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Do you watch your bag go in the X-ray?

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Old Jul 5, 2019, 7:58 pm
  #1  
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Do you watch your bag go in the X-ray?

I flew out of PAE and there were only a handful of passengers in the screening area. But agents were taking their sweet time inspecting every bag, so the X-ray was deeply backed up.

I set my belongings on the conveyer and stood next to them, waiting for the belt to start, but another TSA agent said she would push my stuff in, and I should go ahead and walk through the metal detector.

In this case should I say OK, or should I insist I wait and watch my bags go in the X-ray scanner?
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Old Jul 5, 2019, 8:01 pm
  #2  
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Originally Posted by davie355
I flew out of PAE and there were only a handful of passengers in the screening area. But agents were taking their sweet time inspecting every bag, so the X-ray was deeply backed up.

I set my belongings on the conveyer and stood next to them, waiting for the belt to start, but another TSA agent said she would push my stuff in, and I should go ahead and walk through the metal detector.

In this case should I say OK, or should I insist I wait and watch my bags go in the X-ray scanner?
Well, as long as you can watch from either end.
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Old Jul 5, 2019, 9:15 pm
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I always wait for my bags to go fully into the tunnel before I move thru the WTMD. No TSA has ever said anything to me about it, but amusingly people who seem happy to just "stow and go" will wait for me to go thru the detector, even though I'm off to the side.
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Old Jul 5, 2019, 9:33 pm
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Originally Posted by kennycrudup
I always wait for my bags to go fully into the tunnel before I move thru the WTMD. No TSA has ever said anything to me about it...
+1
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Old Jul 5, 2019, 9:39 pm
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Originally Posted by kennycrudup
I always wait for my bags to go fully into the tunnel before I move thru the WTMD. No TSA has ever said anything to me about it, but amusingly people who seem happy to just "stow and go" will wait for me to go thru the detector, even though I'm off to the side.
Same here. I always wait until my bag goes into the scanner. They always try to beckon me to come through the WTMD but I just stand there until the bag goes in.
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Old Jul 5, 2019, 9:41 pm
  #6  
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I always watch and wait. If an employee has an issue, I say that TSA advises passengers to control their belongings at all times.
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Old Jul 6, 2019, 6:41 am
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I stand at the belt and wait, then get in line for the metal detector or rape scan.
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Old Jul 6, 2019, 6:47 am
  #8  
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Originally Posted by kennycrudup
I always wait for my bags to go fully into the tunnel before I move thru the WTMD. No TSA has ever said anything to me about it, but amusingly people who seem happy to just "stow and go" will wait for me to go thru the detector, even though I'm off to the side.
+2
​​​​​​While the downside risk of taking my eyes off my stuff might be very low, there is no advantage to me getting to the other side first.
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Old Jul 6, 2019, 9:36 am
  #9  
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Originally Posted by kennycrudup
I always wait for my bags to go fully into the tunnel before I move thru the WTMD. No TSA has ever said anything to me about it, but amusingly people who seem happy to just "stow and go" will wait for me to go thru the detector, even though I'm off to the side.
^ This plus I will also wait to see if the x-ray operator reverses the belt to take a second look at a bag in front of mine which would then cause my bag to come back out as if that happens, I stop and wait for my bag to go back in again as I may be old and bald but I'm not a sheep
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Old Jul 8, 2019, 7:42 am
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We try to always watch our stuff go through. Can’t or won’t say we’re always successful. It’s easier when we’re traveling together and I usually get the duty to lag behind as much as practical. That said our wanting to watch is tempered by the need to not delay fellow passengers behind us in line.
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Old Jul 8, 2019, 8:18 am
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Randy, they can go around you if they want.
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Old Jul 8, 2019, 8:21 am
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Originally Posted by catocony
they can go around you if they want
This.
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Old Jul 8, 2019, 8:41 am
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Originally Posted by catocony
Randy, they can go around you if they want.
Certainly they can and I have offered to let them without issue or problem. When that’s happened I usually get a “thank you” and they go ahead. It’s situational and I behave as needed.
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Old Jul 8, 2019, 8:59 am
  #14  
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There is no advantage from the perspective of the individual, other passengers, or TSA. Either you wait at the entrance or the exit, but the throughput time is just as backed up in the machine is slow.
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Old Jul 8, 2019, 9:15 am
  #15  
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Slowdowns are usually due to the xray operator creating a short wait on the exit end of the belt. Might as well make sure your kit is in the machine before proceeding through the screening machine.
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