Airport Procedure, what do we do?

[Woodstock Hippy]

I'm going on vacation next month, to Hawaii.  I know I have to get pat down.  What do I do at the airport?  What is the procedure and who do I talk to?

I'm flying Hawaiian from JFK to Honolulu for Thanksgiving, then flying Kauai, back to Honolulu, then back to JFK.  I guess I'm going to get felt up a lot.

[lycraman]

You should be so lucky! 

[Baby Barista]

Here is what happened to me on my first flight post BHR, just last month out of Sea-Tac. Here's how the dialogue went.

Me: I'm gonna set that metal detector off... I have a metal hip.
TSA: Okay, c'mon through.
<<beep, beep, beep, beep>>
Me: ((nodding in the affirmative))
TSA: Ok, are you wearing a belt or anything else that is metal?
Me:  Uhhh, like I said... metal hip.

Then the guy who came up to do the pat down was a complete condescending d-bag... prompting me to file a formal complaint with the TSA.

Hope everyone else has a better experience!!!

[John C]

No worries, I fly to Hawaii as well as Canada every year. Its all very easy, and there is nothing that you can, or should, do to prepare. No letters or cards from your doctor are useful, because these can be easily forged. My experience has always been the same over the past 4 years; very easy and positive. Before I step through the scanner, I tell the person on the other side that I have a metal hip. The scanner goes off, and they wave me over to a screening area. I have always been pleasant to the guys doing the pat down, and they have always been pleasant to me. They will always ask you about belt buckles, coins, etc, just to eliminate other things that might set the hand scanner off before they get started. All you need to do is allow about an extra 2 to 5 minutes to get through security. Bring a smile, try to make their job easy, and I have found that they are willing to do the same.

[obxpelican]

If they do not have the large scanner that looks like a large phone booth as John said you will get a good feel up by the security folk.   We Pgh to Maui with a bunch of stops and I got really used to getting felt up LOL, it's not any big deal though.

To Baby Barista, sorry that happened to you, I've always been lucky I guess.

Hawaii is well worth the feel up.

Chuck

[lyn]

Always go through the round xray machine were you have to stand n plant your feet on the marks and you put your hands over your head, and you will have no delays. If the airport does not have the circular xray machine , be prepared for a pat down. Lyn

[phillwad]

I fly once or twice a week.  The body scans help but they always show up something on my thigh - not sure why - they are quicker. 

I find if you go through the regular scanner

• The machine will go - beeep beep beep
  please step back and go through again - "but I have 2 hip replacements" - please go through again, do you have anything in your pockets - "no"
  go through again beep beep beep
  "I will have to pat you down - is that OK?"
  etc etc etc

cards from the doctor etc makes no difference. I work for the Feds and even my Fed ID does not count for TSA as a valid ID - go figure!!!!!!

[mari]

Like Chuck says, go through the scanner that looks like a telephone booth.  I flew from Mpls to Atlanta to Johannesburg, SA with no problems.  The only pat down I received was a quick one leaving Joburg, and that was because everyone got a pat down there.  One line for women, one line for men.  One woman saw that the men's line was shorter so she got in that line, but when she got to the front the man wouldn't pat her down & made her get back in the women's line where a woman was doing the pat down.

[Dannywayoflife]

If they have the body scanners then that will solve your problem. I've flown twice now and unfortunately for me as the security refuse to believe someone so young has a metal hip have been strip searched both flights

[morph]

My wife is from Northern Ireland. Flying back out from Belfast is not fun. I told them I would set it off before going through the metal detector thing, I was carrying a baby at the time. I got searched twice by a guy who had lost all ability to smile and every ability to grimmace he gave me a look of suspicion and muttered something about a double positive beep or something in a serious tone and with all the hauling of prams & babies seats etc, beads of sweat started to form on my forehead, which did not help. He eventually called his supervisor over, I even offered to show my scar as proof. The baby I was carrying got searched too who at this point was screaming blue murder. The double pram thoroughly checked and of course the babies milk/water. Mean while my 2 yr old thought it would be great fun to start running in and out of the scanner, which for some reason they did not use on me. There was a long line of people waiting to go through looking in bemusement/amusement at us. Eventually after much deliberation they let us through.

