Do you opt out of the body scanner?

[mefordis]

Just wondering how many people on this board opt out of the body scanner. When I flew recently out of MCO I didn't notice anyone opting out.

Anyone care to share if they opt out and their experiences doing so?

Just to share mine - I have not had to opt out because I have kids 12 and under. However, my 12 year old will be turning 13 soon and we will both have to opt out and do pat downs together. I guess my dh will go through the metal detector with my 7 yr old.

I am also reading that the TSA has a right to turn you away if you don't go through the scanner. I haven't heard of them doing this but I am wondering if anyone else has.

Thank you for sharing your experiences!

 

[bumbershoot]

I do. I have shoulder problems and can't reliably put my arm up in the way you're supposed to. But even if that magically clears up I still opt out.

We always get to an airport with plenty of time, and I don't mind a patdown.

A TSA dude at MCO pretty much punished me for opting out once, but that's the only time it happened. After another agent screaming at us for 20 minutes to stay with our bags, to not get separated, that this is the real world, blah blah blah.... I sent my bags through on the side I was on, then they had us go to the other side to go through, and I told the guy I opt out of the naked machine (not in those words). He came very close to *whispering* the need for a "female assist". NO ONE could have heard him; I barely heard him. My bags were *over there* and I was over here, standing aside for at least 5 minutes. I tried to catch his eye, to tell him that my bags were now alone, and away from me, and his fellow agent had been yelling at us to NOT let that happen for this whole time, but he refused to look in my direction. Given that I was about 3 feet from him, this took some effort on his part. He finally noticed I was still there, and he called out in an appropriately loud voice for a female assist, she was there in a heartbeat, I was reunited with my bags (DH and DS were booked separately from me and got Precheck, so they were watching over my bags, but no one officially knew that) and got the patdown.

That's the only time that has happened, though. I sure didn't like that guy. Nor did I like the guy yelling at us the whole time. I really dislike MCO LOL.

 

[loves to dive]

I don't opt out, doesn't bother me one way or another. I'm pretty sure I don't have a thing that they haven't seen and if I do, it's time they see it. I've also been patted down and some of them pretty thorough before they had scanners and I'd much rather be scanned then have things twisted that really weren't meant to be twisted (other than in a mamogram machine).

 

[KrazeeK120]

Unless I had some kind of medical issue, I wouldn't opt out. I don't see what the point of that would be. I'd much prefer going through a machine than to have a stranger touching me.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I've opted out of the xray machine, but never the scanner that you walk through. I didn't have a real reason for not wanting the xray (other than it was an xray), but there was a woman there to do the pat-down, so I opted for that as an easier option.

 

[mefordis]

I do. I have shoulder problems and can't reliably put my arm up in the way you're supposed to. But even if that magically clears up I still opt out.

We always get to an airport with plenty of time, and I don't mind a patdown.

A TSA dude at MCO pretty much punished me for opting out once, but that's the only time it happened. After another agent screaming at us for 20 minutes to stay with our bags, to not get separated, that this is the real world, blah blah blah.... I sent my bags through on the side I was on, then they had us go to the other side to go through, and I told the guy I opt out of the naked machine (not in those words). He came very close to *whispering* the need for a "female assist". NO ONE could have heard him; I barely heard him. My bags were *over there* and I was over here, standing aside for at least 5 minutes. I tried to catch his eye, to tell him that my bags were now alone, and away from me, and his fellow agent had been yelling at us to NOT let that happen for this whole time, but he refused to look in my direction. Given that I was about 3 feet from him, this took some effort on his part. He finally noticed I was still there, and he called out in an appropriately loud voice for a female assist, she was there in a heartbeat, I was reunited with my bags (DH and DS were booked separately from me and got Precheck, so they were watching over my bags, but no one officially knew that) and got the patdown.

That's the only time that has happened, though. I sure didn't like that guy. Nor did I like the guy yelling at us the whole time. I really dislike MCO LOL.

Thank you for posting, Bumpershoot!! I agree with you - I didn't like MCO either this time around. When your son and husband got precheck, did they need a pat down or did they just go through the metal detectors? I'm trying to figure out if TSA Precheck means you do not have to go through the body scanners.

 

[loves to dive]

Thank you for posting, Bumpershoot!! I agree with you - I didn't like MCO either this time around. When your son and husband got precheck, did they need a pat down or did they just go through the metal detectors? I'm trying to figure out if TSA Precheck means you do not have to go through the body scanners.

Precheck just means you don't have to take your shoes off and get to put your stuff on another belt. You still have to go through some sort of screening, be it the body scan, xray or pat down.

 

[goofy4tink]

Thank you for posting, Bumpershoot!! I agree with you - I didn't like MCO either this time around. When your son and husband got precheck, did they need a pat down or did they just go through the metal detectors? I'm trying to figure out if TSA Precheck means you do not have to go through the body scanners.

If the line you're in uses a scanner, then you go through the scanner. Same for metal detectors. TSA PreCheck means you keep your shoes/belts/jackets on, your 3-1-1 bag and lap top in your carry on bag.

I don't much care which one I go through. For crying out loud, every single time I go through the metal detector at our Six Flags, I set it off. Then, the wand comes out. I tell them there is no metal on me...they keep trying to tell me it's my bra. Sorry guys, no metal in them, they're all plastic!!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I've opted out of the xray machine, but never the scanner that you walk through. I didn't have a real reason for not wanting the xray (other than it was an xray), but there was a woman there to do the pat-down, so I opted for that as an easier option.

