Turn Your Kilt Across Your Tummy

[Deirachel]

From my days working TSA:

1.)

When I was working Hartsfield in Atlanta, I can say, in all honesty, it is an AMOUNT of metal in a single section for most magnetometers (the walk-through metal detectors). There is even a flashing light on the inside of them telling the attendant where the metal is. This amount is set up by a technician (i.e. you can set it to ignore no metal, some metal, or even enough for a firearm if you are stupid). With most setups in the US, jeans, with their copper rivets and zippers, are not enough to set off the machine, but add anything to that (a belt, a penny, even a foiled gum-stick wrapper) and you set it off.

2.)

There is no "judgement calls" to be made in who gets checked. It's a very if, then situation, and one which there is NO leeway. IF the metal detector goes off, then you have to get hand-wanded/patted-down. If a screener doesn't follow the SOP on this, they get fired and possibly charged with a crime. For the full body scanners (Xray type), then it's a threat/no threat if then (same with xrayed bags). Either you see something which is prohibited and/or you can not identify (which MUST then be searched manually) or you don't (grab your stuff and head out). That blob of stuff that you can't tell what it is? Someone has to put hands on or see it directly to identify it. To reduce your chances of getting searched, take off/out as much metal as you can. Gold, lead, and other dense metals make you more likely to get searched (they aren't "see-through"). I always enjoyed the jewelry couriers coming through my lines (and for a while there, they would actually come to find me if they could), because I would see their bags on the X-ray (as pretty much a Rorshach test on the monitor), know what it was, collect the bag, and immediately offer a private search. (Grab a supervisor, and as soon as I'm in the private room, roll up my sleeves if I'm wearing long sleeves, for their benefit...) Got an antique pewter (i.e. leaded) belt plate or kilt pin that your taking? Wear it and put it on the Xray belt by itself. Don't pack it in a carry-on, don't put it in the bin with your computer.

Additionally, people are identified by the computer systems for additional (read the full battery) screening. I can't tell you why (yes, I know why. I can't tell you due to security agreements). It's not the screeners choosing you, though. It's not your race. Again, this isn't a judgement call. If your ticket has the designator on it (I don't know what the current one is), you get searched.

Finally, there are the random checks. At most of the Class X airports, this usually isn't as much a need (as the screeners usually have enough of the set off the alarm or computer says search 'em) during the rush hours (Monday and Tuesday mornings are the weeklies, big holidays can put them to shame though). But, no matter the size of your airport or how busy, there are still random checks. Some screeners are jerks and pick on people they don't like (race, clothing style, attitude...), but most are just trying to do their job and be able to go home at the end of the day to their loved ones. Common methods were random number of people, have the Xray say when, or have the guys hand-wanding pick someone (I'd use the random number method, and have the last person to go for hand-wanding pick it. If the guy that set off the metal detector says 12, then the twelfth person entering the walk-through without anyone else setting off the metal detect gets to get hand-wanded. I didn't pick you, so I can't be faulted for bias.) The point of the random screenings have an official (real: "BS") reason and an unofficial (read: "real") reason. Officially, it's to verify the walk-throughs are working properly. Unofficially, it's to keep the screeners busy. I can attest to this as the teams who had too long of a "break" between hand-wandings got yelled at. As far as I was able to find out, it's because some people hate the idea of a government employee waiting for something to do. Of course, these same people seem to be angry there is not the same employee ready to handle them RIGHT NOW because they are busy with someone else. (These folks also don't really understand anyone sane in a security related job considers their best days to be the one nothing happened. Funny, or weird, is cool; exciting is not as it means something bad happened to someone).