Cancer-scanners and opting out
Jan. 23rd, 2012 11:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
asterrocThis January I flew from BOS to AUS and back again.
At Boston Logan airport alternate security lines lead to the traditional metal detectors and the x-ray cancer-grams. These are in pairs however, so that two carry-on x-ray lines actually lead to one of each (metal detector and x-ray machine), and the TSA agent on duty in the box between the two lines waves people into either one of the two machines. I stood in the line for the metal detector and was waved into the metal detector line. I did not see anyone opt out during this process. I was irritated by another passenger hyuking to his partner about people who don't want to be seen naked in the x-ray machine. It is a tense environment, and enough to get anyone nervous, not just people like me who refuse to go through the x-ray machine and do so for health reasons.
At the Austin airport alternate security lines lead to the traditional metal detectors and the microwave/millimeter/radio sensor machine. These are again in pairs, so that two carry-on x-ray lines actually lead to one of each, and the TSA agent on duty in the box between the two lines waves people into either one of the two machines. I stood in the line for the metal detector and was waved into the microwave machine line. I waffled for a moment (while I remain firmly unconvinced of the safety of the x-ray machines, I am uncertainly unconvinced of the microwave machines), then said confidently (or so I would like to think) "I would like to opt out."
At which point the TSA agent closest to me started pressuring/harassing me, asking me if I have a cellphone, claiming that it's the same as my cellphone (to which I replied that I don't know if it's the same strength as my cellphone), asking me again if I use a cellphone (to which I replied that I was not convinced of the safety of this device), and so on. This was happening while another agent went to find a female TSA agent (all the agents on duty were men). I was waved around both the microwave machine and the normal metal detector and into a pat-down/waiting area. It took a few minutes (less than 15, maybe even less than 5 but a tense and pressured time it was so I don't know for sure), during which I attempted to watch unobtrusively (though I doubt I succeeded) the pat-down which was occurring to my right. Another gentleman had opted-out as well. His agent was saying nearly the same script about the cellphone while performing the pat-down.
Finally a female agent arrived for me and put on the rubber gloves. She seemed a bit brusque and irritated to be interrupted at whatever she was doing. She gave me a standard speech asking first if I wanted this to be done in a private area and I said no, here was fine (preferable in fact though I did not say so). Then she described where she was going to touch me, and that she would use the backs of her hands over sensitive areas (boobs/ass I presume, though I do not specifically recall) and the blade of her hand on my chest (between the boobs). This proceeded to happen exactly as described. I stood with my arms out and palms facing up; she ran her hands firmly over my torso, arms, and legs; she didn't contact my breasts but did go between them; her leg frisks started from my pants cuffs up and stopped halfway between my knees and groin (a good few inches before she would have "met resistance"). Afterwards she ran a small cloth over her gloves and my bags and tossed it into a machine to test for chemical residue. She told me I was free to go and walked off before the machine even spit out the result.
It was interesting to compare this frisk with the ones I received in China (that's a friendslocked LJ post - let me know if you want access and don't have it, but I don't want China banning me so I'm not opening it). The Chinese frisks were torso only with quick light touches as opposed to the US frisks being (nearly) the entire body with firm pressure. I don't think the Chinese frisks went between my breasts, but one did feel between my underwire and my torso (through my clothes). The frisk covered more of my body than the Chinese frisk, but still left enough that a determined person could bring in contraband. (Now I'm picturing a smuggler with parrots in toilet paper tubes strapped into her bikini line. Yes, people smuggle in parrots in toilet paper tubes, you can't make this shit up.)
The entire atmosphere of the US frisk left me feeling like it was unprofessional, though that was actually due to the environment as opposed to the frisk itself. Honestly, the environment of the other TSA agents belittling us for choosing to opt out is very hostile, intimidating, and harassing; the frisk itself was fine. The atmosphere of security in China is that everyone respects the process and each other. Talking is at a minimum, even between the Han Chinese / Mandarin speaking passengers and agents. There is a lot more trust of authority there, and as a result in everyday cases the wielders of authority have no need to exercise their power. Yes I know that there's a huge power inequity between Chinese government agents and normal Chinese citizens, but normal Chinese citizens don't care about this power inequity, so they don't speak up about it. In the US, many people hate TSA agents and many of the people who become TSA agents are people who want to be able to exercise power over others (no I don't have evidence for this but this is what I perceive as a passenger who has been verbally harassed on multiple occasions at multiple airports) and when they see a vulnerable passenger they do so.
