TSA Enhanced Pat Downs

Well Frank maybe you need to go other places.

My partner got patted down in Stockholm last year. (He seems to get the full search every time. LOL!)

I had to take off my shoes in the Dominican Republic in December.

Past pat downs I have experienced in places like Hamburg, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and Paris have been very "enhanced". Me thinks they are simply catching up with pat down procedures already in place at other airports overseas. I managed to survive them without any PTSD.

They are fools to think this will make up for the apathy of many TSA officers. Unfortunately the only ones who will use it are already super exercising their little bit of power!

Who is this Pat Downs person of whom you speak?

I've been patted down in both Glasgow and London. In London, they even asked to see the scar from my ankle surgery (where my plate and seven screws live). In Costa Rica they confiscated my empty water bottle at the jetway security table.

Why do they have to do pat downs when they already see you naked in that screening box? I thought that pat downs were only for those who refused to go through that screening box.
I read that quite many people got on the plane with their handguns in their carry on. Pat downs no matter how thorough and abusive are not going to prevent that.

Totally agree with Christi. And Ilja re: guns. And Frank, you're so right, if they learned how other countries (Israel for instance) do it, we all might actually be safer vs the security joke we have here.
Just flew SFO-CDG r/t and no shoes removed... what made them give up that nonsense?

According to the article, the pat-downs are for those who decline to go through the scanner, as well as those who trigger the sensor when they do go through. What is new is the directive to use the front of the hands, rather than the back, for the pat-down.

This will be interesting, as I have little metal clips in my chest from cancer surgery, and they show up on the scanner, often triggering a pat-down. But I have not had one since qualifying for TSA-Pre. I wonder if that will change.

I always remove my shoes, they are usually boots with a big enough heel or wedge that if I didn't, I'd be asked to and would rather be prepared than hold up the line. I have been patted down rather intimately--up under the bottom edge of underwire bra, very top of thigh--by a female officer, and in Frankfurt they felt the need to frisk my hair--I have thick curly hair and I guess I could hide a shiv in there if I had a mind to. I really don't mind any of the security procedures.

Susan, "what made them give up that nonsense?"
Well, once I went through the security in Amsterdam and asked the security guy how come that we always have to take our shoes off in the US but not anywhere else. His reply was: "because Americans are stupid. You cannot see explosives on X-ray."
So maybe they finally got it here, too.

Ilja, great answer.

I don't usually mind either but my last trip through I passed through the detector just fine but as I waiting for them them to check my bag I apparently was standing too close to the agents wand while she was scanning my bag and she said I set it off thus requiring me to be patted down - note to self - back up a few steps!

I had to take off my shoes going through security before flying home from Paris in February. I watched a lot of people in front of me go through without taking off their shoes and then I was asked to take mine off.

Flying home from Austin, Texas last August, I did not have to take out my liquids or take off my shoes to go through security.

My most vigorous pat-down came in Frankfurt, Germany on 2006.

I just never know what to expect and try to follow the directions as they come!

People can be chosen at random for pat downs, even if no sensors go off. I am grateful for strict security, but TSA clearly does a terrible job. Perhaps they would do better if an agent or two were chosen at random to fly at the last minute.

Frank, if you are averse to being touched by strangers, stay off the Ny city
and boston subways at rush hr

Personally, id rather be safe than let gramma have 5 ounces of shampoo

I'll bet they like doing it even less than you like having it done.

I almost always get patted down. Last time, the TSA agent said it's because of my hair. I have very long hair that I wear in a braid that extends down below my waist. She said it shows up on the "see me naked" machine as a suspicious anomaly. Go figure.

In 1987 when leaving Pakistan for Paris, I was given a major pat down as were all the other men and women on the PIA flight. I was escorted into a private room and the lady used her hands to thoroughly pat down my entire body. The men were escorted into another room and were given a pat down by a male. Several men jokingly said it was the closest pat down to a thorough physical - only thing they didn't ask was for them to do was to cough. So yes, pat downs have been going on for sometime, nothing new.

