First time: TSA full body frisking

[simple girl]

Got the full pat down once after testing of my hands came back positive for drugs. (And no, there was no illicit activity on my part, lol.)

Was told some hand lotions set off the detector erroneously. I had just put on hand lotion about an hour before going to the airport. Won't do that again!

 

[MichaelB]

Full body search is becoming more common in the US but has been practiced for decades in other parts of the world. In my view it is not an effective deterrent. TSA has a thankless job, and I bet many who work there dream of joining our ranks of early retirees.

 

[brucethebroker]

Just sitting here thinking of all the one-liners I'd come up with during that search.

I hear those TSA folks have no sense of humor. Probably wouldn't end well.

Yeah, I was thinking: "Nice, but could you please do it again, WITHOUT wearing the gloves...."

 

[jollystomper]

DW and I were traveling to Florida a few years back. I'm wearing a baseball cap, shades, have a scraggly "vacation" beard a few days old, wearing baggy clothing and sneakers, and carrying a big backpack. DW is wearing a tight t-shirt, no glasses, short shorts, sandals, and carrying just a small purse.

Guess who gets pulled over for a full body search at the security checkpoint?

Years later DW is still sorting thru various theories on why her and not me that day.

 

[folivier]

I used to get pulled to the side frequently for searches until when I retired and shaved my mustache. Since then haven't been searched, maybe it's the mustache? Or my attitude is different?
So yes they do profile. Unfortunately now my DW is the one they search. Once when flying back from Belize an obviously local TSA agent took her of to the side to inspect her slip on shoes. He made a gruff comment about the sand in them and she not so politely told him that she's been on the beach for a week, what do you expect?

 

[Mdlerth]

Some things we were not meant to know

DW and I were traveling to Florida a few years back. I'm wearing a baseball cap, shades, have a scraggly "vacation" beard a few days old, wearing baggy clothing and sneakers, and carrying a big backpack. DW is wearing a tight t-shirt, no glasses, short shorts, sandals, and carrying just a small purse.

Guess who gets pulled over for a full body search at the security checkpoint?

Years later DW is still sorting thru various theories on why her and not me that day.

Yep, it's a mystery all right.

 

[grasshopper]

I had the total bag search when I had a peanut butter and Jelly sandwich in it.

 

[Jerry1]

But what if it's a mean woman vs a loving man?

Still going with the woman.

 

[jollystomper]

Yep, it's a mystery all right.

Her main theories are (a) she is of mixed race background and is commonly identified by others as asian, hispanic, or middle eastern, and profiling was in play, or (b) the TSA agents might have had an "interest" to see if she was "real".

 

[karen1972]

It happens to me all the time at small airports which have their sensors turned up to be more sensitive.. where underwire bras trigger the machines. Reality is those things are a weapon, if you've ever been poked in the side with a broken one, yeh they should be illegal.

India was the worst, it really was uncomfortable but they grope everyone there so you just get use to it.

 

[MOSAT]

When I traveled with others while at Megacorp, my travel companions always made me go behind them in the TSA line so I wouldn't hold them up, especially if we had a tight schedule. It was inevitable, I got pulled for more extensive search. It had to be a profile I fit and triggered (no pun intended) by my name or reservation system. I even tried buying a new carry-on thinking some residual from w*rk was the culprit. Even went so far as to not bring the bag into Megacorp faciality, nothing seemed to prevent the added search Precheck or not, just my good looks I think I just end up planning for more time in the TSA line.

 

[GravitySucks]

Unfortunately this is never going to improve. Watch the VIP treatment Congress critters and their owners getting at Reagan airport sometime.
What problem?

 

[Sunset]

But what if it's a mean woman vs a loving man?

For that is the issue, I don't want a Loving man getting his jollies groping, of the two I'd rather have a woman do it, as at least I'm used to it.

Since I don't want the extra x-rays, I've often requested a pat down instead, the TSA hate that as it takes longer, and I'm sure most dislike doing it. Generally they repeatedly try to discourage me right up to the frisk time.

I do feel more comfortable when they repeatedly try to discourage me, rather than happily comply.

 

[gailwinters]

On two trips last year where we flew out of our smallish local airport, I triggered something on my body scan. On the first trip, the agent showed me the "hot spots": my inside left ankle, lower outside right leg, and both sides of my pelvic area, kind of where your pocket would bottom out. She did a pretty thorough body pat down (offered to do it in private, but I said no need) and of course there was nothing. Then she did a drug scan of my hands, and let me go.

The second flight, I wore the same pants and once again had some hot spots show on my body scan, so got the pat down again. I have decided it must be something in those pants that isn't being removed when they are washed.

 

[Big_Hitter]

Maybe you should remove your Early Retirement forum name from the tags on your carry on bags.

LOL surprised he didn't get a full cavity search

 

[Clone]

I maintained an ATF explosives manufacturing permit for a number of years. I was always concerned that some residual would find it's way onto a pair of shoes or the bottom of a suitcase.

Traveled all over the world. Never a beep.

 

[bingybear]

I was recently travelling internationally where THz (body) scanners are not common. I took the pat down over the medal detector. I do the same in the US if metal detectors are the only method of auto screening in the line I'm in. I figure it is better than having someone wand incorrectly and chance the process will reset my pacemaker.

