TSA Experience

1 Sept 11 | Self

[SLB]

Took my son-in-law to the airport in Nashville for his return trip to Afghanistan. My daughter and I got gate passes to see him off. When we got to the TSA security point I was selected to go thru the millimeter wave xray. I told the screener that I did not want to go thru it. She made a big thing of it, repeatedly asking me if I was "opting out" of it. I repeatedly told her I was. She then radioed to her supervisor that she had an "opt out" that needed screening.

After about 4 or 5 minutes a guy showed up and asked me to follow him into a glass enclosed area. I had to pass thru the regular metal detector to get there and did not set it off, but had to have the pat down search anyway. So here I am,a 61 year old, white male slightly overweight and with very blonde hair standing with arms out to my sides and getting patted down. They guy who did it was very polite and we did visit. When he was finished he scanned his rubber gloves for explosives residue. Found none and let me leave. I think the next time I go to the airport I will rub some old expended brass or shotgun shell hulls on my clothes and see what happens. :-)

[NoNAIS]

I don’t think so. It is the over zealous “Salute TSA” crowd who MBC about getting searched but line up in their “Baaaaa” lines.

Be real. If it wasn’t the Muslims it would be (Insert X).

We are so screwed and no amount of finger pointing will get around this.

[3boysdad]

I fly at least once per month and I despise the TSA. Bush could have gone in a much more effective and different direction (Israel), but he wussed out and left us with yet another dangerous bureaucracy to drain our wallets and rob our freedom. I bet Perry will be no better.

Anyway, I was traveling with my three sons a month ago though DIA and my youngest, 9 years old, was “randomly” selected. His eyes got as big a saucers when the TSA twink directed him to do the “dance”. My son looked at me bewildered and scared when I told him to relax and said, “they think you're a terrorist”. The TSA twink then glared up at me for the first time and found my 6'1”, 230 pound recreational power-lifter frame glaring back at him. He swiped my sons hands for “explosives” and we were done in 15 seconds after that. No intrusive pat-downs or searches. I kept my big mouth shut, grabbed my son, and left that evil area as quickly as we could. It was a victory, although a small one.