Question about those body scanners

pandasquishy · March 2012

I'm flying Thursday (ATL to BUF) for the first time since those body scanners were introduced. Are they at every airport now? Do they make everyone go through them, or just those people they think need extra screening? I know I can opt-out, but does the wait for the pat down take longer than just going through it?

Also, doe anyone know anything about ATL baggage claim? Is it a nightmare? I was thinking it would be easier to check my bag so I don't have to fumble around to get it into the overhead and so I don't have to worry about liquids, but if ATL baggage claim is obnoxious then I'll make it a point to carry on and hopefully gate check.

Thanks!

nic326 · March 2012

Its random that you get picked for the scanner. I dont think an opt out pat down would take any more time. If you have a child with you, you are less likely to get picked or the scanner (in my experience anyway).

sillygoosegirl · March 2012

It's everyone now in Portland and San Francisco, at least in the terminals I fly through. The pat down definitely takes longer, though I'm not sure how much longer since my watch is in the xray machine. Most of the time they have someone there to do it right away, and other times I feel like I have to wait 5-10 minutes for someone to be available. The pat down itself only takes a minute or so.

Chymes · March 2012

Are they at every airport now? - No.

Do they make everyone go through them, or just those people they think need extra screening? - At the places I've seen the scanners, everyone was sent through unless you opted out.

I know I can opt-out, but does the wait for the pat down take longer than just going through it? - From what I've seen, yes.

GilliC · March 2012

Most places I've been they send everyone through now. The opt-out pat-down does take longer, but it's not too long. Maybe 5 minutes? There's only been one time when I had to wait a few minutes for someone to come and do my pat-down.

Amoura+ · March 2012

Body scanners are used randomly. There is no pattern. I have been in one. It's no biggie.

mxolisi · March 2012

It depends on the airport and even the security section (since some airports have more than one security set up).

Generally if they are running them it isn't random. Everyone in the line that feeds the scanner goes through the scanner. If there is a line with a metal detector you can try to place yourself in that one. In some airports they don't allow you to select a line though.

I always opt out. It does generally take longer, but not usually more than 5 minutes. I've found the wait times to be creeping up recently. Maybe bad luck or maybe they are trying to discourage it.

Sibil · March 2012

mxolisi:
It depends on the airport and even the security section (since some airports have more than one security set up).
Generally if they are running them it isn't random. Everyone in the line that feeds the scanner goes through the scanner. If there is a line with a metal detector you can try to place yourself in that one. In some airports they don't allow you to select a line though.
I always opt out. It does generally take longer, but not usually more than 5 minutes. I've found the wait times to be creeping up recently. Maybe bad luck or maybe they are trying to discourage it.

And I'm happy to increase the wait time for everyone. They're not going to get rid of these things based on violating our rights, but they may get rid of them if they become too inconvenient.

I've only had one time that was a long wait, and I was separated from my belongings despite asking repeatedly to have them in my line of sight. I did file complaints, but I'm sure they went nowhere. I hate tsa.

stumpy · March 2012

It all depends. I have seen airports where just about everybody is asked to use the scanners . . . not just a random person every now and then.

I opted out b/c I don't need any more radiation (I have a brain tumor --not kidding. That being said, I am doing well. No worries!) The pat down didn't take long at all -- the women was very nice about it and handled it very professionally.

As far as your bag . . . I don't check my bag if I don't have to. I am a pretty good packer and prefer to just carry on. If you have a bigger bag, I would just check your luggage as soon as you get to the airport. Less to deal with.

frlcb · March 2012

We live in Atlanta and fly out of Atlanta often, and I have gone through the body scanner one time, but we generally fly with our kids and they don't make us go through with kids in tow. My dad flies weekly out of Atlanta and almost always goes through them.

The ATL baggage claim is not a nightmare if your bags come up on time. Internationally it is a nightmare, but when I fly domestically the bags usually come up pretty quickly.

Summer2011Bride · March 2012

Not every airport has them, and I really think it depends on the airport as to how they decide who goes through. Flying out of O'Hare this summer, it was totally random. They were just pulling people seemingly willy-nilly from our line (my husband wasn't pulled, but I was. I went through the scanner and it was fine, but I understand some people aren't comfortable with it). However, flying back from Honolulu, I don't even remember if they had the body scanners. If they did, I wasn't chosen to go through again.

I will say that, for whatever reason, in O'Hare after the scanner, they still needed someone to pat down just my upper body (no idea why). Because it was a male working that line, I had to wait for a female, which only took about 30 extra seconds.