Any Dl Experience With New Airport Patdowns

[Thickndry]

Has anyone out there in Diaperland gone thru the new airport security with body scans and pat downs. Do TSA folks want you to remove your diaper before getting on a plane? Can they see a diaper on those Xray machines? Let's hear from diapered airline travelers.

[DLHOOPZ]

you dont want to mess around with those TSA guys, my friend made a comment like that and was detained for five hours.

[Missy Q]

No beacuse we've stopped flying. It's too much of a hassle now.

[diaperedandspanked]

No beacuse we've stopped flying. It's too much of a hassle now.

I applaud you, hit the airlines in the pocket book, they'll cry to the government, this nonsense may end.

[Kalbintion]

Only flight experience i had was when i went to Germany, no pat downs, however they did wonder a bit on why i had diapers on me and in my luggage but never went further outside of asking me if id tell them why. Well, seeing this was 3 years ago and i was 15 at the time. I suppose such a question would definitely be appropriate haha. No, I didn't answer them and they didn't bother with the matter. Must have not wanted to deal with it all i guess...

[ljt]

Long before people got all grumpy over the current TSA thing I was pulled aside in Tokyo when arriving from Thailand. The lady checking luggage happened to open the bag that had several diapers left over that had been purchased in Thailand (Euroform, I think, or something similar). She was understandably confused, so she signaled to a security guy nearby who then pulled me into a back room for privacy. It ended up being three security guys and their manager drilling me with questions about my diapers, my vacation and my stay in Japan. At the time I was coming off a vacation in Thailand, intending on spending the better part of a month in Tokyo. The diapers, I explained, were because I sometimes wet while sleeping and was afraid I'd fall asleep on the plane. (a lie)

They thoroughly searched through my luggage, took all the fluids and powders away to be tested (shampoo, lotion, etc.) and had me remove the diaper I had been wearing in front of them. By this point I had pretty much ceased being embarrassed and started finding the experience immensely amusing. Putting the removed diaper in a shallow box they set on the desk in front of me, one of the security guys helpfully pointed out that the diaper was a little wet before taking it away for testing. After all the testing came back negative, they asked if I needed to put another diaper on. Keeping with the story, I said that I wouldn't need one until leaving the airport, and would do that at a later time in the privacy of an airport bathroom. Accepting that, they then took me to the airport hospital, where I was x-rayed for reasons unknown to me at the time.

After all was said and done, they apologized profusely, explaining that they were concerned I may had been smuggling drugs in from Thailand. It apparently isn't unheard of for drugs to be smuggled into countries inside of baby diapers, and they thought the combination of coming from Thailand and having adult diapers as a foreigner was rather odd. The X-ray was to make certain I wasn't carrying any drugs into the country "on the inside". They ended up giving me a card for a free medical visit at the Narita hospital as a form of compensation. I never did take advantage of that.

Anyway, people complaining about TSA practices needs to keep things in perspective. The radiation involved is pretty minor; you'll receive more on most flights simply as a result of being that high in the atmosphere for an extended period of time. If you've ever had an X-ray, that was many dozens of times more powerful than one run through the airport scanners. At the very least consider that if you're only an occasional traveller the daily business travelers and/or airplane crew are going to be going through those scanners many dozens of times more often than you... they get to be the public's canaries in the coal mine, if you will.

Beware of fear, it is a powerful motivator.

Others will wield it to manipulate you,

worried of thoughtful decent - if allowed.

[willnotwill]

You're correct in that it is less radiation than most x-rays. In fact it's many thousand times less than what the FDA worries about even after taking into account the concentration of the energy in the skin. It is however, a lot more than you get at any altitude you'll be flying at (and especially inside an aircraft). You'll get as much in the few seconds of exposure in the nudoscope as you will get in six hours of high altitude flying.

[rusty pins]

As stated before, the TSA needs to be understanding and compassionate about the job that they do. Some are not that way by any means and they have a lot to learn. My bottom line is I would rather my modesty take a bit of a beating than risk getting on a plane that won't make it to it's destination due to someone with a bomb getting by security. It's technology, folks, and due to the world as it is today, sometimes we just have to do what we have to do as more and more terrorists find new ways to destroy airplanes and hurt people. 911 changed everything, then the shoe bomber and then the underwear bomber. Just recently we had a 19 year old try to kill and hurt many people at a tree lighting ceromony in Portland Oregon. Yes, sometimes people including TSA screeners and Homeland Security goes too far. We tend to hear only those bad experiences, but I'm sure there are a lot of people in Portland who are glad someone was on their toes!

