Maybe one of girls been through this situation and can give me an idea what to expect and I really couldn't find anything on this or experiences. Now I have been through the security checkpoint numerous times and only received one pat down which was due to wearing a hoodie. Now I read the other day SeaTac Int. Airport is currently installing the back scatter imaging machines. Has anyone been through an airport yet and opt out of body scanner and experienced the new pat down I have read about? I am asking this because I will be flying out in march to visit some family and kind of want a rough idea what expect because by that time I will be roughly 5 months into HRT. Or dispute the arguments that scanner is actually or could be harmful to you just do the scanner and be done with it?

Jennifer

I flew from SeaTac to Orlando as a female 2 weeks ago and had absolutely zero issues with TSA.  Even the fellow who looked at my ID with my male name didn't even blink an eye.  In fact everyone from the lady at Alaska checking my bags to the flight attendant was awesome.

The scanners were not in operation yet, but they are in the process of installing them in the main security checkpoint, I think.

If they wanna feel me up, then there's not much I can do about that.  It's either that or, in my mind the worst option, allowing someone to see me through some sort of scanner naked.

Yea I just read and saw an interesting article about the new pat down procedures being a bit more invasive. The pat down I didn't mind, the person was fairly decent about the thing. But the whole scanner thing probably got me bugged out after reading about that girl at Ft. Lauderdale international. That's good to hear that you had no problems though. Thanks

Jennifer

They didn't even pat me down when I went through.   I honestly had no issues.

Yea guess I will do scan if they ask me to. The person I was reading about was Meg McClain. It's one of those stories that could be true or exaggerated. Thanks for your help.

it's one more personal freedom that is being taken away. they can find others ways of dealing with terroristism. the methods of searching people getting to be an insult to those whom have to endure this nonsense is unbelievable.

Not what you asked about but related to current airport security.

Last time I was in an airport, Heathrow, I was seeing a niece off. She was going permanently.

As she was going into the departures, I was waving and holding a bag. She ran back to me for one last hug. I droped the bag to return it.

I was approached from two diffrent directions by security people, saying, Pickup the bag, pick up the bag, pick up the bag.......

Honestly, I could have screemed. What possible extra risk had I posed?

I went through airport security last spring (I am long term post-op, but that isn't relevant). Something in my clothing set off the metal detector so a female agent came forward for a pat-down. I looked over at the cute male agent and started to ask "Could I have HIM?" The female agent just laughed and said "Afraid not!" Damn!

Quote from: Dee_pntx on November 13, 2010, 05:37:37 AM
And after all that BS, the friggin plane will crash and we'll all die.

I have to admit, that made me laugh out loud.

Last May I travelled from Connecticut,USA to Los Angeles, Ca, USA stayed there for a few days then flew to Brisbane in Australia, then to Cairnes, then to Sydney. Suffice it to say it meant lots of airport security. My passport was updated for the photo and the name, but the gender marker was still male at the time. I had 0 issues.

Now... honestly I'm a bit frightened to fly. I look better and my gender marker is changed but the full body scanners being a norm will definitely raise some eyebrows with the TSA agents until August. Even after surgery, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with complete strangers looking at semi-nude images of my body... The optional pat downs really aren't much better. While they won't instantly out a trans person, they're very invasive and I personally don't like being groped...

Hopefully there's enough public outrage that they'll repeal the scanner mandate before I have to fly again in June.

After spending the money they are spending to remodel and install the scanners, the likelihood of them being removed is close to zero.   They may decide to only make "random" people go through them, but  that's not likely.   

I can dream, can't I?

the likelihood of them being removed is close to less than zero.

Really, where have you seen 'security measures' reduced lately?  Yeah, me neither.  They haven't relented on the bottle of water deal, they sure are not going to give up these toys (the backscatter radiation) or the tools of evasive searches.

I am afraid I cannot tell you anything about the scanners they use in the USA because I have never flown there. On Schiphol in The Netherlands personell uses a bodyscanner (Security prefers to call it a "Security Scanner")  which guarantees the privacy of the person checked. The output of the machine is a standard cartoon figure on which the detected objects are indicated with yellow squares:

Unlike in the USA images are not stored. A thing I am not really comfortable is the fact that it uses radiowaves because I do not know the health impact. From what I have been told it is far less than the cosmic radiation you pick up at high altitude in an aircraft.

Quote from: Dee_pntx on November 13, 2010, 05:37:37 AM
And after all that BS, the friggin plane will crash and we'll all die.

Haha, we are pretty motivated ourselves to keep the thing in the air 
In the end there is little that can help you to get over your fear. Some of my friends had a fear of flying which we "cured" by taking them up on a sightseeing flight with them controlling the aircraft to show them how it basically works and that you really have to do your best to actually get in a dangerous situation. It gives a bit of faith in the machine and the ones operating it.
All in all, yes security is too strict on certain points. We often joke on what might be the next step...

Hrm... now I see why my friend always jokes he is "returning to the free world" when leaving the USA.

If these images are true it is a serious reason for concern. I cannot confirm them because I have never seen such a scanner and the many fake pictures floating on the web are also in my mind.

It probably depends on who you come in contact with , really. I havent flown since last November and they didnt have those machines yet. But I had all good experiences.

Quote from: Dee_pntx on November 15, 2010, 03:27:40 PM
Woman at airport SEXUALLY MOLESTED by TSA THUGS!

http://www.ourlittlechatterboxes.com/2010/11/tsa-sexual-assault.html

A bit overly dramatic, really. What on earth did she think that type of search involved?

Searches and patdown have never been near the groin area.  And even when they pat me down last year, they only pat down between the breasts.

That sort of pat down is pretty unheard of here.

I'm thinking if really challenged in court, they will ha e a hard time defending it.

I understand the need, but Americans aren't accustomed to such things.

Quote from: Epigania on November 15, 2010, 03:56:01 PM
Searches and patdown have never been near the groin area.  And even when they pat me down last year, they only pat down between the breasts.

That sort of pat down is pretty unheard of here.

I'm thinking if really challenged in court, they will ha e a hard time defending it.

I understand the need, but Americans aren't accustomed to such things.

We're just probably more used to it.

Quote from: Dee_pntx on November 15, 2010, 04:15:07 PM
Are you kidding me?  Overly dramatic?

They f**king handled her breasts and vagina and felt up her labia !!!

If that's not a sexual assault I'd like to know WTF it is...........

I think it's just a British thing not to overdo it. To me it would be a brief, somewhat unpleasant, experience. To call it sexual assault is a massive insult to women who have genuinely been victims of proper assault.  A pat down in the groin area is hardly having her labia felt up.