More security "pat-downs" at airports!

[CarolA]

I think they have a family line in Atlanta too. I know they don't have a family line at my airport (Nashville) And they don't really help!

 

[Regina]

This happened to me at MCO earlier this month. I didn't set off any alarms and I was told that it's random. (I guess that's better than asking "Lady, are you packing torpedoes in your bra?")

A female agent did the pat down. She was very pleasant the entire time. You can tell that she was trying to ease the discomfort of this procedure.

As I recall, I first sat down and removed my sneakers. She wanded my feet. Then I stood up and I was asked to extend my arms while she did her wanding and patting. Yes, they feel around your breasts, but it's done very quickly and there's no reason to be embarassed.

I was in the glass area next to the conveyor and never lost sight of my possessions.

It may be because I was traveling alone. When my Mom passed away in September, my DS was patted down on both flights. (We booked two one-way fares and that's often a red flag for young men.)

Bottom line, if it helps with security, I'm all for it.

 

[Chicago526]

Pat downs are not fun, I'm sure. But I'd rather get felt up than blown up!

They really are working to get the pat downs reduced or eliminated. But in the meantime, what's the alternative?

 

[FINFAN]

Are children being patted down as well? Y'know, between the changing rules and higher cancellation fees...it is hard to take sometimes. Oh well....WDW is the brass ring!

 

[ILPHIL]

I do agree that the checkers (or whatever they like to be called) resent anything out of the ordinary. My 76 yr old father has a pacemaker and cannot be subjected to any kind of electronic screening. He carries the required documentation, but still had a confrontation with a belligerent idiot that was screaming at him, demanding that he walk thru the detectors. The guy threatened to call the police and my father told him to go ahead. At this point a supervisor came over to see what the commotion was and my father explained the situation to him. He confirmed that a manual search was in order, but didn't offer any kind of apology. Then 3 people spent nearly 10 minutes searching him and his camera bag. Not exactly the kind of experience a senior citizen with a bad heart needs...
I don't see where that makes us one bit safer flying

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I have never set off the alarm with my bra. I never even thought of that! Going out of Dallas in 2003 I was just allowed to walk through the scanner like a normal person. Coming home from San Diego we ALL (every single person in the airport) had to take off our shoes. I was wearing a cardigan with a zipper, so they made me take that off and put it in the bucket. So here we are, a bunch of half naked, barefoot folks blocking the line while we scramble to get put back together enough to continue down the hall! Whatever. I don't know that I feel safer, necessarily.

I have never been patted down or wanded. They did make me take the lid off of my coffee, show them the contents, and take a drink of it in front of them. Not really a big deal and I can't remember what city that was. I will defintely dress with these things in mind when we go to WDW. Thanks for the tips!

 

[Laz]

Originally posted by crzy4dsny
If it makes a flight safer I'm all for it. I think everyone should be patted down and searched.

I am for safer flights, but not with groping involved! I have a 13 year old daughter!

This is the richest, most modern country in the world! Surely it can be done better that feeling people's private areas! More news below:

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/breaking_news/10271027.htm

 

[zulaya]

My opinion is if they have the means to scan checked bags for explosives, why can't they retrofit the metal detector frames (or have an additional one) to detect explosives.

 

[Lexxiefern]

It has been on the news up here in Boston. I guess alot of people are complaining about it (good!) and they are calling the TSA the T&A.

I am flying out of Logan on thursday, and I am sure I am going to be felt up. I am trying not to stress about it On the news they said they are supposed to use the back of their hands when they touch you.

 

[DiznEeyore]

I find the whole pat-down/feel-up thing ridiculous. This is probably because I know from personal experience how ineffective airport security is. Just one little example: they rooted through our Freedom Bag and pulled out my foldable scissors (forgot they were in there) and confiscated them. Fine. However, they NEVER EVEN NOTICED THE SCISSORS IN THE OUTSIDE POCKET OF MY PURSE!!!!!! *Fabulous* security. Good thing I wasn't a terrorist, huh?

If I really thought the pat-downs did any good, I might not object as strongly as I do.

 

[safetymom]

A one way ticket is a security flag for anyone flying. I have been stopped every time I have one way tickets. My companies travel office gets the cheapest fares and lets us endure the extra security check at the airport.

 

[bigbabyblues]

We got flagged for the manual patdowns/wand both ways on our trip! They told us it's up to about 40% of passengers now. I didn't mind, but it was a bit weird to watch them pat down my 15 month old! They only did him in Columbus, not Orlando.

 

[delilah]

I have noticed a correlation to traveling with my son vs traveling alone and the likelihood of being wanded and/or patted down. This past summer, for example, I went to a CME meeting in Chicago, alone. I was wearing the same style undergarments and shoes that I wore to Orlando three weeks later. The difference--my son was there. So, I walked right through security when I was alone, and got wanded and patted down when he was there. It was really quite aggravating, since, I not only had a six year old, who is smart enough to know what gate we are leaving from and how to read signs, but our digital and video cameras and my purse and briefcase out on the conveyor belt. My husband had gone to park the car, so, there was nobody to watch our stuff. The guard yelled at me when I wanted my son to stay withing arm's length of myself, saying something like "he would have to be wanded, too". Fine. As long as we're together, that's OK.

 

[JenDaveBrendan]

Just a tip that I learned from our plane ride last year.... Don't let your child wear light-up shoes! My son (who was then 3) was wearing light-up sneakers and set off the alarm (of course, I didn't even think of this as the reason at the time...) They took myself and my son aside to search him, however they would not let him sit on my lap or hold me. He was so scared!!! They patted him down all over, ran the scanner over him, and checked all his buttons, pockets, etc... and it kept beeping. It was not a pleasant experience for him. Needless to say, it was his shoes that kept making the scanner beep. They thoroughly checked his shoes since the batteries were not removable, and let us go. So parents out there, leave the light-up shoes at home!!!!

Jen

 

[Kes]

Just a tip that I learned from our plane ride last year.... Don't let your child wear light-up shoes! My son (who was then 3) was wearing light-up sneakers and set off the alarm (of course, I didn't even think of this as the reason at the time...) They took myself and my son aside to search him, however they would not let him sit on my lap or hold me. He was so scared!!! They patted him down all over, ran the scanner over him, and checked all his buttons, pockets, etc... and it kept beeping. It was not a pleasant experience for him. Needless to say, it was his shoes that kept making the scanner beep. They thoroughly checked his shoes since the batteries were not removable, and let us go. So parents out there, leave the light-up shoes at home!!!!

Jen

We always fly with our daughter and her light up shoes. We were lucky to have an observant security person the first time through and they just told us - take them off and have her put them in a bin. That way they go through the scanner and my daughter can walk through the detector without setting it off. Works perfectly. The sneakers she wears the most are the light-up ones and they are thus the most comfortable. Since they're velcro, it's easy for her to sit in one of the chairs on the other side an put them back on

 

[delilah]

Well, my son did have light up shoes, but, why would they inspect me and not him in that situation? We went through separately, him first and I followed. Thanks for the info, though.