[tndyperboy]

I flew on Nov 21st and on the 28th; diapered as always. Nothing seemed any different to me, actually the security lines were faster/shorter then we thought they would be. The new imaging machines were not being used so that wasn't an issue.

[glycerine]

Take Amtrak! No hassles, and nice big bathrooms ON the train for changing your diaper.

I always get a sleeper...they even have showers.

TSA pat-downs? *pshaw"

[AutieAB]

It's worth pointing out that 'pat-downs' from the TSA are nothing new. I was on the receiving end of one about 4 years ago now. I don't know how different these 'enhanced' pat-downs are now but they certainly got pretty damn close to 'touching my junk' back then. Up one leg, across the crotch and down the other as it were. I don't know why I was chosen - I didn't set off the metal detector. I'm glad I wasn't diapered. Would have been awkward - I was asked to roll down the waistband of my jeans.

I think that the other thing that hasn't changed - and this is why the current groundswell of resentment has started - is the TSA's attitude - it's f'ing atrocious. As anybody who's flown since the TSA's inception knows, they have their senses of decency, polite, compassion and in most cases professionalism removed during their training.

Other nation's security screeners have the same job to do. For passengers boarding flights heading to the USA, they're also required to carry out the TSA's extra stuff (liquids, shoes, laptops, and now presumably pat-downs). They have to do those things because if they don't, the USA won't grant the plane permission to enter it's airspace. Yet despite all this, they're often friendly, polite, professional, almost as those they recognise that what they're asking passengers to do is unpleasant and somewhat undignified. They do the same job, they attempt stop the same people, with the same level of success and accuracy but without being amongst the most hated people in the country. The TSA should take lessons from them because lets face it, if you're hated even more than traffic wardens/parking attendants/booters then you're doing something very wrong!

And anyway, the TSA are dumb:

[LuvsGurl]

Not flying anywhere until these unreasonable, unsafe and invasive procedures have been stopped. Remember, the TSA has never actually caught a terrorist.

[gweg]

Take Amtrak! No hassles, and nice big bathrooms ON the train for changing your diaper.

I always get a sleeper...they even have showers.

TSA pat-downs? *pshaw"

The problem is TSA pat downs and the machines are coming to Trains and subways next. The big sis is discussing this as we speak... So now what? And I wonder what will be next highway checkpoints like the port or entries for the states with machines and pat downs. Our government here is becoming Nazis, Hitler style...

[GeekSquad_in_Diapers]

I understand that all this security is for our own protection, but does the TSA have to be this rude and unprofessional?

[LuvsGurl]

TSA = Technically Sexual Assault

[packrat]

To yeoldediapers, there is a big difference in the form of radiation experienced at high altitude. While the aluminum structure of a plane may block some radiation forms, others see it as a sieve, and represent an exposure to human tissue. The low dose form used by TSA in their screening is truly low dose like fluorscopy. We understand these forms of radiation far better than the general population would like to think, and can pretty well predict the impact on tissue.

I'll be taking the train to NYC next week and looking forward to the trip without all the security hassle. Coach, but still better than driving or flying. Plus, no extra fee for carry on or checked bags.

[Honu]

As a graduate electrical engineer, I'd like to set a couple technical issues straight. The technology they are using is millimeter wave, not x-ray and the biological effects are different due to the extreme difference in frequency/wavelength. The device eminates radio-frequency (RF) energy at you and because it's a millimeter wave, it passes through clothing but is reflected by the water in your skin cells.

So what about a diaper? If the diaper is dry, I don't see why it would attract much attention, particularly if it is not very large or thick. Certainly you can put a thin one (like Depends) on, go through TSA security and then change to something more effective on the terminal side. If the diaper is wet, I'm certain the wet SAP will reflect the RF energy just like your skin and you will have some explaining to do!

Politically, I'm with those that find ways to avoid flying and want the airlines to use their financial strength to straighten out TSA. ljt's story from Japan has a key point that TSA is missing. They profiled him as a highly potential threat due to his point of origin being Thailand (Sawatti Khrap!) and because he was wearing diapers as well as carrying them. They knew that mules where trying to hid drugs in baby diapers so he fit two profile points. If TSA only had the sense to profile likely risks and give the rest of the us the privacy we desire as well as our time back (those millimeter wave searches take a long time!), we won't have much to complain about.

Regards,

Honu, M.S.E.E., licensed PE, Electrical

[Diapers4Me]

Flew to the other side of the world in the last couple of weeks and wore diapers the whole way. Was scanned and patted down repeatedly and no one said anything, and I was in wet diapers for some scans. I think after seeing the diapers in my carry ons, they knew what I was wearing and didn't ask any probing questions.

