Whole body security scanners! Aaaaargh! They imagine things!!!

[Julia-Madrid]

Hey y'all

I had to recount an incident which left me both bemused and lightly indignant.  I fly frequently for work, so I get patted down often enough when something in my heels or bra makes those good old-fashioned security machines go "ping". It's normally quite respectful.

Well, last weekend I was returning home via Amsterdam Schipol airport, and they have a new toy.  Yes, whole body scanners - the ones that look like a teletransportation tube, and I'm sure that many of you in the USA know what they're like.  So I step in, raise my arms, wait for the whizz, and step out.  The first thing I see is the screen showing my suspicious areas, and they are a total fiction - the small of my back; my bum; my leg.   Time to get frisked, and the security woman began. 

Arms...ok...torso...ok...legs...ok...inner thigh...woah, what's this!?  She had found my, ahem, undesired accessories, and was crouched on her haunches, patting at them through my dress, as if they were a boxer's punch ball.  No miss, it's not Semtex in a sock - I'm a pre-op transsexual.  I didn't say that, of course, but I did tell her the minimum necessary information.  The poor woman looked like a deer caught in the headlights.  What to do?  Things in Europe are not so good right now, so security people are on medium-high alert, and a north-European 5'3" woman with an iPad and something odd in her underwear is a threatening thing to behold.   After what seemed like an eternity, but which was no more than a few seconds, she led me to a curtained booth, accompanied by another security woman.  And inside, she got a private viewing of bits which few women can produce.  Aaargh, the mutual embarrassment was palpable!  She kind of apologised, as did I, and I marched out, giggling and annoyed.

Note to myself: 5 months to go.  Patience girl...!

Anyone else had to deal with stuff like this?

xxx
Julia

[Sammy]

Awww, this cracked me up . I hope they wont have a new toy in Frankfurt airport...

[FTMax]

Ugh, I haven't had that joy. I have heard that chest binders look incredibly strange going through an x-ray machine, so I'm opting not to wear mine when I fly in a few weeks. Have to keep telling myself it's only for a few hours 

[Eevee]

Ha, I had a similar experience recently. I still look very male, but I've been wearing a sports bra because of the few changes that are happening. I recently went through one of these scanners at an airport and the TSA officers acted surprised. I got quite the pat-down because they had no idea why a "man" would wear such a thing.

I hate airports.

[StrykerXIII]

As if I didn't have enough reasons to dread the thought of flying...I've never been on a plane, and from the sound of it, I'll never be on one.

[Mariah]

It makes me happy that my trip to Arizona is not going to be by plane anymore. I hadn't given a lot of thought to it , but these experiences will definitely make me think twice about it in the future.

[Arch]

If I do fly before I get my bottom bits sorted out, I plan to politely refuse the scanner and ask for a simple patdown. At least my chest should attract no attention.

[Julia-Madrid]

You know, friends, I see these little indignities as part of the rites of passage.  Not ideal, but certainly a useful way of developing a thicker skin and having the occasional funny story to tell.   I don't provoke people, but I certainly find it fascinating to watch their reactions.  Before I got my female passport, getting through passport control was frequently an interesting and surreal experience, and I'm glad to have had those moments.  Makes life a bit more interesting...

xxx
J   

[ImagineKate]

Oh Lordy lord Julia. At least you have a sense of humor which is good. I have TSA precheck and global entry but I'm going to have to apply for it again when I get my name and gender changed on my passport.

For some reason I thought they killed off the scanners here in the USA. Last time I flew was out of Allentown pa into DFW and they just had the regular security lines in both airports.

[Zumbagirl]

You know, friends, I see these little indignities as part of the rites of passage.  Not ideal, but certainly a useful way of developing a thicker skin and having the occasional funny story to tell.   I don't provoke people, but I certainly find it fascinating to watch their reactions.  Before I got my female passport, getting through passport control was frequently an interesting and surreal experience, and I'm glad to have had those moments.  Makes life a bit more interesting...

xxx
J

My story involves going through customs to get back into the US right after my surgery. I don't know what it is, but men love holding things in their hands that are shaped like dicks. It must be a dude thing. So I had my dilator kit and aftercare supplies in a little box that I took with me through customs. One agent stopped and it seemed to me, literally fondling them. Another saw them and thought I was a professional hooker coming home and says out loud "looks like we have a professional here!!". Finally Mr Fondler asks me "Just what exactly are these things for?". I said they are vaginal dilators for sex change surgery. He looked at me quizzically for about 15 seconds while he tried to compute it in his head, then he put the dilators down, took 3 steps away from me, and 15 seconds later I was free to go. I don't get the fascination they had with the dilators, they are clear plastic and I honestly can't seem them being a threat to the security of the united states or need so much attention. In any case, that was only issue.

