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Melbourne International terminal Scanner
Just popped over to NZ for a few days to see relatives. Had to go through a new (to me) scanner. It has two settings, male or female. So as I was going female , the scanner showed up an anomaly in the crutch area. I was immediately wisked into a room by two security women where I was asked to consent to a frisk search ( pat down)
As she started up the inside leg I asked if she understood what she was dealing with, at the moment she reached the top of my inner leg, I mentioned that I was transgender. Poor lady went bright red and apologised profusely.
We had a good laugh and then a little discussion, they have no training re transgender people and on the female setting the scanner will show up the boy bits as an anomaly and on male setting it would apparently show up breasts as an anomaly. -
8 Replies
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Hi
Glad that it turned out well Vicky. It is good to know that there is a M and F setting.
Just wondering how this would have ended in the US?Juliette
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An interesting post Vicky and timely. I’m flying to the US next month and toying with flying back femme.
I wonder what a better solution is for both security and us. Any thoughts?
Michelle -
I fly quite a bit to ‘unusual places’ and you have to be prepared for ‘special treatment’ when flying international. Although it can be quite embarrassing to be picked out of the crowd I think it helps to remember two things:
a) the security staff are only doing their job. And in many airports round the world the threat of them encountering someone with explosives or a weapon strapped to their body is more real than it is in Adelaide.
b) you are traveling presenting the way you do because that is the real you. Any inconvenience you may experience is minor compared to the discomfort of having to pretend to be someone you are not.The introduction of full body scanners was discussed previously in this thread:
http://forum.tgr.net.au/cms/forum/F171/5210-full-body-scanning-at-airports
In that thread it suggested that:Quote:10.10 Transgender and intersex communities
Any unknown object on the body will show up on a scan as an item that requires additional screening. If further screening such as a frisk search is required following a scan, passengers will always be offered the use of a private screening room. It may also be appropriate for transgender passengers to choose at the time whether they are more comfortable with a female or male screening officer conducting their frisk search.I can confirm from my personal experience that you won’t find such an enlightened approach as you fly round the world. In general an alert from the machine because you don’t match the selected body type (male or female) will result in a full body search in public. Personally I’d rather have a guy discovering my boobs than a lady groping in my groin…. so I’m comfortable in insisting that they treat me according to my biological sex (and what is printed on my passport) – not how I present.
On a recent extended holiday I attracted 4 or 5 body searches which is good. It shows that the security staff are doing their job well. The most awkward search was at Istanbul Airport (subject to a terrorist attack only weeks before). A body search found my bra straps and the guy was obviously concerned that I had explosives strapped to my chest. That lead to a more detailed search (held in private) which I guess was just as embarrassing for the security officers as it was for me. When I flew through the airport again a few weeks later I just got a smile from the same guy and pleasant greeting!
So my answer to the question…
Quote:I wonder what a better solution is for both security and usI think there is nothing badly wrong with the current scanners – given that they scan based on biologic sex (not gender). Think through what your attitude is to your biological sex and gender presentation in advance. Don’t be nervous, don’t make an necessary fuss, and enjoy your flight.
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Hi Michelle
What Adrian has said is spot on, go with what you are comfortable with, for me it was all a bit of a laugh, the security staff were very friendly as soon as they understood what they were dealing with. I was happy with the female staff as all my identification now shows as female. I would personally be careful going to the USA as I’m sure they will be on a much heightened security status than we are here at Melbourne
Good luck with your trip -
Hi everyone,
I did a trip to to the US and Canada last year and given I’m just a broken down old CD, never even thought about wearing anything female going through the airports.
But as Adrian says, if all your ID is female, then go with it. Just allow plenty of extra time for your flights.
Why? Cos if you even sneeze the wrong way going through security, especially in the US, you WILL attract attention.
Hell!! 20 years ago I parked in the wrong lane at the border on a car trip from Toronto down to Buffalo, even back then it attracted a car search and a “special” stamp in my passport.
The Canadians, God bless ’em are a bit more relaxed, but if presenting as your female self, you may still end up in that “private room”.
Caty
PS. On a slightly different note. Not long after the 2001 NY terrorist attacks, I’d temporarily “signed the pledge” for Caty and did a couple of trips to the US sans anything female. Just as well!. Take too long to explain why here, but on three occasions my luggage was searched down to the last set of “socks and jocks!”
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Thanks to all for your thoughts. All my IDs are in my male name (and no thought of changing) so an added complexity. I’ll likely stick to domestic flying but dare to dream.
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On the closely related topic of pat downs after a scan anomaly, the USA has just announced it is going to get a lot more “touchy”.
Here is a report from http://www.traveller.com.au
US airport security pat-downs are about to get even more invasive
Quote:While few have noticed, US airport security workers long had the option of using five different types of physical pat-downs at the screening line. Now, those have been eliminated, replaced instead with one universal approach. And this time, you will notice.The new physical touching-for those selected to have a pat-down-will be more invasive in what the federal agency describes as a more “comprehensive” physical screening, according to a Transportation Security Administration spokesman.
Quote:While passengers may find the process more intrusive than before, the new screening procedure isn’t expected to increase overall airport security delays. However, “for the person who gets the pat down, it will slow them down,” Anderson said.Quote:TSA officials didn’t immediately address whether the new universal pat-down protocol will mandate touching of passenger genitals. -
So pleased I did my first trip to the US since 2003 last year and that it will, (family emergencies in that country notwithstanding), my last.
Caty
