Shoes selected for random patdown
 

Flying out of PWM this morning... I knew I wasin for some karma afte rrefusing the bin straightener's order to head through theWTMD before my stuff. Sure enough the WTMD picked me for random screening. I've had this happen before so I prepared myself for a light lovetap or magic paper swab. Instead the conveyor watcher called me over and had me identify my belongings. Upon doing so I was told that he had to screen my shoes and that he would take them and be right back?! Sure enough my shoes disappeared for a few minutes before he returned and said I was free.

This isn't really a complaint. Beyond my general disdain for security theater this wasn't a big hassle and the TSOs were polite. It just seemed incredibly stupid and bizarre that my slip-ons that were xrayed got sent o secondary because the WTMD didn't like me. What about the rest of my belongings?

Space bar broken?

yeahthatsreallyfreakinannoyingdude

That'll teach you to expect to be able to keep an eye on your belongings. :rolleyes:

OP doesn't usually write that way, so I say PDA with tiny buttons. On a bus. :cool:

Back on topic: Belt/bin disagreement and random WTMD alarm were unlinked events. They are using WTMD alarm to randomize tests of the ETD. Less silly than usual, maybe.

Well I was typing on a tablet but my flight boarded so I had to copy and paste later (session expired). Sorryaboutthat:)

Actually had an issue with that at OKC on thursday.

Happened to me at LIT yesterday too. Hey better my shoes than the nude o scope or the grope.

What in heavens name did they do with your shoes? Didn't they go through the x-ray? Were they swabbed?

This leaves me shaking my head yet again over TSA supidity.

Much of my objection to the whole opt-out process, other than the screaming and the fact that it will generally cause a TSA employee to go for one of their many approved insults, is that it's open season on your things. Last time I flew, all my stuff ended up on the ground, including my laptop, blackberry, etc. and the TSA employee decided to scold me for the fact that my things fell on the ground after I wasn't allowed to remove them from the belt, and nobody bothered to watch my things.

Someone easily could have walked off with my wallet, my computer, etc. and the TSA's only solution is don't opt out. But I *have* to opt out, since I have prosthetics, or get sent for the scary "resolution pat-down". As I was traveling alone, there's no way I'm getting shuffled off to a locked windowless cameraless room with no witnesses. It'd be really easy to tail me through security and take all my possessions; heck, it's TSA policy to help, since they won't prevent your things from being stolen or, even when asked politely, take them off the belt and isolate them so nobody can take them. TSA-assisted theft...heck, they get to assault you, scream at you, and call you names, why not steal your things, too?