I experienced the most thorough pat downs in China after terrorist attack in Urumqi. Not only at the airport but also railroad stations, museums, etc. They don't bother with the rules about gender. Overwhelming majority of pat downs providers were young pretty policewomen. As I noticed most men (including me) did not mind it (pat downs by the opposite gender). The second most thorough pat down (by the same gender) was in Manchester airport in UK plus they almost stripped me naked. The reason I was never told. I had to praise them: "You are even better than Americans." They were not sure what I meant so they let me go. If I could choose where to go through pat down, China would always win over UK or US.

I vaguely recall that Rodney Dangerfield or another comedian said, "I don't mind the airport pat downs, it's the only excitement I get since my divorce".

I've had a couple of experiences with screeners that still make me cringe when I think about them. In Amsterdam, a female screener at a secondary screening point (just before boarding the plane) stuck her hand down the front of the inside of my pants. I have no idea what she was looking for but I was quite embarrassed. On another trip in Nice, a male screener thoroughly examined my boyfriend's bald head. What the heck! We have Global Entry now so I'm hoping that stuff won't happen again.

Wait till there is an Executive Order instructing TSA to water board passengers using liquids confiscated at the security check.

I think that was just issued this morning.

With TSA I always opt out for the pat down instead going through the peek-a-boo machine. So far, that has worked since I've never had to go that machine. Re: the pat down here...no problems so far, very professional, very polite, I don't like it but so what...just put up with it.

The only part I really don't like is when I have to wait longer than reasonable because TSA can't get a guy to do the pat down forthwith...too few staff, too many people going through. My "stuff" in the bin(s) is my concern while standing aside/waiting for the pat down guy to show up. Sometimes I have had call it to their attention twice....I'm waiting, where is the guy?

Departing from FRA last June, I had the pat down, no difference, very professional, and polite, seemed to be quicker, maybe more superficial than what I've gone through at SFO. Yes, the difference is shoe removal here.

Mrs EB, i lived in boston for several years, and i speak out of that experience, packed togeher w strangers without room for a sheet of notebook paper between us......hold that position for the next 30 minutes, pls. , twice a day, 5 or 6 days a week....So sorry that the arm pit 2 inches from my nose has not seen soap for a week, an extra special treat if the AC fails in July . (Green Line B)
During those years i got to yr fair city a couple of times a year, and used the subway there...

We can thank Richard Reid for the knee-jerk shoe removal response. It seems like the security reaction to any incident is overreach without any meaningful correlation to a positive safety gain (at least none that has been successfully communicated publicly). And once something is in place, it sticks. With this alleged "new" pat down, there's not enough information in the article to judge whether it's window dressing or it's warranted...having said that, I do think there's a need for consistency and standardization so that different rules aren't being applied depending on what airport you're in or who the TSA person is. The freewheeling just adds to public distrust that what they're doing is working or worth the social cost. Standardization cuts down on variability, mistakes, loopholes, and costs. As far as making a comparison with Israel's system, do we really share enough characteristics with Israel to enact a system like that? No argument that it's a better system, but are we surrounded by unfriendly countries to warrant that level of security? And, more importantly, would we be willing to pay for such a system? $5.60 per one-way flight isn't going to pay for a system like Israel's with highly trained screeners...and even with $5.60, TSA's expenses are larger than its revenues so even TSA doesn't pay for itself with pure fees, which are capped. Plus if Drumpf is willing to cut TSA's funding more to build his beautiful wall or beefing up the military, then expect more unhappiness with TSA. https://www.tsa.gov/for-industry/security-fees

I have yet not to be patted down in Heathrow even with the visual machines. When I get the pat down, I also have my shoes removed for the explosive test, and my hands are checked for explosives as well. There is a man watching my face, and a woman patting me down, etc. so it has nothing to do with US TSA. I don't mind. It is my choice to fly. However, it was my impression that if they were looking for something, they weren't doing a good enough job and I was going to tell the next woman. If they are going to pat me down they may as well do it correctly, instead of being embarrassed. I always chat with them and they are very pleasant.

