Commuting/Jumpseating not in uniform
 

Obviously the liquids/food rules apply but I didn't know we were required to be screened in the cancer tubes. I always used to go through the regular metal detector with my airline employee id in what this referred to as "civies." Is this new? Wasn't going to argue with Mr TSA but I told him I thought he was wrong about that.

Yes it's the norm unfortunately. If you're not in uniform you don't get any special treatments.

If there's one thing standard about the tsa is that there's no standardization.

Depends, I j/s out of LAX last year with my family. I was not in uniform, they let me pass with all my liquid and gel.

Every TSA agent is assigned a set of rules to follow at the beginning of each shift that will normally differ from that of the previous day.

If your FOM permits business casual for positioning flights, you ARE in uniform. Get a supervisor, and offer to show them the text in the manual. If all else fails the phrase "Opt Out" will get permit you to bypass the electronic security theater for a good old "hands on" session.

Just do the screening and get over it. You think sitting next to 5 CRTs, multiple high strength antennas, and 5 TRUs at 30000ft doesn't expose you to radiation?

The lack of standardization with TSA is annoying, but bottom-line is regardless of your FOM, it's a security checkpoint. I'm sure you can fill in the blanks.

I disagree with 9easy, do everything you can to avoid any extra radiation for the reason he stated. You only live once, and those machines are very new and many say are no healthy at all.


Just opt out and get the feel up, its what I do. They want to pat me down, go for it. Better than the nakey cancer machine.

Well supposedly they are phasing out these machines and moving to smaller airports(not much help to commuter/regional pilots).

TSA quietly removing some full body scanners - CBS News

Its not so much an issue of radiation, its having to now take your belt off and everything outof your pockets (boarding pass, wallet, etc) when you normally wouldn't have to.

Not wanting to be "that guy", but it might not be such a good idea to give would be terrorists a road map to sneak stuff into the airport on an open forum. I'd hate to lose the few "privileges" we have with the Smurf Police. Just saying. The first time someone dresses as a pilot and tries to get in, we'll be back in the long line with everyone else.

LOL

So true. Pick your battles people. It's really pathetic how uptight people get about walking through a sensor.

I always feel the need to tell them just how much I enjoy the hands-on pat down when receiving such pleasure.

Old news, most airports have completely removed the backscatter xray machines and instead are using the mm wave "tubes." I know ORD has completely removed all the BS xray machines and have mm wave.

Few weeks ago commuting in uniform TSA asked me for a boarding pass.
Not only that, they also checked for liquids in my roller bag, they told because I'm not "on duty" I am not exempt from the 3-1-1 rule.
I asked for the supervisor, his answer was "you are not on duty, no exemptions".
File a report with tsa online, the manager called me and told the supervisor was doing his job.

The funny thing, Ive been commuting from this airport for 3 years and never had any problem. TSA bunch of m......... .

... And the trip home...?

How did they know you weren't on duty?

CRT's yes. remember how they told us not to sit right in front the (old CRT) TV when we were kids? They were right...thoise things leak low-level x-rays. The older the design, the more likely it is to be a hazard. If you gotta fly an old plane, pick one with steam gauges :D

Antennas should be sufficiently attenuated by the hull. The radar is the freq you need to worry about, hopefully there's not much of a back lobe getting through.

TRU's (and all the onboard electrical powers systems) are far too low frequency and voltage to be a hazard in the known dielectrical-thermal realm. If you want to be concerned with non-thermal health risks...well that borders on tin-foil hat paranoia (in which case the tin-foil hat might help).

Buzzing around in the flight levels for decades will give you a small, barely measurable but nonetheless real increase in cancer risk. If you can avoid big solar flare days, do so.

I was wondering that as well. Tsa never ask me anything while in uniform. Sometimes out of uniform they ask if I have a ticket or jumpseating. Where were you flying out of ?

1. Wear your uniform.
2. Go through security.
3. Find a family bathroom.
4. Change clothes.

Anytime you are commuting to/from work in uniform, you are on duty as far as the TSA is concerned. The end.

I was at the JB terminal, my uniform is black not blue, so they knew I was a commuter. But I went thru the same checkpoint many times after that, and like the last 2 years no problem.

TSA the biggest bunch of morons on the planet. Until they start monitoring themselves for criminal behavior and some consistency. They have and will always be idiots.

Unfortunately when dealing with morons, prepare for the worse and hope for the best when it comes to dealing with them...

Good info, thanks for posting.

If I'm in uniform with medical, company ID, etc. what difference does it make to TSA if I'm on duty or not?

What difference does it make if your shampoo is 3.3 ounces or 3.4 ounces? They're mindless drones who only follow rules. The problem is that there's no standardized rule book, so they all make it up as they go.