This also reminds me of the transgender TSA screener (flocked LJ post, mirrored flocked DW post, or google Ashley Yang TSA) who was harassed by the passengers! Only in a country with such issues about the power structure would the passengers harass the government agents. And only this poor transgender woman would be so low down in the power structure that she's have to take it.
Originally posted on Dreamwidth.
comments there. Comment here or there.
At Boston Logan airport alternate security lines lead to the traditional metal detectors and the x-ray cancer-grams. These are in pairs however, so that two carry-on x-ray lines actually lead to one of each (metal detector and x-ray machine), and the TSA agent on duty in the box between the two lines waves people into either one of the two machines. I stood in the line for the metal detector and was waved into the metal detector line. I did not see anyone opt out during this process. I was irritated by another passenger hyuking to his partner about people who don't want to be seen naked in the x-ray machine. It is a tense environment, and enough to get anyone nervous, not just people like me who refuse to go through the x-ray machine and do so for health reasons.
At the Austin airport alternate security lines lead to the traditional metal detectors and the microwave/millimeter/radio sensor machine. These are again in pairs, so that two carry-on x-ray lines actually lead to one of each, and the TSA agent on duty in the box between the two lines waves people into either one of the two machines. I stood in the line for the metal detector and was waved into the microwave machine line. I waffled for a moment (while I remain firmly unconvinced of the safety of the x-ray machines, I am uncertainly unconvinced of the microwave machines), then said confidently (or so I would like to think) "I would like to opt out."
At which point the TSA agent closest to me started pressuring/harassing me, asking me if I have a cellphone, claiming that it's the same as my cellphone (to which I replied that I don't know if it's the same strength as my cellphone), asking me again if I use a cellphone (to which I replied that I was not convinced of the safety of this device), and so on. This was happening while another agent went to find a female TSA agent (all the agents on duty were men). I was waved around both the microwave machine and the normal metal detector and into a pat-down/waiting area. It took a few minutes (less than 15, maybe even less than 5 but a tense and pressured time it was so I don't know for sure), during which I attempted to watch unobtrusively (though I doubt I succeeded) the pat-down which was occurring to my right. Another gentleman had opted-out as well. His agent was saying nearly the same script about the cellphone while performing the pat-down.
Finally a female agent arrived for me and put on the rubber gloves. She seemed a bit brusque and irritated to be interrupted at whatever she was doing. She gave me a standard speech asking first if I wanted this to be done in a private area and I said no, here was fine (preferable in fact though I did not say so). Then she described where she was going to touch me, and that she would use the backs of her hands over sensitive areas (boobs/ass I presume, though I do not specifically recall) and the blade of her hand on my chest (between the boobs). This proceeded to happen exactly as described. I stood with my arms out and palms facing up; she ran her hands firmly over my torso, arms, and legs; she didn't contact my breasts but did go between them; her leg frisks started from my pants cuffs up and stopped halfway between my knees and groin (a good few inches before she would have "met resistance"). Afterwards she ran a small cloth over her gloves and my bags and tossed it into a machine to test for chemical residue. She told me I was free to go and walked off before the machine even spit out the result.
It was interesting to compare this frisk with the ones I received in China (that's a friendslocked LJ post - let me know if you want access and don't have it, but I don't want China banning me so I'm not opening it). The Chinese frisks were torso only with quick light touches as opposed to the US frisks being (nearly) the entire body with firm pressure. I don't think the Chinese frisks went between my breasts, but one did feel between my underwire and my torso (through my clothes). The frisk covered more of my body than the Chinese frisk, but still left enough that a determined person could bring in contraband. (Now I'm picturing a smuggler with parrots in toilet paper tubes strapped into her bikini line. Yes, people smuggle in parrots in toilet paper tubes, you can't make this shit up.)
