A Pat Down of My Own

Good afternoon folks, hope you are all doing well.

I wanted to recount my story of my very first official TSA pat down. The one I received over Thanksgiving weekend at SFO on Sunday afternoon. Yes, I only got one pat down. Flying from LAX Thursday morning yielded nothing. I walked through the metal detector and and was allowed to grab my stuff and be on my way. So I will pick up the story on Sunday -

Sunday afternoon, 4:00pm, San Francisco International Airport, Delta area (Gates 40-49). Not a lot of people in the airport which is rather surprising, given the fact it is Thanksgiving weekend. Cool. Check my bag at the counter and proceed toward security. As I walk up to the line, I see 2 TSA agents waiting for someone to approach them. They look bored. They check my ID and Ticket and I am asked to get in line. There is no line. Just a maze of belts and poles leading to the dreaded MWave machine.

I had my game plan set long before I even purchased my flight. Opt out, deal with the consequences. So, I take off my shoes, watch, empty out my pockets, place my items in the tray and slide it on down the conveyor belt to be X-Rayed. I take a step toward the machine and the female TSA agent on the other side is waving me on. I inform her I will be opting out and she nods her head with an understanding look and points toward the metal detector 10 feet away. "OPT OUT!"

All 30 TSA agents stare. I grin. I head over to the metal detector, pants slightly sagging down a bit (old jeans, lost weight, etc) and wait to be waved through. Get the wave and step through. No beep. I get no more than 1 foot past the metal detector where 3 male agents approach and corral me next to the x-ray machine on the other line. Immediately I am asked for my ID and Ticket, and asked why I am opting out.

"My dignity, my country's inalienable rights, and because I dont know the long term health effects of these machines. Here is my info."

As Pedro (real name) slaps the last blue latex glove on, he says, "Hell sir, my name is Pedro, and I will be giving you a pat down today. Do you understand this?"

"Yes, I understand."

"Good, can you please step over toward the corner?"

"Absolutely." At this point, the other 2 gentleman just look around and awkwardly walk away.

"Sir, I am going to use the back of my hand in certain sensitive areas, and I will inform you before we get there, but I am letting you know this now. Spread your feet, and hold your arms out to the side, palms up."

"Absolutely." He proceeds to slide his hands across my back, down my sides and lets me know that he is going to start where the leg meets the torso and slide down from there. "No problem," I said. He repeats for both legs, and then lets me know that he will be sliding his fingers on the inside of my waistband, all the way around my body. "Sounds fine."

As we finished up the process, he swabbed his gloves with what appeared to be sticky piece of paper in a circle shape and put it into a machine that tested the sample for some things I have never been near or even considered being near. I was good to go. As I was putting on my shoes, I asked him, "Do this a lot, or is this relatively new?"

"This past month it has increased in frequency. Lots of people saying the same things, and for the most part, are very pleasant about it."

"That's cool," I said, "You guys expecting to do this a lot?"

He simply pointed to the giant stack of boxes, loaded with the same blue disposable gloves and smirked.

"Guess so." I remarked.

I was free to go, and the whole process took a whopping 2 minutes out of my life. Pedro was more than polite, and went above and beyond his explanations of what he was going to do, and what I was expected to do. If this is how it has to be in order for us to fly, I am totally fine with it. It wasnt invasive. It wasnt sexual. My junk didnt even get nudged.

I have to admit that everything I was planning on saying, and doing while being "assaulted" by the TSA went out the window. I was fully charged up and ready to unload on them about their policies and the amount of bull they were shoveling us as citizens. I was ready to start a riot. I was ready to be the catalyst that changed the system. Then I found it wasnt as bad as I had read it was. The people were nice, informative, and really not that bad. I was looking for a fight with these people and was instead, completely disarmed.

This may be an exception to the rule, but I wanted to let you folks know, there is hope out there. Opt out, get a pat down, maybe even get some questions answered. Some of these TSA workers are actually pretty decent human beings. So, "Thanks" Pedro!

Yeah but he was a pervert, right? Or you were too old so he could not get any sexual gratification from you, right? Or you really do feel dehumanised and humiliated and just cannot stand to say so, right?

Common, it's the TSA. They should have raped you, beat you, took photos and laughed at you while you wept, curled up in the foetal position.....

I think you're lying!!!

Or... hey, nahh... can't be mass hysteria can it?

Nah, you just liked it...

Originally posted by RicketyCricket

"Absolutely." He proceeds to slide his hands across my back, down my sides and lets me know that he is going to start where the leg meets the torso and slide down from there. "No problem," I said. He repeats for both legs, and then lets me know that he will be sliding his fingers on the inside of my waistband, all the way around my body. "Sounds fine."......

As we finished up the process, he swabbed his gloves with what appeared to be sticky piece of paper in a circle shape and put it into a machine that tested the sample for some things I have never been near or even considered being near. I was good to go........

I was free to go, and the whole process took a whopping 2 minutes out of my life. Pedro was more than polite, and went above and beyond his explanations of what he was going to do, and what I was expected to do.

Sounds like you got laid by a nice fellow. Did he give you his number or did you give him yours? You should ring ASAP, sounds like good relationship material.

Its crazy how the TSA is doing all this even in this VIDEO they show this 3 year old kid getting Pat Down ....its crazy.

