LEO guys, serious question

[Roscoe]

This is such a joke. Robert and I opted out of the X-ray line and requested a pat down when we left Las Vegas last weekend. You would seriously think that we were war criminals.

As soon as the words, 'opt for a pat down' hit their ears, there was commotion and yelling for additional agents. FOUR agents were called in to remove our bags, and two agents for each of us were called to escort us to the pat down area after we were run through the metal detectors.

One of the agents pointed to the area and said we would need to go over there, so I start walking. I was grabbed by the arm and told that I had to stay between the agents until we got there. She walked slowly, interrogating me the entire way, and her complete demeanor changed when I answered that I wasn't chosen for additional screening, I opted out of the body scan-- Where had I been? Why was I in town? What was the name of the expo? What company did I work for? What did we do? Who was I traveling with? What is my address? When was I born? What airline were my tickets for? What flights was I taking? Did I have a layover? Was Dallas my final destination? How long of a drive is Longview from Dallas? Why wouldn't I fly into Longview rather than driving from Dallas?

Then came the pat down. THAT was a joke. I could have been hiding anything, for all she could have felt, using the backs of her hands to sweep between my breasts and under my padded bra.

After she was satisfied that I wasn't carrying a cupcake in a jar or a bottle of water that wasn't purchased at an overpriced store by my gate, she swabbed her glove for explosives and let us go.

Without an agent near us or paying any attention to us, we put our shoes on next to a box of confiscated pocket knives, and went on our merry way.

Ironically, no one said shit about the ridiculously sharp tweezers in my laptop case that could do more damage than a box cutter.


Here's a lovely picture of them stabbed into my wood armoire, next to a Dr Pepper can, for reference.

I've opted out probably 50x and have yet to experience the "harsh demeanor" that you have. It's not a threat to national security to opt out and have to call BS.

If I'm wrong, I would've told them to get bent. Somehow I don't understand how every time I opt out I have to wait for one person, let alone have the luxury of 4 Smurfs.

[kingjason]

This is such a joke. Robert and I opted out of the X-ray line and requested a pat down when we left Las Vegas last weekend. You would seriously think that we were war criminals.

As soon as the words, 'opt for a pat down' hit their ears, there was commotion and yelling for additional agents. FOUR agents were called in to remove our bags, and two agents for each of us were called to escort us to the pat down area after we were run through the metal detectors.

One of the agents pointed to the area and said we would need to go over there, so I start walking. I was grabbed by the arm and told that I had to stay between the agents until we got there. She walked slowly, interrogating me the entire way, and her complete demeanor changed when I answered that I wasn't chosen for additional screening, I opted out of the body scan-- Where had I been? Why was I in town? What was the name of the expo? What company did I work for? What did we do? Who was I traveling with? What is my address? When was I born? What airline were my tickets for? What flights was I taking? Did I have a layover? Was Dallas my final destination? How long of a drive is Longview from Dallas? Why wouldn't I fly into Longview rather than driving from Dallas?

Then came the pat down. THAT was a joke. I could have been hiding anything, for all she could have felt, using the backs of her hands to sweep between my breasts and under my padded bra.

After she was satisfied that I wasn't carrying a cupcake in a jar or a bottle of water that wasn't purchased at an overpriced store by my gate, she swabbed her glove for explosives and let us go.

Without an agent near us or paying any attention to us, we put our shoes on next to a box of confiscated pocket knives, and went on our merry way.

Ironically, no one said shit about the ridiculously sharp tweezers in my laptop case that could do more damage than a box cutter.


Here's a lovely picture of them stabbed into my wood armoire, next to a Dr Pepper can, for reference.

The tweezers stabbed into the armoire gave me a good laugh.

[Treasure Chest]

I've opted out probably 50x and have yet to experience the "harsh demeanor" that you have. It's not a threat to national security to opt out and have to call BS.

If I'm wrong, I would've told them to get bent. Somehow I don't understand how every time I opt out I have to wait for one person, let alone have the luxury of 4 Smurfs.

They certainly acted like it was a threat to national security. They made a huge deal about the whole process, from yelling for a female escort to having us identify our personal effects. We had two bags, a separate bin for the laptop, and we each had a bin for our shoes and pocket items. They kept asking us which bags and bins were ours, and subsequently misunderstanding what all was ours. When we tried stepping closer (but still about 5 feet away) to the pick up area to better point out our stuff, they acted like we were trying to go for a weapon, all of the agents would tell us to back up.

We opted out because the line was backed up, but my laptop had already gone through the x-ray machines, and Robert wasn't comfortable with it not being in our sight.

He didn't get anywhere near the questioning that I did. The agent that he had was from Texas, so they got into a casual discussion about "home," and his pat down didn't take nearly as long. I'm guessing that my experience was a combination of a female TSA agent on a power-trip and the scrutiny that has been placed on the female pat-downs.