The entire atmosphere of the US frisk left me feeling like it was unprofessional, though that was actually due to the environment as opposed to the frisk itself. Honestly, the environment of the other TSA agents belittling us for choosing to opt out is very hostile, intimidating, and harassing; the frisk itself was fine. The atmosphere of security in China is that everyone respects the process and each other. Talking is at a minimum, even between the Han Chinese / Mandarin speaking passengers and agents. There is a lot more trust of authority there, and as a result in everyday cases the wielders of authority have no need to exercise their power. Yes I know that there's a huge power inequity between Chinese government agents and normal Chinese citizens, but normal Chinese citizens don't care about this power inequity, so they don't speak up about it. In the US, many people hate TSA agents and many of the people who become TSA agents are people who want to be able to exercise power over others (no I don't have evidence for this but this is what I perceive as a passenger who has been verbally harassed on multiple occasions at multiple airports) and when they see a vulnerable passenger they do so.
This also reminds me of the transgender TSA screener (flocked LJ post, mirrored flocked DW post, or google Ashley Yang TSA) who was harassed by the passengers! Only in a country with such issues about the power structure would the passengers harass the government agents. And only this poor transgender woman would be so low down in the power structure that she's have to take it.
Originally posted on Dreamwidth.
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no subject
Date: 2012-01-24 12:25 pm (UTC)May amuse you: I've found that when I wear a kilt, and clearly indicate that no I can't take my belt off, I've still gotten frisked… but they've been rather less eager about being thorough.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-24 02:10 pm (UTC)Yeah, that's what I figured. Do you keep track of which airports have which scanners? I doubt that info is available from the TSA.
I've found that when I wear a kilt...
The social constructs of gender and power around the TSA in the USA as compared to China are fascinating to me. I'd be curious to know how their behavior is different if you're wearing a kilt and tell them you are vs. are not wearing underwear. (Not that I'm saying you really shouldn't since they may very well "go until they meet resistance", I just want to know what they'd do differently if they *think* you aren't.) You could write whole theses about going through security lines (though it'd be an expensive one since you need a plane ticket each time).
no subject
Date: 2012-01-24 04:56 pm (UTC)In dfw I got a pat down and it was similar to yours except my lady was very friendly.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-24 09:55 pm (UTC)When I went through the airport in Helsinki a couple summers ago, they also gave me a pat-down (there were no other options; if you were coming from a foreign flight and transferring to another, you had to get a pat-down). And it was a true-pat down, to the point that the TSA agent had her hand against my crotch in front of other passengers. I did feel uncomfortable, but I'd rather feel safe that all the passengers are being carefully checked. That said, I do agree with opting out of the microwave machine line as it is unclear what the dangers are of using it, but getting a pat-down certainly doesn't seem to pose any danger to the person receiving it.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-24 10:17 pm (UTC)I am not convinced that all this security theater really does make things safer. Did you see
. I did feel uncomfortable, ... but getting a pat-down certainly doesn't seem to pose any danger to the person receiving it.
For most people a pat down does not pose any physical danger and minimal psychological danger (though you yourself have acknowledged the discomfort). My TSA agent did ask me whether I had any sensitive areas, and I had to think a moment to recall if I was currently having an HS flare-up (since I'd recently had a bad one). Had I had one, it would have caused significant pain had that area not been avoided scrupulously.
I'm pretty aware of social pressures to conform to the norm, so I find the opting out process with its requisite harassment by TSA agents to be very uncomfortable. My history of being bullied in elementary school though has taught me that it's better to stand up to such harassment now than let it get worse, but for some people such harassment could cause significant distress, before we even get to the frisk. And when we do, what about the high fraction of women who are survivors of sexual assault? (And men and transgendered people too, though there are more cisgendered women survivors out there than either other category, I believe.) They run the risk of having their PTSD triggered.
So for me, the pat down is lower risk than the scanner, but it is not a zero-cost option.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-24 10:29 pm (UTC)You're also right about pat-downs not being 100% safe either, and that I neglected to remember your HS and the CNN articles about medical accidents that occurred when TSA agents were dealing with those who have medical conditions (such as a case in which one agent broke a urine bag when inspecting a person).
Sorry that my comment was so obtuse. (I'm usually a bit more poignant about my comments, but my stomach is killing me right now).