anyone have experience w/ children and the new body scanners?

[Beccabunny]

Whoa there! We have these despicable gropes going onbecause of two MEN . . . one tried to explode his shoes and the other tried to explode his underpants.

You really OK with telling your kids that everyone is a suspect and has to be felt up all over by people in uniforms? just

I suspect there are plenty of people who are not willing to give up their Disney vacation, even if it means their young children have to be groped by strangers.

We'll be driving.

 

[Hannathy]

I suspect there are plenty of people who are not willing to give up their Disney vacation, even if it means their young children have to be groped by strangers.

We'll be driving.

you have that right! I'm not giving up flying, they can grope away. Me, kids, dog, I don't care. They can also look at me anonymously in the scanner cause they aren't going to see anything they haven't seen 1,000 before and better.

 

[tinkerbellandeyor]

What about pregnet women the radion has to hurt the unborn or even worse kill it

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

you have that right! I'm not giving up flying, they can grope away. Me, kids, dog, I don't care. They can also look at me anonymously in the scanner cause they aren't going to see anything they haven't seen 1,000 before and better.

I agree!

And it is not like a body cavity search which would be a violation - it is a pat down - not groping.

 

[maxiesmom]

What about pregnet women the radion has to hurt the unborn or even worse kill it

Nope. You get a lot more radiation from the actual flight. So if flying itself doesn't worry you, the scan shouldn't either. But you can always opt out of the scan and have the pat down instead. That is, if you are one of the few people chosen at random for the scan. Not everyone has to have it.

 

[SAGE]

There are two different types of machines, from what I could find out yesterday. The one using backscatter is what you describe.

The one I went through in Detroit uses another type of technology, millimeter wave technology. It has the whirling doors and the two sets of footprints. It would be way too many instructions for a small child, or a child with a language delay. I can also see it being a problem for some children with autism, despite all the preparations.

I also wonder even if the millimeter machine would be safe for a toddler. My sense of it was the doors actually whirled around me temporarily closing the opening. Not sure what would happen if a child tried to run out....I'm wondering if they could be crushed by the whirling door.

I'm a little worried about this... DS with ASD is verbal BUT rapid instructions will confuse him - "turn left, turn right" etc. He isn't a small child either - young adult who could appear very stress and flustered. (That would go over well!!)

 

[padawans]

The risk from the radiation is to your skin. It may increase your chances of skin cancer. Its not the same kind of radiation your exposed to from flying. Any kind of radiation is bad especially if you are exposed to it daily. If this doesn't concern you it should.

 

[hmp2z]

I read this on the Cruise Critic website about a family's recent experience with the whole body scanners and "enhanced" pat-down. Which is worse: allowing your child to be photographed naked, or allowing him or her to have their groin rubbed twice, palm facing the groin? If interested here is the link and the relevant post: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1306241

November 8th, 2010, 04:30 PM
fatcat04
Cool Cruiser Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 541



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well.. I hate to say it but we actually canceled our air travel to FLL and Port Everglades due to what we experienced on our flight last week. We will make the 15 hour drive rather than risk the possibility that we will be subjected to what happened to us again. Some may malign our choice and say "this is just the price of air security today" but in the end, we are responsible for our child and we made this decision together as parents.

As to what happened. We were flying from Nashville to Orlando to go to Disney for my son's birthday. My son is 9 years old. Nashville has installed the new backscatter scanners, aka "naked" scanners. Now I am not a modest person and for me myself I don't care. To be honest, I had not given it much thought. We were given no option to opt out of the scans that I could see, no signage or instructions. I later found out you can opt out and choose the pat down instead. Well, we all three went through the machine. Husband and I were fine. They scanned the kid and then informed us they had to pat him down. I asked why, they said he moved. So I am thinking run of the mill pat down, wand over his body and light touch. He is 9 years old for the love of Pete but that was not the case. Had anyone but a physician doing a necessary medical exam touched my child in the places the TSA agent put his hands, I would have filed charges. He groped the inside of his legs and touched his genitals. He put his hands around my son's neck in a choking position, felt all the way down his chest area and his buttocks. He placed his hands inside my son's pants waist band and felt around his waist. The agent was loud and intimidating even for me, a 36 year old women. He barked at him to "hold up your pants" and "spread your legs, shoulder width." All I could think was my son looked like he was being frisked and how humiliating this was for him to be stared at by everyone as they passed by us. Now, this whole scenario was out in the open, we were not given the option of privacy. My son was scared and humiliated. I am not a momma hen or a wacko and we fly regularly and have never minded the security measures needed but this was a shocking experience. Shocking enough for us to forgo air travel (which we have always loved) until these new security rules change and come closer to something akin to reason.

And yes, we have contacted the authorities and other to complain about this situation. We also contacted the airline to tell them why we were cancelling and to let them know that these kinds of things will impact their business. To each his own and all are free to travel as they like but I am not convinced treating my child like a prison inmate progressed the cause of national security one iota.