I've had some more aggressive pat downs, but I don't really think they are over the line. I think some people are just overly sensitive. But I'm sure there are some pat downs that cross the line.

 

[GravitySucks]

https://youtu.be/yspHR4IxKiU

 

[haha]

I got frisked for the first time today, TSA agent tells me that my bag has alerted the system, he asks if I have anything metal. I tell him that I have some silver coins, he finds my coin stash and continues looking through my bag, taking everything out and swabbing it down for some kind of residue, after the bag search it was on to the full body where he literally ran his hand up my groin and but crack, they didn’t find anything and I really doubt they were looking for something metal.

Perhaps they just found you irresistible?

 

[kgtest]

DW had this happen while traveling international. They took her away after they swabbed her handbag!

It was somewhat scary as she had used that handbag as her CCW bag. She came back 30 minutes later, said they'd asked a lot of questions about her bag and what she'd used it for. Pretty easy explanation as she just told the truth. Thankfully there was no weapon in there on a flight.

A few years later we found ourselves in FL. she'd carried the same bag, removed the weapon. She didn't remove the single stack 9mm 1911 Wilson magazine and rounds! It went through the TSA screening!

We gave SD rounds away to family and mailed the magazine home.

I accidentally walked through with my buck-knife strapped to me. I know right. TSA lady was very kind, she fancied the knife and mentioned "you sure you don't want to check this thing?" She let me step out of line while my drop-off swung back to grab it.

 

[CoolRich59]

I hear those TSA folks have no sense of humor. Probably wouldn't end well.

Most of them don't seem to have any sense of humor, and some go out of their way to be jerks.

I did have one exception: The TSA agent was making some announcement but I had tuned him out.

I set off the alarm and he pulled me out of line, had me take off my shoes, belt, etc. and put on a show for everyone waiting in line as he patted me down and went through my bag, shouting: "Listen up people! This is what happens when you don't pay attention and follow instructions! Don't be like this guy!"

It was pretty entertaining and everyone got a good laugh. At the end, the agent thanked me for being a good sport about it and sent me on my way.

 

[CoolRich59]

I asked my friend who worked many years for the airline why I was targeted . She said I fit a profile .

This was my experience. I used to get pulled out of line more often than not and go through an "enhanced" screening. I almost missed a couple of flights because of the delay from these screenings. I kept asking what the issue was, but the TSA agents either would not answer or told me to shut up.

Luckily, one day an airline gate agent told me that my name (a common Irish name) was on the TSA watchlist. She also told me I could request Homeland Security to conduct a background check to determine I was not the guy whose name was the one on the list.

It took a few months, but that did the trick and those enhanced screenings stopped. It would have been nice though if TSA could have told me about it.

 

[Totoro]

The whole security theater is why I'm very reluctant to visit the US.

I feel unsafe, unwanted and violated.

 

[bada bing]

I go thru TSA about 8-10 times a month. I mostly tune it out, it's not going to change.

A few months ago I went thru the body scanner in Anchorage and it alarmed. I'm
pretty proficient at getting anything that will set it off put thru on the X-ray belt, so I turned to look at the screen that shows where the offense is, on the cartoon character icon. It showed I was packing something on my groin. I didn't know that, but the body scanner has male and female settings to account for anatomical differences. The female TSA agent remarked, "congratulations, most men can't set that off" She reset the scanner to "male" and rescreened me and I
went on about my day. I thought it was kind of funny, but I'm guessing that not everyone would find it so.

It wasn't TSA, but I had a bad experience with US customs many years ago. My new bride and I were on an extended road/camping trip from Washington state up to Alaska in our jeep. It was just after Reagan had bombed Libya and there had been rumors Libya was planning a terror attack in retaliation on something like the Trans-Alaska pipeline. We had been camping around in northern Canada for a few weeks and I'm sure we looked a little rough when we pulled into the border check to enter Alaska at Beaver Creek (out in the middle of no where, especially in those days.) The conversation with the border patrol guy went something like:

Border guy: What is your citizernship sir?
Me: American
Border guy: and the young lady?
Her: American too
As an after thought, border guy: Where were you born , sir ?
Me: I was born in Holland (I am half dutch and naturalized at 5 years old)
Border guy (looking a little more serious): and the young lady?
Her: Tripoli, Libya (she is the daughter of career military family stationed in Libya when
the USA had bases there in the 50's. She is Italian/American with mediterranean
features)
Border guy: pull over there please and park the car.

They held us up for 3 hours while they went through every inch of that jeep and
all of the camping gear with a fine tooth comb. The worst part is they wouldn't let
us use the restroom for the first two hours which caused my ex-wife quite a bit
of angst.

 

[scrabbler1]

I haven't flown since 2003, the only time post-9/11. Looks like I am missing lots of stuff I really do want to miss!


My drivers license renewal is coming up in a few months and I have been told what I need to get a "REALID" which can be used to board a plane and do some other things such as entering some federal buildings. My birth certificate is a non-certified copy, so I lack anything they will accept at the DMV to get a REALID. Probably just as well, as I don't plan to fly again for the rest of my life if I am lucky. And I can renew a regular DL by mail, saving me a trip to the dreaded DMV.