Fear of flying with new scans and "enhanced" body

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My daughter and I fly quite frequently together. My brother is on the west coast and we usually take an annual trip to Walt Disney World. On one occasion, we had a nightmare situation with security in Orlando, where the ticketing agent (after a 30 minute wait at ticketing counter) gave me two boarding passes for me and none for my daughter. With all of the commotion I did not catch this until after another 45 minute wait at security. The TSA agent told us to go back to ticketing to fix it. He also stated we would most likely miss our flight, which sent my daughter into a full blown meltdown (she thought we couldn't get home). After another 30 minute wait in line at ticketing with a screaming child clawing at me and people staring, we made the exchange and waited another 30 minutes for security, all while my daughter was screaming, writhing, and I was doing everything to hold on to her and calm her. The TSA agents pulled us out of line and told me we couldn't clear until she calmed. This just made her worse. It was a horrible experience!

Now I am worried that these new procedures will cause issues. My daughter has extreme issues with anyone touching her and I am afraid we might be pulled out for the pat down on her.

I have $550 credit with an airline I have to use by March or lose from a ticket I just cancelled due to all of this. I cannot get a refund. I am hoping to just wait and see if things calm down.

Is anyone else feeling as if these new measures prevent you and your children from flying?

Nope. If they want to f**k with me, I'll f**k with them right back. They want to get me to go through the machines? Not happening. They want to do a full body search then? Fine, but they should know that if they don't do a cavity search, then it misses the whole point, which is supposed to be security. So I'll voluntarily strip down naked, in front of all the women and children, and say "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I implore thee" Who knows, maybe someone else will be inspired, and that will really get people to scratch their heads. And if someone takes a picture of me, or gets a video and posts it, even better. More publicity.

I simply won't fly at airports that use them. That isn't easy; it just means that I can't use Manchester Airport so I go from Liverpool or Blackpool airports.

You might try to get something from your doctor stating that your daughter has Autism and does not like to be touched. I dont know if it will help but I had good responses from airlines this past summer with my two little kids (8 year old aspie and 5 year old autie). We flew around the US to see family before we moved to France and then, of course, flew here to France. I would just tell security that my kids were autistic and they were all helpful. Im sorry you had such a rough time on that flight....sometimes people in airports can be downright nasty. It was their screw up and they tried to make you out to be the bad guy, upset your daughter and then made that your fault as well. People need to be better educated especially with the problems in airports and airplanes lately with Autistic children.

Borderline-ridiculous security measures have never stopped me from flying, ever. I just deal with it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJNY_PTULO4&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Dont fly anymore, dont let them get away with this, let them all go bust, if we let them get away with this, what will be the next step?, being allowed to enter your homes and search through your undrwear drawer for bombs?

There is really good advice in that video; do watch it.

I think my kids are old enough to handle it if something unexpected happens, but it's got to be really tough when the child is younger and more unpredictable. I think you have to walk through all the possible security procedures so she knows what to expect, and explain that these procedures are part of flying, and that you as a mom don't have control over which ones are or are not selected on any trip. Then keep a close eye on her as you go through security, and watch for any tell tale signs. Pull both of you to the side of the line and talk to her if you see signs of stress. If you are proactive, you might be able to find an employee willing to help you and your daughter through.

Find and select less popular times to travel, so the agents are less likely to be stressed, and more likely to slow down and try a better approach. Check what procedures different airports use, and decide which ones are the most acceptable for your daughter.

Obviously allow lots of extra time for getting through, in case something goes wrong.

Boarding passes can usually be printed from home, btw. Do it. One less thing to go wrong.

Most of us aren't willing to risk not getting on the plane to make a protest, so that leaves you in take it or leave it position.

This is why Republicans said we should use the Israeli method of profiling. If they have gotten to the checkpoint they've gotten too far. What's to stop them from detonating at the security checkpoint?

Also if the machines aren't set properly they can actually give a dose of radiation that would be unsafe.

I go to endless measures not to be patted down.

I take this steps:

1. I make sure I am not wearing bulky clothes, I have heard they check people wearing bulky clothes.

2. I make sure I wear clothes without ANY metal on them AT ALL!

3. I cooperate with security very well.

4. I make sure I don't have any items that security doesn't allow on.

I had a similar situation where my two year old daughter was selected to be hand searched - I don't remember whether it was random or whether the metal detector went off. However, when we asked, they allowed us to get things that had gone through the carry on baggage screening first and give them to her. The guy in the video might have been able to return the teddy bear to his daughter before the search, which might have allowed her to be calm enough for them to use the wand.

I'm 23 and my own mother can't hug me. So what makes these TSA people think they can touch my privates? If that happened, I would have a meltdown. I have them if people so much as brush up against me accidently.

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/ ... _1374.shtm

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/ ... _1572.shtm

Articles about flying with disabilities. The first one is about "hidden disabilities" and the second one is about children with disabilities.

Note that not all the tips may apply.

Nobody seems to have picked up on the comment below the video clip I posted, any way, what about the following then!
I still say boycott flying.






TSA: Travelers Who Refuse Scanning Can’t Leave, Will Be Fined
Passengers 'Can Not Just Decide to Leave'
by Jason Ditz, November 19, 2010


Faced with the prospect of large numbers of people refusing the invasive “screening” measures they’ve implemented this holiday season, the TSA is hoping to fight back with threats of fine and arrest.

“Once a person submits to the screening process, they can not just decide to leave” warned Sari Koshetz, a TSA spokesperson. TSA officials say that anyone refusing both the “full body scanners” and the “enhanced pat down” procedures will be taken into custody.

Once there the detainees will not only be barred from flying, but will be held indefinitely as suspected terrorists, face fines of up to $11,000 and may also be turned over to local police. One sheriff’s office said they were already preparing to handle a large number of detainees and plan to treat them as terror suspects, held until they are convinced they don’t pose a terror threat.

The TSA genital “patdowns” have led to threats from some local prosecutors to charge them with sexual assault, but the TSA has shrugged off public outcry over the measures and seems more intent than ever on cowing the public into submission.

http://nation.foxnews.com/tsa/2010/11/2 ... arched-tsa

Well looks worse than that, okay so far it was just the kid's shirt but what's to stop them from going further. TSA is really off their rockers.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaHqD5OAYi0&feature=related[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubKszdycvTQ[/youtube]

Next time fly, i will just go through the body scanner. I would never go for the pat down.

I could never cope with the pat down and the body scanner just seems wrong. I shouldn't have to put up with that and anyway, I give off "weird" vibes and they would think there was something off about me and want to pat me down anyway. I would scream and fight if they tried to pat me down and would get arrrested because of their stupid rules. I already have PTSD from more than one thing and even sometimes descoiate. I'm worried that one more tramatic thing is going to be the straw that breaks the camel's back and that my personailty is going to split.