 

[eliza61]

I'm a little worried about this... DS with ASD is verbal BUT rapid instructions will confuse him - "turn left, turn right" etc. He isn't a small child either - young adult who could appear very stress and flustered. (That would go over well!!)

sage,
I would simply try to practice a little with him and ask to see a tsa supervisor. Contrary to what you read, millions of people are going through the scanners without nary a problem and thousands of people are not
being thrown to ground and molested by TSA agents.

There are a few agents who are not child pedophiles (in fact the vast majority) and believe it or not, I've talk with a few tsa agents on my weekly flights and **gasp*** they even have kids and a family. Guess what they manage to smile at a few kids and say thank you , good morning and have a nice flight. Many are getting very pissed that every one seems to think they are the "Dark lord" from Harry Potter ready to send death eaters to every passenger.

 

[eliza61]

I read this on the Cruise Critic website about a family's recent experience with the whole body scanners and "enhanced" pat-down. Which is worse: allowing your child to be photographed naked, or allowing him or her to have their groin rubbed twice, palm facing the groin? If interested here is the link and the relevant post: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1306241

November 8th, 2010, 04:30 PM
fatcat04
Cool Cruiser Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 541



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well.. I hate to say it but we actually canceled our air travel to FLL and Port Everglades due to what we experienced on our flight last week. We will make the 15 hour drive rather than risk the possibility that we will be subjected to what happened to us again. Some may malign our choice and say "this is just the price of air security today" but in the end, we are responsible for our child and we made this decision together as parents.

As to what happened. We were flying from Nashville to Orlando to go to Disney for my son's birthday. My son is 9 years old. Nashville has installed the new backscatter scanners, aka "naked" scanners. Now I am not a modest person and for me myself I don't care. To be honest, I had not given it much thought. We were given no option to opt out of the scans that I could see, no signage or instructions. I later found out you can opt out and choose the pat down instead. Well, we all three went through the machine. Husband and I were fine. They scanned the kid and then informed us they had to pat him down. I asked why, they said he moved. So I am thinking run of the mill pat down, wand over his body and light touch. He is 9 years old for the love of Pete but that was not the case. Had anyone but a physician doing a necessary medical exam touched my child in the places the TSA agent put his hands, I would have filed charges. He groped the inside of his legs and touched his genitals. He put his hands around my son's neck in a choking position, felt all the way down his chest area and his buttocks. He placed his hands inside my son's pants waist band and felt around his waist. The agent was loud and intimidating even for me, a 36 year old women. He barked at him to "hold up your pants" and "spread your legs, shoulder width." All I could think was my son looked like he was being frisked and how humiliating this was for him to be stared at by everyone as they passed by us. Now, this whole scenario was out in the open, we were not given the option of privacy. My son was scared and humiliated. I am not a momma hen or a wacko and we fly regularly and have never minded the security measures needed but this was a shocking experience. Shocking enough for us to forgo air travel (which we have always loved) until these new security rules change and come closer to something akin to reason.

And yes, we have contacted the authorities and other to complain about this situation. We also contacted the airline to tell them why we were cancelling and to let them know that these kinds of things will impact their business. To each his own and all are free to travel as they like but I am not convinced treating my child like a prison inmate progressed the cause of national security one iota.

Just wondering are you going to post the 20 other answers that said that they had absolutely no problem what so ever outside of inconvenience.

See this is the problem, every one is posting the "I was molested by the TSA" agent and the 100's of other "it was a non issue event" get drowned out.

No it does not make the event any more justifyable but it also doesn;t mean it's rampant.

Listen,
Bottom line:
Fly if you want to
don't fly if you want to.
your choice.

 

[CPT Tripss]

I agree!

And it is not like a body cavity search which would be a violation - it is a pat down - not groping.

What do you call it when another person touches your ***** (or your husband's if you are a woman) through your pants and then grasps your testicles?

I call that a grope.

Will you be OK with a cavity search after the rectum bomber makes his attempt?

 

[disneyfan55]

Nope. You get a lot more radiation from the actual flight. So if flying itself doesn't worry you, the scan shouldn't either. But you can always opt out of the scan and have the pat down instead. That is, if you are one of the few people chosen at random for the scan. Not everyone has to have it.

It's not just the medical reasons. It's privacy. Basically stripped down so someone can view in another room. Not everyone yet is my guess when these machines replace the regular metal detectors

 

[disneyfan55]

What do you call it when another person touches your ***** (or your husband's if you are a woman) through your pants and then grasps your testicles?

I call that a grope.

Will you be OK with a cavity search after the rectum bomber makes his attempt?

Who knows what will be next. Who would have ever thought that this would be the procedure. Sickening. Yes, I agree it is groping. What about innocent children? They have no say in this if parents allow it. I would never fly with kids knowing one of these 2 searches could happen. At least adults know the deal and go though it.

 

[goofy4tink]

This thread, as well as others like it, are serving no purpose anymore. There is only arguing going back and forth. Nothing is being accomplished. So, it's done.