were willing to ramp up deployment of the strip search machines and make them rather common for AMS-US flights.

Hopefully without driving us to OMNI-ville, I will say that I find it odd that there is huge outcry about privacy concerns and the ineffectiveness of the scanner and the 'utter failure' of the scanner test just a few miles away from AMS. It is just more proof that there are many different values and beliefs in the odd jumble of countries which make up the EU.

I am also a little concerned about the 'for now' statement in the brochure and hope that AMS does not go the way of the UK with scanners (albeit it scanner use there is proportionally lower than in the US)

I chose to use AMS as my destination since I refuse to fly into Germany and pay their newly enacted passenger tax. The next option would be BRU. Does anyone have any information what the situation is there?

Last time I was there it was the reassuringly old-fashioned WTMD.

I've flown from there to the US and to elsewhere in Europe or Asia from there and I've not seen ordinary departing passengers for any flights -- even on US carriers -- go through the strip search machine at any point this year (or before).

Since Italy binned the scanners, I believe that they are only used in a few places outside the US - Canada (voluntary), England (not the UK, just England, not voluntary but appears to have lower selection rate than the US), Russia, HAM (only airport in Germany, entirely voluntary test, extended to end of June due to 'dismal failure' of the first six months of testing) and a few others from the sticky.

These are the only other airports which I recall being reported at security (vs Customs), and which are listed on the sticky. Hopefully if there are more around the world people will continue to update Friendly Skies.