It is your right to be okay with the pat down. If it is not a big deal for you, that is terrific. Your opinion and compliance, however, does not affect others and their liberties and wishes. Sure it wasn't a hassle for you, but others value their liberties more, so they protest. It boils down to--at what point are we going to stand up for our rights which have been progressively eroding since 9-11 in the name of security? That is for each individual to decide, and the opinion of the majority has no impact on the rights of the minority. Personal liberty is not subject to a vote or a large portion of the public feeling okay with new measures.

I also notice some people are refusing to be Pat Down ...in this two videos they show how people are refusing
Video 1
Video 2

Originally posted by MGriff
It is your right to be okay with the pat down. If it is not a big deal for you, that is terrific. Your opinion and compliance, however, does not affect others and their liberties and wishes. Sure it wasn't a hassle for you, but others value their liberties more, so they protest. It boils down to--at what point are we going to stand up for our rights which have been progressively eroding since 9-11 in the name of security? That is for each individual to decide, and the opinion of the majority has no impact on the rights of the minority. Personal liberty is not subject to a vote or a large portion of the public feeling okay with new measures.

edit on 3-12-2010 by MGriff because: (no reason given)

It most certainly is my right. I know my opinion and my compliance have nothing to do with anyone else, but me. I was putting this out there to show that not EVERY SINGLE pat down that is going to happen has to be a negative experience, and hopefully encourage others who might be on the fence about opting out, encourage them to stand up and deal with the lesser of two evils until the evils have been put to bed, and we are once again able to have and use our rights, and maintain our dignities.

Star for you.

reply to post by RicketyCricket


Sure, great analysis and perspective. I was simply trying to point out some other aspects which you clearly agree with so I hope I didn't offend you--it was not my intention and I apologize if I did. I agree there really is nothing that bad about the pat down, a cop can do it without any tangible cause during a traffic stop, but invasive government action seems to be increasing in every sector of society. At this point, I'm basically against anything else regardless of how painless it is or what supposed benefits it offers me. S+F for your post.

Originally posted by RicketyCricket
It most certainly is my right. I know my opinion and my compliance have nothing to do with anyone else, but me. I was putting this out there to show that not EVERY SINGLE pat down that is going to happen has to be a negative experience, and hopefully encourage others who might be on the fence about opting out, encourage them to stand up and deal with the lesser of two evils until the evils have been put to bed, and we are once again able to have and use our rights, and maintain our dignities.

I went through the process in NOLA, same thiing, same weekend, no big deal. Thanks for injecting some sanity into the hyperbole. Folks tend to forget, we also have the right not to fly.

And I wonder how many people who insist that they will no longer fly...actually do. I mean, every year I give up lima beans for Lent. Just so happens I hate lima beans...

reply to post by MGriff


I wasnt offended at all.

I agree that all of the hoops we have to jump through just to fly are, essentially, bullsh... I just want to make sure that anyone who is even partially afraid of standing up and saying something, knows that the alternative to those machines, is not as bad as (potentially) some have made it out to be. Then, once the machines are gone, we can do away with the pat downs. Baby steps, dude, baby steps.

reply to post by RicketyCricket

You made an informed choice and are perfectly able to waive your rights at anytime for any reason.The issue become when an authority waives (removes ) them from you.Your search sounded far from heinous.But in the abstract the principles are the same.

I don't give a damn if they give you cup cakes with sprinkles and a hundred dollar bill after the search, it's still a violation of our rights, it's still corrupt, and it's still wrong. I guess it's a good thing that your experience wasn't a bad one but it still doesn't excuse what the government is doing.

For the OP, I am glad the experience was not what you were expecting. That is actually god to hear and a nice break from what we usually see and hear on ATS as well as elsewhere. My feelings are pretty much summed up by this quote below...

Originally posted by Joehio
I don't give a damn if they give you cup cakes with sprinkles and a hundred dollar bill after the search, it's still a violation of our rights, it's still corrupt, and it's still wrong. I guess it's a good thing that your experience wasn't a bad one but it still doesn't excuse what the government is doing.

I refuse to be treated like a criminal just because I want to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. I am also one of those people who just do not want strangers touching me for any reason. No one has a reason to touch me, pat me down, frisk me, or anything else. Unless I am being arrested for something, I do not expect to be patted down. There is no reason for it.

When you really stop to look at the most recent "terrorist" attempts, it especially makes no sense. The procedures already in place work, provided no one strays from them. The underwear bomber was brought onto the plane, they strayed from normal procedures. So the answer to me is really very simple.... we do not need new security measures, what we need is for people to follow teh security measures already in place.

Originally posted by MrWendal
No one has a reason to touch me, pat me down, frisk me, or anything else. Unless I am being arrested for something, I do not expect to be patted down. There is no reason for it.

I'm guessing you don't get out to a lot of rock concerts, then, either.

reply to post by JohnnyCanuck



It would have to be a band I just had to see lol, but for the most part you would be correct. I do not do crowds. Outside of catching one NFL game per season, I avoid them as much as possible. Too many stupid people in this world.

Originally posted by MrWendal
I do not do crowds. Outside of catching one NFL game per season, I avoid them as much as possible. Too many stupid people in this world.

Amen to that. I've pretty much cut out the big rock shows because of the moron factor and the searches. I'm too old to be treated like that. Flying is a little less discretionary. Mind you, it was a bit of a shock to see my wife's purse searched before we boarded a Mississippi riverboat for a jazz cruise...Coast Guard anti-terrorism vigilance. Now that I thought a tad excessive.

But as a guest in your fine country...who am I to kvetch?