One thing I found weird was when I went to Thailand about 2 years later and come home through Japan. When I went to leave Japan at the airport they had all of the women stand on a crate while they had lady guards literally looking up everyone's skirts and using mirrors. I was already a postie so I wasn't too worried. I just thought it was incredibly weird.

[JoanneB]

So much for all that (I knew it was) BS that the software will "Hide" the naughty bits and won't be seen on the scanner screen.

Silly me for trusting my government betters 

[androgynouspainter26]

Well, I'm american and our airport security is notoriously, ah, aggressive.  I remember getting on a flight to New Haven literally the first day since I went full time (I have not flown since that trip) and a guard took a look at my passport, and got the most puzzled look on his face.  He pulled my aside, and I was utterly mortified.  I actually felt sorta good because I though that I was passing, but that's besides the point.  They led me away to a scary looking room set aside, and the guard got his supervisor.  The supervisor took one look at me, and must have realized what was going on because he angrily whispered something to his co-worker, who began to apologize profusely.  I think he realized that if they messed around with me, and I caused a fuss and got any media attention, they would get in a massive amount of trouble.  Still, it was really really scary.

[Ms Grace]

I think of it as hopping through the humiliation hoops...

Anyway, glad she was more embarrassed than you, but maybe next time you fly in a dress better to perhaps tuck the "accessory" so it is out of the way of any pat down...

[Jill F]

I'm curious as to the cost/benefit analysis of those thingies.   I mean all the time, trouble, expense and dignity we have surrendered for them has to have caught us boatloads of terrorists by now, right? /sarc

[Tessa James]

I travel a bit in the US and was given extra attention after every machine scan as it would beep on something that didn't fit like metal bra clips on a female looking person with a male passport.  I readily told them i was transgender and carried a letter from my physician.  They would then assign me a female pat down agent and ask if I wanted a private room.  Oh my gosh we get a room!  Usually I am in a hurry and just say go for it.  Now that my name and identity papers are in order a TSA precheck is way handy and nobody bothers me.  I understand the machine has two buttons, one pink, the other blue and for some of us the machine can get confused, poor thing

I appreciate your attitude Julia, it does make life more interesting and the reactions are priceless.  I am very sure i am having more fun than they are.

[LoriLorenz]

Brava for the bravery, even laughter!

I'm sitting here snickering and smiling at it.

BTW, Can I have the "undesirables" when you're done with them?  (just kidding of course!)

[Eva Marie]

I have flown several times and have not had an issue.... except for once flying out of Burbank, California. It was an early morning flight and security was taking it's sweet time with everything and I sensed that this trip thru TSA might be different than my previous trips. I stepped into the scanner and held my hands up, they scanned me, and then I stepped out and awaited the verdict.

Apparently there was an "anomaly" in my crotch area said the not nice looking TSA lady. I immediately told her I was transgender. She frowned and loked disgusted and told me to go back into the machine, and then when the agent running the machine pushed the female button again she shouted loudly "MALE" a couple of times which pissed me off. Anyway, that scan passed and I was thru TSA with a very bad taste in my mouth.

I filed a complaint with TSA but never heard anything back from them.

I presume that experiences like these are in my future until I scrape up enough cash for SRS 

[Julia-Madrid]

Hey y'all

@Eva Maria:  ouch!  That is truly unacceptable behaviour. Hell, I would have been livid.  But I guess that the security staff are not there because they are shining examples of mental agility, although they really should have passed through some courses on sensitivity towards the public.

@Lori:  he he he... wouldn't it be good if we could just swap?   Wanted, one lightly used vagina in exchange for similar male parts. Authentic second hand models only are acceptable, preferably from a Democrat user north of Mason-Dixon  

@Ms Grace:  hell, I've never tucked - I always imagine it to hurt, especially on sitting.  The truth is that even in skinny jeans things are not visible, but hey, if anyone goes tapping around places when I'm in a dress they're gonna find stuff...!

[Sammy]

Last time I was flying (via Frankfurt), metal buttons in my shirt managed to trigger off the frame detector and before I realised what's going on, I was pulled aside by female security officer (I was presenting unisex though, so it came as a surprise). Also, that was the first time for years when I was pulled aside due to detector alarm, not speaking about being patted down by a woman (I glanced at the security guy and he just smiled at me).
I was mortified and amused at the same time. And scared that she would accidentally pat "down there" and I would need to explain things, but nope - she was far more delicate than guys are, and in less than a minute I was free to go. 
I have heard horror stories about TSA experiences and I can only say that Germans are very polite and nice people.

[Jill F]

I have asked my wife to give a report here as to what to do when you experience harassment, bigotry or just plain dumbassery at the airport.  They have no business violating your civil rights.