Airport talk - Who would you rather get a pat-down from?

[gilligan]

transequality.org has a good resource for transpeople who will flying. If you go to their main page and scroll down there is a link, and it's not too hard to find. It has a list of flyers' rights as they pertain to trans individuals, and a list of tips to go with it.

Personally I'd go through the body scanner, just my preference. I'm not a touchy-feely kind of person.

[Sharky]

I've never flown and I doubt I will anytime soon. I rather do the scanner. I think they are kinda cool actually. I just wish you could see your photo. I don't care who pats me down.

[Griffin]

I'd rather get the pat-down from a guy to be honest, but I would probably have to pack my packy in the carry-on bag.  But my GF and I have long-ago decided not to fly unless absolutely necessary.  We both, without fail, get "randomly selected" for manual pat-down every time we fly.  Every. Single. Time. 

If there is any doubt as to your physical sex, TSA policy is to have a female pat you down.  As an organization, TSA literally does not care to increase accessibility or show respect for any trans person or any person with a medical condition for that matter.

Speaking as someone who has flown with VERY large dildos, packies, bottles of lube (pre-3oz policy) etc in carry-ons, it hasn't been an issue.  Once an agent put on gloves (policy) and felt inside the bag to determine what the gel-appearing thing attached to an electrical mechanism was.  It was an enormous 18+ inch double-ended vibrating dildo.  He didn't pull it out of the bag but we were all trying to keep a straight face.     That is probably the most "I look like an explosive" thing I've ever had packed.

[LordKAT]

I guess it would depend on what the women look like and their attitudes.

[marissak]

If you have to get a TSA pat-down, would you *rather* it be from a male or a female TSA agent?

Note: I am NOT asking if you think the policy is legal, rational, or whether you plan to fly or not. Those are valid things to discuss - and that's why we have a bunch of other places on these forums and elsewhere covering this topic.

Nobody. Get seriously ill and go home. Then go to Mexico by road, take a flight/ship to another country, and never return until the mass hysteria and paranoid rules are gone.

[GnomeKid]

female, though that wouldn't happen as I have an M on my license.

[TheAetherealMeadow]

Honestly, I really don't care one way or another what the gender is of someone randomly groping me. As long as they do their job quickly and efficiently and I'm able to move on then it's all good.

This. Although if it were to be out in the open I would prefer it be done by a female so that I would be perceived as female. By the way, why is it that pat-downs must be done by a person of the same gender? I'm supposing that the idea is that it would be less uncomfortable because there is no chance of being sexually attracted to that person. This reeks of heterosexism to me.

[sneakersjay]

I just traveled this week.  Did not encounter body scanners or pat downs.

This morning in my rush to fill 10 bins with shoes and coats and laptops and whatnot I forgot my T gel in a pump in my bag.  The guy picked it up on xray, then loudly asked whose bag is this?!  I said mine, and he pulled the gel out, said it was illegal, and he'd have to toss it.  I said it was a prescription, and he said it didn't have a label.  I tried to show him the  label was in the bag (the box of gel pumps comes with 2 bottles; label was on the box but I peeled it off and stuck it in the bag, and it was under the bottle).  He told me I was not allowed to touch the bag.  Then he said oh when he saw the label but still had to pass it off to someone else to to some testing on it.

I hate the pump anyway but this just cements it that I'm going back to packets.  I did get my gel back though.


Jay

[Radar]

The security guard did NOT like my little joke about hiding explosives rigged to explode razors and scissors onto you (I just made up something over-the-top nasty-sounding).

Aw man, you do not say that stuff around those people. They don't take it in much humor.

FYI from what I've heard some airports are starting to make everyone do the scanner and a pat down. I'm boycotting flying until this legal molestation because of paranoia ends. If you're wearing a packer it will show up on the scanner and you will be pulled aside. If your IDs all say male and you go through the scanner and they notice no guy parts (which show up too) you will be pulled aside. Your best bet is a pat down only if possible. I never even thought about the issues with binders.

[kyril]

Either gender screener would trigger flashbacks of being raped. There's no getting around that for me - my triggers don't differentiate by gender. If I had absolutely no choice but to fly - if I had law enforcements dragging me through the terminal to force me to get on the plane - I would prefer a male screener. I'm really just not comfortable with women touching me in those areas. Not just in public, but at all. When I've had to go to an OB/GYN, I've always insisted on a male, which clinics/receptionists always found kind of odd, but "gender of your choice" means what it says.

[tekla]

Jenna Jameson, in the Catholic Schoolgirls in Disgrace outfit please.  And if she's not doing it, then neither am I.

As for age limit?  12 and under qualifies for a 'modified pat-down' - just like old Father Tim used to give you when he was giving out his 'special' blessings - according to the TSA manual (which reads at about a fifth grade reading level).



See:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/airport-patdowns-grooming-children-sex-predators-abuse-expert/
An expert in the fight against child sexual abuse is raising the alarm about a technique the TSA is reportedly using to get children to co-operate with airport pat-downs: calling it a "game".

As for what 'real' people think:  (Warning: stay away from such content if you are easily offended, could be triggered by stories about abuse, or have no sense of humor as FARK is pretty much the Wild, Wild West of the internet.
http://www.fark.com/cgi/comments.pl?IDLink=5796538&startid=65223815

[Radar]

...according to the TSA manual (which reads at about a fifth grade reading level).

That's because if your IQ is higher than that they won't hire you.

[Lee]

I wouldn't care about gender as long as they do their job professionally.  I guess that it would be nice to have a trans person do it, so they would understand why I pack/bind.  Other than that, my only real request would be that they are attractive, because, well, if you're going to be felt up anyways....

[tekla]

as they do their job professionally

This ladies, is also why guys go to hookers.

[Lee]

Tekla, you made me realize that my entire statement could apply to hookers. XD

[xAndrewx]

Either gender screener would trigger flashbacks of being raped. There's no getting around that for me - my triggers don't differentiate by gender.

Sorry to quote you man but that's what seriously worries me. Heck my ex used to trigger flashbacks on accident by touching me wrong or something occasionally and I was comfortable with her so let alone a complete stranger doing that... thankfully I don't have to fly soon I hope. 

[sneakersjay]

That's because if your IQ is higher than that they won't hire you.

Which is sad because if they actually hired and paid intelligent people they could be better trained in behavior analysis to better spot those who might be up to no good rather than insult the elderly, infirm, prosthetics wearers, and in general treat the rest of us like common criminals.


Jay

[tekla]

actually hired and paid intelligent people

That's pretty much the last thing they want, if they had wanted it, they would have done it.