I'm most likely going to be flying at least once this year. I think I've mentioned before that my girlfriend's dad and stepmom both work for Southwest Airlines and so while I boycott flying otherwise, I would consider it rude to turn down the free nonrev passes, especially when the occasion is either to visit her elderly grandmother in Houston or for an upcoming family get-together (expenses paid by dad) in Key West.

Since MDW is Southwest's airport of choice in Chi-town, it's there that I'll be encountering the TSA. I've flown out of there before and haven't had any problems (other than a 1" keychain knife being confiscated* from my girlfriend) but it might be because we were there at 5AM and the screeners weren't warmed up yet. The other thing is that I haven't flown since scope-n-grope started running full steam last October and so I don't know if the climate has changed at all. The impression I always got was that the screeners were of the "do just enough to not get fired" mentality more than of the "I AM TSA CLERK, HEAR ME ROAR" mentality.

Has anyone had more recent experience at MDW and, if so, can you give me an idea what to expect? I'm thinking stuff like:

-Is there a penalty box there?
--If so, how is refusal treated? I have a major problem with it and will not permit unlawful imprisonment.
-I know they use BKSX Chertoffomizers. Are they in all lanes? How vigorously do the screeners try to herd people into them?
-Overall screener attitudes? How are opt-outs treated? What if I look them in the eye and say "I proudly opt out?"

And anything else noteworthy.

Oh, also, what about Houston-Hobby and Tampa airports? I've never had a problem at Hobby (maybe there's something to that whole southern-hospitality stereotype after all) but that was before SnG, and while the TDC at Tampa was a real jackhole, I've only flown out of there once and otherwise didn't get hassled.

Many thanks for any info you can provide. You're the greatest.

*="voluntary surrender" under duress is not voluntary. They confiscated it. Con-fi-scat-ed. Stole. Pilfered. Lifted. Filched. Snurched. Misappropriated. Unjustly took into their possession.

I passed through MDW last month. The security lines were the longest I have encountered at any airport within my recent travels. It took me 30+ mins to pass through the security checkpoint on a Sunday morning. Most of the lanes are WTMD-only; there was one MMW (not Backscatter) in use while I was there, and I saw another one in a pair of lanes that were closed. It was a very easy self-opt-out, especially due to the volume of people. I used one of the blue square lanes, which directed me into a pair of lanes with no MMW. Despite the lines, it was a fairly easy experience (especially when compared to my recent experiences at BOS!).

Oh, my mistake on the type of Chertoffomizer. I seem to remember reading somewhere that it was BKSX. Not that it matters since I'm not going through one either way.

Good to know. We're usually there for the red-eye shift since we fly standby and want to be able to have all the day's flights open to us (also a bonus for confrontational Pistolenoids - you can reply to "I can keep you here all day" with "Bring it, I got all day") so maybe the lines won't be quite as long. I do, come to think of it, remember them being pretty ridonkulous though, stretching all the way down that sloping hallway.

Oh, well, more time for me to finish my PowerThirst(TM) Manana(TM) before I have to relinquish it to the Magic Inert-O-Tron Anti-Terror Bucket.

Oh, another question: what about recording/photography at MDW?

I know Illinois is a two-party consent state with regard to audio recording. Does this apply to video? What if you announce that you're recording audio and nobody protests?

What about still pictures?

Also, how are the airport LEOs? Sympathetic to pax or sympathetic to TSOs?

Thanks.

I did that at DCA a few weeks ago. A three stripe asked me how long until my flight. I told him "Four hours. I've got plenty of time to dance." Things became easier after that.