Comments | eriktrips: need stories about TSA security in US airports

eriktrips

need stories about TSA security in US airports

Aug 23, 2011 16:22

Got a moment? I need to hear first-hand or reliably-sourced experiences with the TSA full-body scanners and/or patdowns in US airports. I especially need to know what trans people have experienced while wearing "prosthetics" and could specifically use experiences flying out of SFO and SEA ( Read more... )

Comments 13

ext_226279 August 24 2011, 00:11:44 UTC

If you're flying from SFO to SEA, you should go with Virgin Airlines. I just flew them (on August 13), and Terminal 2 -- which Virgin flies out of -- has no advanced imaging technology scanner, only old-fashioned metal detectors. No AIT means there's nothing to opt out of, so that means no groping. Keep in mind that other airlines at SFO are not safe. Other terminals at SFO do have naked-scanners and groping ( ... )

ext_226279 August 24 2011, 00:12:20 UTC

Sacramento is another airport that should be safe to fly out of, and you can take Amtrak there.

ext_226279 August 24 2011, 00:13:56 UTC

Particularly:

http://tsastatus.net/search.php?q=SFO

http://tsastatus.net/search.php?q=SEA

I didn't see that SEA was worth the risk of flying out of, when I was there -- I preferred to spend most of a day on Greyhound getting to Portland in order to fly out of there.

ext_226279 August 24 2011, 00:14:16 UTC

Oops, I should have posted this on DW so the links would work. Oh well.

Thread 9

(The comment has been removed)

eriktrips August 24 2011, 00:56:07 UTC

Thanks for the info. I am trying to figure an itinerary that will bypass body scanners altogether. I don't seem to set off metal detectors if I remember to remove my belt.

imafarmgirl August 25 2011, 15:22:00 UTC

They don't touch your genitals but darn near close. I'm a girl though so maybe hanging down bits would get touched in the proceedure. They pull the waistband of your pants out and that felt horrible to me. They run their hands over your rear end and up under your breasts and across your chest. I found it pretty awful. I just had to have a pat down on the way back because if you have a service dog they don't want you to go through that screening machine. I'm not sure what else to say.

eriktrips August 25 2011, 17:57:46 UTC

Yeah I'm getting the impression from all I have been told that, even though the patdown is supposedly done in a "professional" manner (usually..), it is something that I would not want to undergo. I am very sensitive about strangers touching me purposefully in places that other people might not have a problem with. If someone pulled at the waist of my pants I might hit them--honestly I don't know what my reaction would be, but I get very anxious just thinking about it.

I don't think I am going to fly this time at least.

imafarmgirl August 25 2011, 22:59:32 UTC

Funnily enough this topic came up in my therapy session. Apparently now if you have a service dog it doesn't go through the screener and you have to have a pat down but I don't do well with being touched.