I would like to share a personal experience that happened recently at the Ft. Lauderdale airport. On March 11, 2011 I was subjected to a body scan without my consent. Going through the security check, I realized the officer had directed me to the line that required passing through the body scanner. I prepared my carry on, removed my shoes and said to the TSA officer, "I do NOT give my consent to a body scan", thinking he would direct me to a pat down area. The officer not only ignored my request, he physically "guided" me to the scanner while explaining how to position my feet, hands and head. I noticed a female officer so I turned to her and stated that I did not give my consent to a body scan. In unison, both officers said, "turn your face forward and keep your head still". The scan was performed and as I stepped out of the scanner the same female officer said she was going to perform a pat down from the waist up. I was extremely upset and said something like, "Oh my God, this is unbelievable". She then asked if there was a problem. I said, "I did not want a body scan". Unbelievably, she asked me why I hadn't mentioned it before the scan !! I said I told male officer four times, and her, at least twice. She replied, "I will take this up with the other officer later".....whatever that meant. I highly doubt that either officer ever gave it a second thought. After this experience I learned that those claiming to be our protectors, in reality, are the predators.Deb
It’s very easy for inexperienced travelers to get suckered into going through the scanners. We’ve gotten multiple similar reports. Do TSA employees not care to inform people or respect their choices? Is it just a cattle car setup where it’s all about moving people through as fast as possible? I don’t get it. What happened to our dignity?
7 Responses to Deb: “I did not want a body scan.”
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Sorry, no sympathy here. This Deb person wasn’t handcuffed. You don’t want the body scan, you INSIST that you don’t get it. Stop being so passive and stand up for your rights! I refuse to fly until this crap is done away with.. but it’s these passive passengers that ruin it for the rest of us.
You are the governments property and because you have consented to be a US citizen, and purchased an airline ticket, they are simply doing what they deem necessary with their property. If you want to learn about how to change your status, start listening to https://RepublicBroadcasting.org at 6pm CST. Prior shows are in their archive session. The show is: Life, Liberty & All That Jazz w/ Jeffrey Bennett.
FLL TSA are the absolute scum of the earth. Low intelligence – high authority. Rude. Belligerent. I have no patience for them. I have yet to find ONE that approaches human standards. Unfortunately it typically has to be my home airport — Miami is worse — and the flights out of West Palm are fewer and more expensive.
Some of us wear medical equipment that will be harmed if put through the scanner! This must be stopped.
What do you expect when a nation of cowards signs away their rights?
They tried to do the same thing to me at LAX last week.
I stood there with my arms folded and kept saying “I Opt Out”.
I remember legally somewhere that you have to say “I Opt Out” to trigger the provision to avoid the scanners.
April 8, 2011 at 10:24 am
I think one has to be extremely careful & watch what is going on. I try to hang back a little & not rush into the security lineup from check in, until I can get a sense of exactly WHICH unit is the metal detector & WHICH one is the body scanner. They both have a similar appearance. When I opt out I am GUARANTEED a pat-down. They offer me a private room, which I always refuse, saying loud & clear, “NO THANK-YOU. I WANT WITNESSES!!”
I don’t get why my boyfriend is able to opt out of the scan & has been patted down only once to my 4 times!! And on that day when my boyfriend WAS patted down, as I have said before on here, the only one who got through that day that I could see was an Indian man wearing a turban!! I do think they target women more than men, for some reason!
And I must say, that while they are doing this, all my carry-on luggage, laptop bag & shoes are being left to another agent to grab at & remove from the line, as they are yelling at my boyfriend to gather all HIS stuff AND mine, of which he cannot possibly carry all of it himself. A TSA agent grabbed my shoes, and placed them right on top of my laptop bag. I stepped over & said, “Do you MIND?? I was just in the washroom!!” This was ignored. So I reached across & GRABBED them off. The TSA agent grabbed them back from me & put them right back on top of my laptop bag. I yelled at her at this point that it was UNSANITARY & to get them OFF there NOW!!
I’m already being treated worse than cattle. So I’m going to have SOME control here!!