Very Anxious About Body Scanners At Airports

[ptsdkate]

I'm flying tomorrow, alone. I haven't flown since they added the backscatter radiation body scanners to our airport. I've been feeling more and more anxious about having to go through the scanner, and have strangers see my virtual naked body. I'm also intensely anxious about being selected for a pat-down.

I have really big issues with being touched by a stranger. Flying has always been a trigger for me, simply because of the prospect of sitting so close to a stranger for several hours. I haven't really had to deal with that for the last 15 years, since I got married. If I flew, he flew, and he sat in the "buffer seat." Problem solved.

But tomorrow, I have to sit right up against a stranger, no buffer husband. I have to go through a scanner and allow a stranger's eyes to see parts of my body that no one but my husband sees. And most intimidating of all, I could potentially get fondled by a stranger in a pat-down.

Help! How do I get past this fear? I want to be as nonchalant as any other flyer. Why am I feeling SO stressed about this? :(

 

[cherryblossom]

I can understand you would be stressed. When you check in, perhaps you could ask for an aisle seat, so you don't feel hemmed in. Or maybe a spce with extra leg room so you don't feel so close to the person next to you. What about asking for an upgrade? If you don't ask you don't get. I've asked plenty of times - it has only worked once - but might be worth a go?!

I don't really know how the body scanner procedure works, but perhaps having them 'see' you in the body scanner will mean that they won't need to pat you down. Try not to worry about them seeing images of you. They will have been doing it long enough not to be looking at you in a sexual way. Just as doctors and Gynae specialists have 'seen it all before'. Also, if your a woman, don't they have a woman 'pat you down'? If not, I'm sure you could ask for a woman, if that would make things easier. You can always state it's for religious reasons

You say that you could be "fondled by a stranger" - please remember this is not what they are doing. They are not fondling you for any sexual pleasure, they are patting you down for safety reasons.

I don't know if any of that helps, but I wish you a safe trip, and peace of mind.

 

[ptsdkate]

Thanks, cherryblossom, for your reassurance. I did read it before I left, but didn't have time to reply.

I'm back from the trip, and it went okay, except for the last leg of the flight. I found a checkpoint that didn't have a body scanner, and the airport at my destination didn't have one, so that was a non-issue. No patdowns or anything. On both legs of the first flight, there was an empty seat between me and the next person, so that was no problem. And on the flight back, the first leg was next to a young mother and her infant, so I had no problem sitting right up against them - the baby was charming.

The last leg of the return flight was a bit difficult for me - I had a window seat, and the center seat was occupied by a rather large man (body-building large, and very tall), and so it felt very tight. I had a hard time coping with the closeness of that man, although he barely acknowledged my presence, so it's not like he was acting aggressive or anything. Poor guy, he couldn't help invading my space - there was nowhere else for his body to go! (They really need to make airline seats a bit bigger - it must be terrible to be a big guy in a tiny seat.) But it still felt too much like I was trapped by him. I had a glass of wine, which helped me to relax. But I sure was glad to get off of that airplane! :)

 

[cherryblossom]

Well done Kate - you made it through!!

Don't worry about not having time to reply before you left - not a problem.

Air-plane seats are very small - I'm quite a 'big lady', so my heart goes out to the 'big man'. It's very uncomfortable trying not to encroach on another person's space in that situation.

Anyway - glad the flights went reasonably ok - I hope you had a good trip between the flights

 

[Xibalba]

If you fly a lot, try seatguru.com. It's a website where you plug in your airline and flight number, and it shows you the seating chart for the specific airplane you will be on, so when you book your flight you can be sure to get an aisle seat.

Many airports haven't installed the backscatter machines yet, so you still just go through normal metal detectors, and don't have to get touched if you are sure to take everything out of your pockets, belt off, shoes, no metal, etc. As for the full body scan machines, I found that since the machine just looks like you are standing facing a blue wall, and there's no one nearby with a monitor (the operators are typically in another room, or upstairs somewhere) it's almost like no one is there. It's kind of like those dressing rooms that have signs saying you are being monitored, but since you don't see anyone, you don't care. Well, at least I don't... depends on your issues, of course.

I did fly through Panama, and they force EVERYONE to get a pat-down before boarding the plane. (I forget which airline it was, I think Copa or Taca.) Strange thing, they only hire these young, tiny women to do the pat-downs, and dress them in cutesy golf shirts and black jeans. I think a few heterosexual men went back for a second examination, but if you wanted a male examiner you were out of luck. I guess they think by hiring young, pretty girls, no one will complain.

 

[catjudo]

It's kind of like those dressing rooms that have signs saying you are being monitored, but since you don't see anyone, you don't care.

Dressing room monitors/videos mean that they are watching you enter and exit the dressing room (make sure you come back out with the same amount of stuff you went in with...not hiding something under your clothes, etc). They do not and can not actually watch you while you're in the dressing room changing clothes.

 

[KP the nut]

Kate, I'm so pleased your flight went better than expected. It is often the way. In our minds we build up the worst scenario and rarely is it like that.

It was a huge achievement for you, I hope you rewarded yourself.

Take care
KP

 

[Xibalba]

Dressing room monitors/videos mean that they are watching you enter and exit the dressing room (make sure you come back out with the same amount of stuff you went in with...not hiding something under your clothes, etc). They do not and can not actually watch you while you're in the dressing room changing clothes.

Hah, is that true? Why do they always say "you are being observed by a male attendant" or somesuch nonsense then. I never knew that. I thought I've seen those closed circuit camera shows that show people stuffing clothes under their other clothes while in the dressing room, but maybe that was outside the dressing room... I don't remember. It certainly doesn't SEEM legal. I am gullible.