Has any one who has opted out refused to send their stuff through the xray machine until the TSO who was doing your pat present?

I ask because while at DCA a couple of weeks ago I and another person waited for a good 5 minutes before a TSO said they could do the patdown

Besides our stuff going out of sight after going through the xray, including having a PAX stack bins on top my laptop which resulted in me getting a TSO to secure my items, the TSO that did my pat down was standing "watching" the line doing nothing the whole time I was waiting. Rather annoying.

After that I thought hmm, if I refused to send my stuff through perhaps that might things happen faster. Though I realize the PAX behind may get a little annoyed.

Anyone ever try that approach?

Edit - I am specifically asking about taking this approach only when there is no choice but AIT or opt out. (I.e. the WTMD is not open).

The main issue with that is that you deny yourself an SDOO if there's the chance of a WTMD.

FT search is useless!

Someone posted on this forum about this recently. Depending on the checkpoint, you might lose out on an opportunity to SDOO (if the WTMDs are 'open for business'). IIRC, poster held up until his groper had was there. I'm not sure how it would hold up other pax - I don't think he put his things on the belt until he had his groper.

I already lock my carry-ons, but I may just start calling for a supervisor. More often than not, I am not only out of sight of my bags, if I mention it to the TSO 'guarding' me, the first thing that TSO does is shift to stand directly in my line of sight.

Actually, specifically at DCA I've done this. It took about 3-4 mins for my groper to show up. The other clerks had no problem with me waiting with my belongings at the xray entrance. YMMV.

Carry-ons play an important part of a SDOO because you can speed them through or fiddle with them to slow down depending upon the back-up at the adjacent Cancer Machine.

I have locked up everything for years, even pre-TSA. The only item of value that's exposed these days is my laptop. It's a government laptop, BTW, so a screening clerk who made off with it is about as stupid as someone stealing a government car.

Regardless of my personal measure, if I have to opt out, you can bet I always make a big deal about being able to see my stuff.

This is what TSA say:

"While you will be separated from your carry-on baggage during this process, every effort will be made to help you maintain visual contact with your carry-ons."

I do have a print out of their previous statement which I think said that you could ask for your goods to be put to one side. But until I summon up the energy to get it, it will have to remain a mystery.

Geez, is that really the current info on the TSA website? Hand-wanding? No mention of nude-o-scopes?

Oh ! It says "wanding! Crikey a total misread !

Joking aside, as informative and as self serving as usual. Sycophantic drivel.

I disrupted a meeting reading that!!

Why I'm not paying attention and chatting here is another matter.

In these cases there is no chance of SDOO, everyone is being sent to the AIT. I have managed the SDOO quite well going to WTMD only lines, only twice so far have been in a situation where TSA was running both AIT/WTMD and I had to play the delay hookie-pookie (made it through both times but that before the Gumby software).

I have a different approach.

My first carry-on is (1) locked with a non-TSA lock and (2) contains certain items that always causes a hand search. This combination usually causes a complete stop of the screening line until I'm past the WTMD or opted-out.... and this complete stop is caused by TSA ("Bag check; I need a bag check!") and not me.

I also insist that the TSO perform a glove-change before lifting my bag off the belt, and then file on-line complaints against the 30% or so of TSOs that claim that their procedures allow them to lift and touch my bags without first changing their filthy gloves.

I'm confused.

Isn't the bag x-ray the first stage of screening ?
Do not announce opt-out until after your bag is through and stay with it until the groper arrives. Or if they balk at that, tell them to put the bag where you can see it while you're waiting.

Am I missing something here ?

I like this plan. I usually send my sure-to-get-a-look Pelican case last so that I can be reunited with my laptop and backpack while they are admiring its contents. Sending it first will almost guarantee that I get around there before the rest of my stuff does.

Depends on the airport. SEA has at least one checkpoint where I regularly get selected after I've already put my things on the belt. Quite difficult because the same belt is serving both WTMD and NoS.

I found the link I was looking for:

ALWAYS watch your belongings as they advance through the x-ray equipment at the security checkpoints - for secondary screening, INSIST that your belongings be brought to you.

Good luck !