Bottom line, it's a whole lot of pomp and circumstance for little security.

[Treasure Chest]

The tweezers stabbed into the armoire gave me a good laugh.

They can do some damage. I've pulled them out of my hand several times because I've forgotten that I've stashed them in a random pocket of my bag and reached into that pocket to grab something.

[The King]

My shoes tested positive for explosives once at the Albuquerque airport but the screener determined it was a false positive due to my blood-pressure medication.

[MattB]

I love refusing to go through those xray machines. They just look at you like it is so inconceivable that you dare refuse. "We've got an opt out!!!!!!" Most of the agents have actually been pretty decent that have patted me down, but I'm going to run into a one that is a prick one of these days and he isn't going to like it.

Is the x-ray machine the one where you stand in a circular "tube", place your feet in the place where they have an outline of feet on the ground, hold your hands in the air for 3 seconds, and a couple agents watch you? If so, last weekend was the first time I've had to do that. I noticed I was the only one in line that got asked to do that. What would have happened if I refused? I didn't really get offered a choice, they just told me to go over there.

[Treasure Chest]

Is the x-ray machine the one where you stand in a circular "tube", place your feet in the place where they have an outline of feet on the ground, hold your hands in the air for 3 seconds, and a couple agents watch you? If so, last weekend was the first time I've had to do that. I noticed I was the only one in line that got asked to do that. What would have happened if I refused? I didn't really get offered a choice, they just told me to go over there.

Yes. At McCarran, they were funneling multiple lines through the X-ray machine, and had cones blocking the metal detectors off. That's where everything got backed up and chaotic.

At DFW on the flight out, they shut the X-ray down to recalibrate, and put everyone through the metal detectors.

[MattB]

Yeah this was in Houston on a late flight on a Saturday night. I was one of the only people it seemed at the airport. Oh well, I guess someone got to meatgaze my package for 3 seconds :-(

[talisman]

Yeah, they're not going to ask if you'd like to refuse. You have to basically flag the guy down that is funneling people through it and tell him you're not going through it. They want to make it as inconvienent as possible to decline. The last 6 or 7 flights I've taken they have been using that thing, and I've opted out every time.

[MattB]

Yeah, they're not going to ask if you'd like to refuse. You have to basically flag the guy down that is funneling people through it and tell him you're not going through it. They want to make it as inconvienent as possible to decline. The last 6 or 7 flights I've taken they have been using that thing, and I've opted out every time.

I've flown a shitload in the last year and besides a metal detector, never had to do any of that shit. I guess I didn't realize wtf it was until after I went through it. I had already been through the metal detector and ran my bags & shoes and phone through the conveyor belt, then I was motioned over there, and didn't realize that nobody else had gone through it until after I grabbed my carry-on shit and looked back and realized I was the only one. I guess I give off a terrorist vibe!

[Treasure Chest]

I've flown a shitload in the last year and besides a metal detector, never had to do any of that shit. I guess I didn't realize wtf it was until after I went through it. I had already been through the metal detector and ran my bags & shoes and phone through the conveyor belt, then I was motioned over there, and didn't realize that nobody else had gone through it until after I grabbed my carry-on shit and looked back and realized I was the only one. I guess I give off a terrorist vibe!

I don't remember DFW having a body scanner back in June.

[MattB]

I don't remember DFW having a body scanner back in June.

This was at Houston/Hobby airport.

[Roscoe]

They certainly acted like it was a threat to national security. They made a huge deal about the whole process, from yelling for a female escort to having us identify our personal effects. We had two bags, a separate bin for the laptop, and we each had a bin for our shoes and pocket items. They kept asking us which bags and bins were ours, and subsequently misunderstanding what all was ours. When we tried stepping closer (but still about 5 feet away) to the pick up area to better point out our stuff, they acted like we were trying to go for a weapon, all of the agents would tell us to back up.

We opted out because the line was backed up, but my laptop had already gone through the x-ray machines, and Robert wasn't comfortable with it not being in our sight.

He didn't get anywhere near the questioning that I did. The agent that he had was from Texas, so they got into a casual discussion about "home," and his pat down didn't take nearly as long. I'm guessing that my experience was a combination of a female TSA agent on a power-trip and the scrutiny that has been placed on the female pat-downs.

Bottom line, it's a whole lot of pomp and circumstance for little security.

If you really want to bitch about it, know what your rights are...

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-safety-security-222/

Know how to play the game.

[talisman]

That flyertalk is an interesting site.

[Treasure Chest]

If you really want to bitch about it, know what your rights are...

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-safety-security-222/

Know how to play the game.

So the statement that it was a lot of pomp and circumstance for little security is bitching? The fact is that I could have made a shank out of a travel sized mouthwash bottle and my insanely sharp tweezers using the non-propelled lighter in my carry-on. TSA is a joke.