What are you talking about? People don't go through X-ray machines at the airport. It is a METAL detector!

I have Global Entry/TSA Pre so never even see body scanners anymore.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Precheck just means you don't have to take your shoes off and get to put your stuff on another belt. You still have to go through some sort of screening, be it the body scan, xray or pat down.

TSA Pre lines use metal detectors. Again, NO ONE goes through X Ray machines at the airport.

 

[mefordis]

The full-body scanners used in all airports since May 2013 are called "millimeter wave" machines, which bounce electromagnetic waves off the traveler to provide an animated image where a suspicious item might be located. The TSA no longer uses the backscatter scanners that produced near-naked images of travelers.

TSA's Millimeter Wave Scanners Radiate Cells With Untested and some say DangerousTechnology. Maybe they are wrong, and it isn't dangerous. Quite a gamble, though. It is super high frequency microwave radiation.

If you are asked to put your hands up (like you are being arrested) you are not going through a metal detector, but the body scanners.

It's nice that people have a choice to avoid them just in case they do cause cell mutation, like some scientists believe - just do a search. Or you can read here:

http://preventdisease.com/news/12/0...-Radiate-Cells-With-Untested-Technology.shtml

 

[mefordis]

TSA Pre lines use metal detectors. Again, NO ONE goes through X Ray machines at the airport.

I have read some TSA pre check people DO get herded to the body scanner, at random selection.

 

[mefordis]

What are you talking about? People don't go through X-ray machines at the airport. It is a METAL detector!

I have Global Entry/TSA Pre so never even see body scanners anymore.

Where do you fly out of that they only use metal detectors? I know they got rid of the body scanners in other countries such as the UK.

 

[Woodview]

Why the objection to the Body Scanners ?

Walk in Hands up The Scanner slides around 15 sec at most. & out & on you go.

You are one of many thousands passing through ..... you are here now for 45 sec. & out of mind after that .

Do you really think that they will remember you after 60 sec. ?

 

[AngiTN]

Thank you for posting, Bumpershoot!! I agree with you - I didn't like MCO either this time around. When your son and husband got precheck, did they need a pat down or did they just go through the metal detectors? I'm trying to figure out if TSA Precheck means you do not have to go through the body scanners.

You may still go through the scanner. We have TSA Precheck and I got the "random buzzer" on my last trip back from MCO in July.

Full body scanner doesn't bother me in the slightest. Full body pat down on the other hand, would. I would never dream of picking having a stranger put their hands on me over a machine.

Maybe if I had to go through one several times a day I'd be worried but less than once a year, I probably get more radiation from my TV

 

[sam_gordon]

However, my 12 year old will be turning 13 soon and we will both have to opt out and do pat downs together.

Regarding the bolded, why do you HAVE to opt out?

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

The full-body scanners used in all airports since May 2013 are called "millimeter wave" machines, which bounce electromagnetic waves off the traveler to provide an animated image where a suspicious item might be located. The TSA no longer uses the backscatter scanners that produced near-naked images of travelers.

TSA's Millimeter Wave Scanners Radiate Cells With Untested and some say DangerousTechnology. Maybe they are wrong, and it isn't dangerous. Quite a gamble, though. It is super high frequency microwave radiation.

If you are asked to put your hands up (like you are being arrested) you are not going through a metal detector, but the body scanners.

It's nice that people have a choice to avoid them just in case they do cause cell mutation, like some scientists believe - just do a search. Or you can read here:

http://preventdisease.com/news/12/0...-Radiate-Cells-With-Untested-Technology.shtml

1. YOu are NOT being arrested.

2. Exactly how long are you hanging around these things? You didn't move into it. This is the same thing as the people screaming "there's second hand smoke a few feet away, I breathed it for 2 seconds I am going to get lung cancer"

3. Try to find a reliable source for your medical advice. That site provides a lot of laughs but it's apparently designed to scare people with poorly constructed theories and little in the way of facts LOL!

Feel free to get the patdown but don't try to pretend it's for medical reasons..

 

[nacho113]

Where do you fly out of that they only use metal detectors? I know they got rid of the body scanners in other countries such as the UK.

I believe the UK has now implemented body scanners in all but the smallest airports.
They did relax the rules somewhat in 2014 allowing the passenger the option of a full physical search (same as in the US) instead of body scanner

FYI, when full body scanners were rolled out in the UK initially there was no other option for screening (for able bodied persons). If you were "selected" for the additional screening, you were required to go through the body scanner. Refusal to comply meant that you were not allowed to fly

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I've opted out of the xray machine, but never the scanner that you walk through. I didn't have a real reason for not wanting the xray (other than it was an xray), but there was a woman there to do the pat-down, so I opted for that as an easier option.

If you are walking through you are go through the metal detector. If you stop and put up your arms then you are using the body scanner.

 

[goofy4tink]

My favorite part of that article was that the American public has a God given right to protection.....Well, flying isn't a God given right. If you don't like the security measures, don't fly. But please, don't tell us that you 'have' to fly, but you refuse to go through any of the screening machines and you don't want to be patted down. I really don't think that going through these machines is going to turn us, or our offspring, into raging mutants! It's just not a concern for me!