Also, in the US I have never had a rude TSA person. I find it offensive that all TSA agents are grouped by some of the forum posters as rude and useless. All work is valuable. People generally react to how they are treated. If you treat people with respect, you will generally receive the same. And what you visualize often comes true. These workers do not make the rules. Be polite and respectful to them.

Yeah, some guys had two liquids to mix explosives from them and now you cannot have any liquids with you on plane. Richard Reid got explosives in his shoe and since then everybody has to take shoes off. Then some crazy guy from Nigeria got explosives in his underwear. And we went from Seattle to San Jose, CA by train instead of flying.

For the record, the only place in the last 7-8 yrs I've had to remove my shoes was when we were flying from San Diego. We've flown thru Heathrow, Gatwick, Venice, Nice, Zurich, out of Halifax, Montreal, Toronto - I can always leave my boots on. I think the first time we flew, I took them off, but a few times I've asked and they've said - only if you want. My boots don't have metal shanks, so they don't set off anything.

I know I'm jinxing myself, but I've never had a pat down (and I'm sure I'll get one when we fly next month because I said this).

I wonder how Ed from Pensacola is dealing with this ?

I've had to remove my shoes in Frankfurt, give up my bottled water at the gate in Shanghai. I have been patted down when some tissues I left in my pants pocket showed up on the scanner. In every instance the situation was handled professionally by the people involved. To me this is all just a part of flying. If the procedures get too onerous or objectionable then I will reduce or stop my flying.

Handguns. I don't recall any serious incident of a gun being smuggled past TSA security. By serious I mean one that involved in a shooting, hijacking or other terrorist event. Yes there was the Florida shooting but that involved a checked bag and baggage claim is an unsecured area. I do know the TSA confiscates numerous guns at checkpoints every year. TSA inspection teams have also been able to get guns past checkpoints.

X-rays and explosives. I'm not sure that the opinion of one screener at one airport who may or may not be trained or otherwise informed about the intricacies of how they operate should hold much weight. I'm not a supporter of big government, but common sense tells me that if these machines were not at least in some way effective at explosive detection then we would have heard more about this by now. A google search turned up this site. I can't vouch for how accurate it is up here you go.

http://snallabolaget.com/?page_id=666[1]

Perhaps someone with some expertise will comment on X-ray effectiveness.

steven, Ed's probably gotten so fed up with the idiocy of the TSA that he's flying his own plane now.

One vacation, our daughter, late teens, was going through a "not shaving my legs for nobody no how" phase. She got a lot of teasing from all of us. And even more so when she got pulled aside for additional screening because of a "shadow" on her lower legs. Yeah, she laughed, too.

Love the name "peek a boo machine."

I got picked for random intensified security three flights in a row.
What are the odds someone would catch 3 in a row.
No big deal for someone without any contraband.

In the near past, I've got a reprieve because I'm wearing an insulin pump that's not supposed to go through the full body scan. If the alternative is enhanced pat downs, I think I'll remove the pump and put it in my backpack.

Also, in the US I have never had a rude TSA person. I find it
offensive that all TSA agents are grouped by some of the forum posters
as rude and useless. All work is valuable. People generally react to
how they are treated. If you treat people with respect, you will
generally receive the same. And what you visualize often comes true.
These workers do not make the rules. Be polite and respectful to them.

Wray, my experience too.

We cant do the Israeli sort of security measure because among other things they have been taught how to profile. Profiling is a violation of Civil Rights in the U.S., so we gotta keep patting down WASP grandmothers.

When I went through Tel Aviv I was pulled aside and questioned for about 30 minutes. G-d Bless then for being so careful. I shook hands and hugged when they were done. Good folks doing a tough job.

As far as I can remember, re TSA I would say too that I have never had a "bad" pat down experience, some were more perfunctory than others, some were even friendly, but I don't ever recall after the experience as I am gathering my "stuff." ie, moving way to the public benches to put on my shoes, belt, waist belt too, and jacket, etc that I felt negative, ticked off or so because of the TSA guy doing the pat down. At that point I'm glad that I have at least 1.5 hrs before boarding time.

