"Airport patdown rules changed"

Thursday, December 9, 2004

Airport patdown rules changed
By Bryon Okada
The Fort Worth (TX) Star-Telegram


The Transportation Security Administration will alter its airport checkpoint
patdown procedures beginning Monday, no longer requiring air travelers to
stand arms out, scarecrow-like, during body searches.

Passengers are still subject to searches for explosives hidden around their
genitals, buttocks and -- for women -- breasts. But as soon as torso checks
are finished, passengers will be able to lower their arms for the rest of
the search.

TSA officials said they hope the change will help air travelers feel less
vulnerable, make the patdowns appear less police-like and halt a growing
public outcry over a security procedure many find humiliating.

"Standing with arms out made passengers feel uncomfortable," TSA spokeswoman
Andrea McCauley said. "It's also a physical issue for some passengers, who
find it difficult to hold their arms up for an extended period of time."

TSA officials confirmed that the procedural change is in direct response to
growing criticism.

Most complaints are from women, many of whom object to a search of the bra
underwire under their breasts. (TSA screeners in Atlantic City found a
penknife concealed next to a passenger's underwire on Thanksgiving.)

Since the TSA started the patdowns in September, the agency has received 10
to 12 weekly complaints nationwide. As of this week, there were only three
complaints from passengers at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, including one from
a husband calling on behalf of his wife.

During the holidays, people who fly infrequently join business fliers and
other seasoned travelers, and criticism has become more vocal.

The goal of the patdowns is to increase screening for explosives and
coincides with stricter screening of carry-on bags, said Jeffrey Tyler,
TSA's training coordinator at D/FW Airport.

If screeners do the job right, passengers should know exactly what will be
done during the patdown, see a quick demonstration of what the screener will
touch and, if asked, told why the patdown is necessary, Tyler said.

The patdown was prompted by 9-11 Commission recommendations and the August
bombing of two Russian jets by Chechen terrorists, in which 90 people were
killed. The terrorists were two women believed to have concealed explosives
on their bodies.

Screeners are trained to look for body language -- winces, grimaces, tense
looks, staring off into space -- to assess passengers' comfort levels, TSA
supervisor Erin Macchia said.

In such cases, a private screening out of the public's sight should be
offered.

Screening must take place -- buying a ticket and walking through the metal
detector implies consent to the procedure should an alarm sound.

Being flagged by a passenger profiling computer system at the ticket counter
will also lead to a patdown. Look for an obvious "SSSSS" code on your
boarding pass.

When complaints occur, it's almost always because a screener did not explain
the situation clearly -- possibly indicating a need for more training, Tyler
said.


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