These scanners don't bother me a bit, and I have no idea why everyone is in such an uproar over them. Everyone in India gets a pat down no matter what....metal detectors are EVERYWHERE (hotels, stores etc).

I'm a happy air traveller....and have never had an issue with the TSA agents, and I just got lifetime gold status for 1M miles....heading for platinum.... :-)

[lasardas]

i would refuse the scanners on principal first and foremost, but more importantly, anyone wonder how long till pictures of your junk are being sent to buddies or uploaded to the interwebs? TSA hires people without all that many requirements, so you still get immature people being hired and dumb shit going on like most anywhere else.

[AutieAB]

If TSA only had the sense to profile likely risks and give the rest of the us the privacy we desire as well as our time back (those millimeter wave searches take a long time!), we won't have much to complain about.

They shouldn't profile to try and improve their image - it'll bite them in the butt for sure. For one, it'd be a whole lot harder for them to stand up in court and claim that what they do is not unreasonable search if they openly target a given group. Second, not all terrorists are Muslims and by no means all Muslims are of Middle-Eastern appearance and called Ahmed. There are plenty of Muslims of every colour and citizenship, and a whole lot with names like 'Bob' and 'Paula'.

No, all they have to do is change their attitude. People wouldn't be so pissed off about all this crap they put us through if only they were polite, respectful and reasonable about it. Things like using the words "please" and "thank you" from time to time, not barking at passengers like a bunch of rabid, blue rottweilers, and acting like they understand that the people they're dealing with are paying customers, not pond-scum or terrorists.

People wouldn't object to the TSA half as much if only they were a bit more professional.

[Diapers4Me]

Humans pretty much all look the same....and these images are not very good....if someone wants to take images of my junk and look at them....LOL...they may feel free to do so. No fear of this in the least bit! I can't imagine how bored the TSA agents get of looking at these images.....ZZZZZZ

[Peed_Piper]

Went through today with no issues...Depends, cotton briefs over that and a pair of plastic pants over that just in case. I was dry today. No issues, all courteous. I have gone through quite wet on fairly recent trips and same, no issues or extra response. Really no big deal, but I spend a lot of time traveling and flying so I am likely jaded and focused on getting through to my plane as rapidly as possible. P_P

[willnotwill]

As a graduate electrical engineer, I'd like to set a couple technical issues straight. The technology they are using is millimeter wave, not x-ray and the biological effects are different due to the extreme difference in frequency/wavelength. The device eminates radio-frequency (RF) energy at you and because it's a millimeter wave, it passes through clothing but is reflected by the water in your skin cells.

Sorry as a engineer you should do some rudimentary research before you post misinformation. There are two types of full body scanners in play. The millimeter wave and x-ray backscatter are competing technologies. Rapiscan (the most common installation in the US) makes both and most of the deployed ones right now are the Rapiscan 1000 X-Ray.

So what about a diaper? If the diaper is dry, I don't see why it would attract much attention, particularly if it is not very large or thick. Certainly you can put a thin one (like Depends) on, go through TSA security and then change to something more effective on the terminal side. If the diaper is wet, I'm certain the wet SAP will reflect the RF energy just like your skin and you will have some explaining to do!

I suppose being poopy is right out.

[Hasen]

My issue is the knee jerk response that set in place the enhanced pat down and scans. There is no data to back the reasoning.

So why not just stop them? Oh the guy who sell the scanners is form TSA.

[LuvsGurl]

Yep, it's all lobbyists and profiteering. Those machines are big money and if you have to have several in every airport in the country it means billions of dollars in someone's pockets. It was the companies that manufacture the machines that convinced the TSA that they were necessary, keeping people safe never figured into it.

In its history of searching airline passengers the TSA has never stopped one single terrorist. The "shoe bomber" got through and the "underwear bomber" wasn't even on an American flight, he came through security in Amsterdam. If the TSA could prove that their methods are actually effective in catching people I wouldn't have a problem with it, but the simple fact of the matter is they are not. That makes what, two failed attacks in 9 years? There are roughly 850,000 flights a month, so in the last 91,800,000 (that's nearly ninety-two MILLION) airline flights terrorists have threatened 2 of them. Considering those numbers, the threat is beyond insignificant. Passengers have a higher chance of being killed in a car crash on the way to the airport. The security measures in place prior to the scanners being implemented were 99.9999999% effective, so why improve on a system that is so nearly perfect?