I am not against pat downs. If necessary, they need to be done. But what I am against is the now free range to touch, grab, squeeze anywhere and it's okay. The back of the hand can feel things just as easily as the front of the hand.

Since getting Pre-check I have found all of the TSA folks to be pros and just want to get me through as quick as possible. One of the worst airport security people was at Heathrow. My bag was selected for extra inspection and the person doing it kept walking away to argue with her coworkers on who was getting the next break. After 20 minutes of this, she won and asked another security person walking by to finish as I had been waiting. It was over a couple of minutes later.

We cant do the Israeli sort of security measure because among other things they have been taught how to profile. Profiling is a violation of Civil Rights in the U.S., so we gotta keep patting down WASP grandmothers.
When I went through Tel Aviv I was pulled aside and questioned for about 30 minutes. G-d Bless then for being so careful. I shook hands and hugged when they were done. Good folks doing a tough job.

We also can't do Israeli type security because they have a handful of airports and their security people are highly trained. We have hundreds of airports and need to advertise on pizza boxes and gas station pumps to get people. (This is how they recruited a few years ago in Washington,D.C.)

The last time I was through Tel Aviv, the young lady questioning me was absolutely beautiful and I would have liked to have hugged her but that probably would have made my interview go longer. From the time I arrived at the airport to the time I finished all of security and exit immigration, was 20 minutes. I must have a trusting face.

Twice I have been randomly selected for "additional screening", and both times I was asked to move to the side and just left there for five minutes, with no additional screening, and then just told to continue. W..

The last time we went through security at O'Hare, an agent pulled me aside. Turns out he had seen the logo on my RS backpack, and wanted to talk about RS tours!

Maybe if we started tipping them . . . .

Getting pulled out of line, or your carry-on is picked for additional checking, or something else which others escape from...all at random and all very whimsical. Before I got my spinner after the 2015 trip, I had no carry-on, never was I pulled out of line as I have seen TSA do to others.

Now, I carry the shoulder sack as a carry-on, it has so far not been picked for extra searching. So far I have never been picked out of line. Once I see the pick-a-boo machine is being used, I tell the TSA staff, male or female, whose attention I can get that I want to opt out. Usually saying it once suffices but there have been times I have had repeat it more than once...to get a guy over here to do the pat down. It makes no difference to me if it's perfunctory and humourless, but those with a friendlier manner are obviously better.

I have also received "pat downs" at airports in Europe, mainly Heathrow, that seemed to be routine- they were doing it to everyone. So nothing new about it.

My most recent TSA "pat down" story still makes me crack up. I was flying from Phoenix back to O'hare after the new year and I went through the body scanner-the one where you can look at the computer generated screen of the the body and there is a yellow square over suspicious areas. I am accustomed to seeing a yellow square around my head because it will catch a bobby pin or my ponytail holder. Imagine my surprise when I turn around and see a bright yellow square right over my nether region!!! A very red faced TSA agent told me it was common to see this when pants were a little looser because it would interrupt the scan in that area.

A female agent gave me a "pat down" (which was not focused on the yellow squared area in question) and was extremely professional and polite which was probably difficult because I was laughing so hard I was crying.

I also was chosen for extra screening 3 flights in a row (in a span of 5 days on 3 different tickets), and I have Pre-check/Global Entry. This was the weekend of the travel ban, and I jokingly told my family that "someone" had been reading my angry Facebook posts about the ban and was getting me back for disagreeing with him. Fortunately, everyone was very professional and I went on about my day. As others have said, I try to remain polite and respectful during the whole security process, as I'm sure the TSA folks have to deal with a lot of cranky passengers during their shifts.

My most thorough patdown was by a security agent in Bulgaria. I was not expecting it to be as thorough as it was and really felt I deserved dinner beforehand!

This morning on CBS radio news there was news on the "enhanced pat downs" that will be routine. As Peggy Lee said (1969), "Is That All There Is?"

I have been patted down several times back when I refused the scanner.All the pat downs were done properly and thoroughly. Frankly, I was surprised that they were so good. I have done several pat downs as an MP