Flew for 1st time with new machines...INCREDIBLY SLOW!

[jodifla]

Just as I predicted, the new machines take much, much, much longer than the old metal detectors did. In Detroit, they had 1 scatter machine going, an old metal detector, and a big old line. They let a few people go through the metal detector, most of them they put through the new machine. There was no rhyme or reason to anything. It was looked incredibly amateurish. It was very difficult to try and time it to send your stuff through when you go through. I'm surprised more people aren't robbed at the "security" station.

You could have screened 100 people by the time they did 20 in the new machines.

I detest the whole screening process, so it's just longer that I have to be there and witness all the ridiculous security theater, and people going along with it.

 

[briar_rose_59]

Which terminal were you flying out of? I was out of Mcnamara about a week ago (and North a couple months ago) and everything seemed to be going pretty smoothly. Honestly the biggest hold ups I saw on my entire trip were people that didn't know they had to take their shoes off, or didn't know they couldn't take full size liquids through, or didn't know they had to take off HUGE metal belt buckles before going through a metal detector (yes, really lol). I'm sure the new machines do take longer than the metal detectors (and security definitely seemed to take longer on my recent trips than previous ones) but I didn't really notice that much of a difference based just on the machines, it seemed to be mostly people not knowing what the heck they were supposed to be doing. I joked with my family when I got back that I was going to start lessons on how to travel, just to teach people how to go through security lol.

 

[jodifla]

Which terminal were you flying out of? I was out of Mcnamara about a week ago (and North a couple months ago) and everything seemed to be going pretty smoothly. Honestly the biggest hold ups I saw on my entire trip were people that didn't know they had to take their shoes off, or didn't know they couldn't take full size liquids through, or didn't know they had to take off HUGE metal belt buckles before going through a metal detector (yes, really lol). I'm sure the new machines do take longer than the metal detectors (and security definitely seemed to take longer on my recent trips than previous ones) but I didn't really notice that much of a difference based just on the machines, it seemed to be mostly people not knowing what the heck they were supposed to be doing. I joked with my family when I got back that I was going to start lessons on how to travel, just to teach people how to go through security lol.

The Southwest terminal. Good to know McNamara is going better....I leave from there in a few weeks.

 

[Mary976]

Tampa was super fast as well. As PP mentioned, the biggest problem was people who didn't take their belts off or the stuff out of their pockets. This was despite the fact that the TSA people were walking around telling people to take everything out of their pockets.

Mary

 

[debster812]

We flew in February out of Boston (Logan). Did not notice any discernible delays. DH and I went through the backscatter machine, DS (13yo) went through a conventional metal detector. I think we were all through and putting our shoes back on in under 5 minutes.

Just standard metal detectors for all three of us when we came home from Ft Myers.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Thanks for the info OP. Did you by any chance keep an eye on what proportion of the scannees also got a body search?

Belts off? How the heck does one keep ones pants up?
Papers, credit cards and currency out of pockets? I keep these on me so that they are not given to TSA custody. More reasons to opt out!

Comments by Rep. Mica (chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee) sparked by the controversy when a 6-year-old girl in New Orleans was patted down by security personnel over her parents’ objection.

The TSA is an agency that has spun out of control. It should be focused on a very narrow number of people who pose a threat. And then I think the agency has to start being a thinking agency, actually get out of the screening business and get into the security and intelligence business where they can be the most effective.

We’re shaking down little old ladies. We’re shaking down military, patting down children who don’t pose a risk, for goodness sakes. We should pick people out there who can make a better determination of who to go after, and we should have the information. It should be embedded in the ticket.

http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/...onSecurityAdministration/2011/04/16/id/393095

 

[kaytieeldr]

Belts off? How the heck does one keep ones pants up?

One wears a belt with a standard, not oversized (as listed by the PP) buckle.

Papers, credit cards and currency out of pockets?

Paper, plastic, fabric? Is there something unique in your listed items that would set off a metal detector?

sparked by the controversy when a 6-year-old girl in New Orleans

Possibly this discussion could be limited to the existing and active "Flying with Kids?" thread recently started by the quoted pester?

 

[ironz]

For the 'advanced imaging' machines---backscatter and MMW---ALL belts have to be off, and pockets must be emptied. Different from the walk through metal detector. Some people have even been made to remove their watches (my sports watch has never alarmed the WTMD, but it got an extra look when I went through the MMW one time).

 

[eliza61]

Just as I predicted, the new machines take much, much, much longer than the old metal detectors did. In Detroit, they had 1 scatter machine going, an old metal detector, and a big old line. They let a few people go through the metal detector, most of them they put through the new machine. There was no rhyme or reason to anything. It was looked incredibly amateurish. It was very difficult to try and time it to send your stuff through when you go through. I'm surprised more people aren't robbed at the "security" station.

You could have screened 100 people by the time they did 20 in the new machines.

I detest the whole screening process, so it's just longer that I have to be there and witness all the ridiculous security theater, and people going along with it.

How long has your airport been using them. When Philly first went on line they were very slow also. Any time a new procedure is instituted it seems as if it takes forever. Especially since so many people are occasional flyers.

Now they are pretty efficient, every one pretty much knows the drill and is in an out in a matter of minutes.

JFK is the same way. smooth and efficient.

 

[CPT Tripss]

One wears a belt with a standard, not oversized (as listed by the PP) buckle.

Paper, plastic, fabric? Is there something unique in your listed items that would set off a metal detector?

Possibly this discussion could be limited to the existing and active "Flying with Kids?" thread recently started by the quoted pester?

Gollee, playing mod squad again? . . . poor spelling or personal attack?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Gollee, playing mod squad again? . . . poor spelling or personal attack?

None of the above.

Answering the question quoted ("how does one keep one's pants up...");
Providing the content of the named items - papers = paper, credit cards = plastic, cash = fabric (presuming no one would expect to make it through a metal detector with coins in pockets);
And simply making a request.

The Moderators handle this board just fine, and if there was poor spelling anywhere I didn't see it and wouldn't point it out in the thread if I did.

 

[ironz]

None of the above.

Answering the question quoted ("how does one keep one's pants up...");
Providing the content of the named items - papers = paper, credit cards = plastic, cash = fabric (presuming no one would expect to make it through a metal detector with coins in pockets);
And simply making a request.

The Moderators handle this board just fine, and if there was poor spelling anywhere I didn't see it and wouldn't point it out in the thread if I did.

And missing the point.....because all of those things are to be removed...belts, credit cards, money, pieces of paper....before going through the AIT, which is what this thread is about, not the WTMD.