Flying out of Edinburgh was no problem. I got patted down but it was straight forward. In fact before I said anything he asked me if I had an artificial hip. Apparently he could feel a sublte difference, probably the scar tissue.

[Dannywayoflife]

My search was quite funny they showed me into the private search room and my searcher went off to get his wittness so I just totally stripped off and stood there with my hands on my hips when they both walked in the welsh bloke(ex guardsman) laughed and said typical squaddie! He saw the funny side. 

[Jason0411]

I have flown to spain and Portugal since my BHR and when going to Spain I pointed to my hip when I set the scanner off and they just waved the hand held over the hip I pointed too which went off so I got the thumbs up so I went through no problems. In Portugal they couldn't afford a hand held so I got patted down, 30 second job. No Probs.

[double trouble]

Talk to the TSA agent before going thru Scanners. Avoid the Metal Detector request the Full Body Scanner. Make sure you have nothing in your pockets. It will be so much easier than the Metal Detector and most of the time you avoid the pat down and the collateral inconveniences.
PS- had my 2year check-up with Dr Marwin last week, all is A-OK

[stephen1254]

The scanner makes it painless, however most airports (that I fly through) don't have them. The pat down is no big deal other than you have to wait for one of the agents to break away from their important duties which appear to revolve around standing in a group, talking and laughing.

Last Sunday going through LAX I set off the detector and was put in the penalty box. My stuff went to the end of the conveyor where the trays behind mine pushed it to the floor. My shoes and belt were kicked out of the way, my jacket was walked on, and my liquid toiletries were kicked under the conveyor to the next line. All this time the TSA thug refused to let me pick up my stuff, and refused to have an agent pick up my stuff, in fact refused to respond to me at all. Finally a woman about 30 people behind me in line picked up my stuff, put it in a tray, retrieved my liquids, and put everything under the conveyor. Finally another TSA thug, who had been standing around laughing and joking with his buddies, was able to break away and do the pat down.

The terrorists have won. I hate to fly.

[fenceman]

I have never had a problem going through the body scanner.  Some airports have both so make sure you get in that line.  The metal detector always goes off and I get the heavy petting pat down  .

I have taken a couple of cruises and I did not set off the metal detector getting on the cruise ship.  It must not be set very high compared to the airport detectors.

[hernanu]

Talk to the TSA agent before going thru Scanners. Avoid the Metal Detector request the Full Body Scanner. Make sure you have nothing in your pockets. It will be so much easier than the Metal Detector and most of the time you avoid the pat down and the collateral inconveniences.
PS- had my 2year check-up with Dr Marwin last week, all is A-OK

Congrats on the 2 year checkup...

[morph]

I have never been told to go through a full body scanner. I assume you have to request this? Maybe I was not told to go through because I was holding a baby? Not sure I would want to go through everytime if I was flying alot, so I would probably opt for the more traditional pat down and possible strip down search if necessary but that is just me.

All depends where you are and who you get searching to the intensity of the search but generally is not a problem at all and not really an inconvenience if you consider the reason for security.

[Woodstock Hippy]

DT congratulations on your two year chech up.  Dr Marwin has a very low profile around here but I think he's the best there is, and I have the results to prove it.  I'll be racing the 6 Hours of Cathedral Pines mountain bike race for my 1 year anniversary.  I think I heard recently on CBS news that they were taking the full body scanners out of NYC airports.  I'll just have to see how it goes.

[Dan L]

Have only flown once since my 2 BHR's, and that was on the company plane so no TSA "security theatre" nonsense and Sandusky-grope was needed.  We do have the scanners here, which I plan to use, also thinking about bringing my xrays along next time I go.  I freaking hate travel these days.

PS also, I have heard here and elsewhere to take 1 325mg aspirin 2x per day from 2 days prior to and 2 days after each flight to keep DVT's and blood clots at bay, check with your Dr to see if this is appropriate for you.

Dan

[Arrojo]

What everyone else said.  Look for the body scanner if you can.  Last time I flew I was next in line for the body scanner when they shut it down!   

So they made me go through the regular detector, and told them I have a metal implant and would set it off.  Which it did.  Metal implants are not that uncommon.  I got a patdown and went on my way.

It's not that big a deal.