Just sitting here writing a patent and something just dawned on me that may eliminate the need for groping.

If I understand correctly, the purpose of the groping is from the russian aircraft being downed because explosives were carried on the plane, on the persons of the bombers, who happened to be female.

The grope is to feel if there are any unusual buldges that contain or may contain explosive materials. Why couldn't we simply use the ETD swabs that they have for testing bags and electronics on the people. In theory if they person has explosives underneath their clothes then they would have a trace of them on their garments. Shoes can be ETD'd why can't a person? If possible, at least I am getting touched by a remote item than a persons hand. (sorry GradGirl, I know about the wand incident) Also wouldn't this be more effective, and reduce the chances a person would get by with explosives in the buttocks.

Just a thought

That is a very interesting and novel idea that I think deserves comment and consideration. ^

Why can the existing ETD equipment be used to swab an obviously non-sensitive part (maybe the back of the shirt/blouse) of the outermost garmet of selectee and secondary-screening pax in lieu of the patdowns?

Anybody know if TSA considered that as an alternative to the groping policy?

I agree that the OP's idea is preferable to grop-a-thon.

Unfortunately, the ever-vigilant TSA will probably say that the explosives testing won't be able to tell us whether granny has stuffed a .22 pistol or a knife in her underwire bra. That's why we have to feel her up.

No, the detector would alarm in that instance. But, yeah, speaking as a screener I certainly wouldn't mind an end to the patdown. Patting down has it's time and place but tacked onto the end of a wanding, I wouldn't mind the end of.

Apparently you didn't detect the subtlety in my post. The detector alarms for the wire in the underwire bra. So TSA thinks it need to do grop-a-thon on the unfortunate granny who wears an underwire bra.

That's odd. I regularly wear an underwire bra through the metal detector, I haven't managed to set one off in years. I also wear glasses, a watch, and jeans with a metal zipper. I do take off my shoes however since I regularly wear boots with metal in them.

The unfortunate granny? Try the unfortunate 20 or 30-something too.

And don't forget about those composite knives that won't alarm the WTMD. Can't let those through.

JennyElf,

Underwire doesn't usually set off the walk-through metal detector, but many people get sent to secondary for SSSS or just because the TSA feels like it (continuous screening) even though they haven't set off the walk-through. In secondary, the hand-held wand always in my experience beeps at underwire and even the tiny metal hooks in the back of a bra, providing justification for unwelcome breast groping. IMO, screeners should keep their hands off our breasts and other private parts.

A few posters in other threads have mentioned that their underwire bras will set off the walk-through metal detector. Different sizes and strengths of bra have different amounts of metal.

(oh, and I"m one of the unfortunate 20-somethings who seems to be preferentially selected for continuous screening, particularly when certain male screeners think they're going to get away with doing my breast grope, or at least get to watch.)

I guess I've just been lucky so far then. Last time I had to go through secondary was when I was flying AF CDG-EWR right before New Year's eve when they was a terror alert specifically about AF flights. But everyone on that flight was sent through secondary. They patted down every passenger and hand searched their carryon on the Jetway. But they were very professional about it, one line for females, one for males, carry-on was with you at all times. Unfortunately, this also delayed our take-off by 90 mins. I barely made my connection in EWR.
I haven't gone through a domestic secondary in a few years now. But I totally agree with you, the screeners don't need to touch my breasts or other private parts to screen me. There has got to be a better way. It's interesting that I've been so lucky as I am also a 20-something female. Also flying out of BOS. Perhaps I'm just not attractive enough.