Is It Possible To Opt Out Of Airport Security Machines And Ask For A Manual Check?

[annie0000]

My OH is extremely sensitive to xrays (e.g. dental xrays) and some other things (including chemicals, perfumes and dyes) - they make him feel all "buzzy" and unwell for days afterwards.

We've just been abroad on holiday, he was fine with the security walk through on the way out, but on the way back it must have been different types of machines and he has been unwell for a week.

Anyway we loved the place we went to and were planning on going back, now he is saying he doesn't think he can as he is still feeling ill.

There is nothing that he has been diagnosed with so wouldn't have a doctors letter or anything.

Does anyone know if you can simply ask to be hand scanned or body searched instead of walking through the scanner?

[sunny-dave]

The security arches are *not* x-ray machines - that would be horribly unsafe for pregnant women and children - only baggage is x-rayed.

The arches are just simple metal detectors (http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/airport-security3.htm) - they don't penetrate the body and are imperceptible to human senses - no-one has ever been able to tell whether a scanner is on or off by walking through in controlled trials.

You may find a friendly security operative will agree to hand search instead - but unless you have one of a very limited number of external heart regulating devices you won't be able to insist.

[sunny-dave]

http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/airport-security3.htm

[annie0000]

Thanks Dave, yes I was aware that they were magnetrons or something rather than xrays but wasn't sure how to describe that and he is sensitive to xrays regardless.

He can definitely tell the difference, he came through the machine, started scratching at his head and was chalk white - it was Turkey so you have to go through security twice as well, which probably didn't help.

That was a week ago and he is still not feeling well.

I was looking forward to going back too :(

[sunny-dave]

That's a shame - particularly if the problems are at the foreign end, where explaining and asking politely for a hand search may be more difficult.

[annie0000]

Thanks for that link, reading the info, I am now wondering whether he would actually be better "accidentally" having a piece of metal on him that would deflect the rays - or maybe I am tired and not reading it right.

[annie0000]

yes, that was what I was thinking re trying to explain - i wonder if there is a condition he could claim to have that would be easily understood and be common enough for them to not query and simply give him a hand search instead?

[sunny-dave]

I always seem to ping the things - it was a packet of mints in a foil wrapper that I missed last time :(

[annie0000]

presumably the machines are of a different type in the other airport - I set them off both times at the foreign end though I was wearing pretty much the same outfit coming home as I was going out (we had a washing machine). The whole family was also "randomly" pulled out the queue for boarding and made to switch on all our appliances and have yet another (in my case) body search....and when we picked up our cases, one had certainly been opened and the address tag was missing. Of course it had to be the case containing the dirty washing, not the one that was full of clean stuff!

[237SJ]

Tell him to say that he has a pacemaker fitted

[ivor4781]

"I am now wondering whether he would actually be better "accidentally" having a piece of metal on him that would deflect the rays -!
annie0000, what do you think your going through a scanner for ? its to find metal objects,and if he did this he would be stopped searched and would have to go through the scanner AGAIN

[ivor4781]

as an add on i doubt very much your husbands illness has anything to do with airport security,more likely some bug he got earler

[Maydup]

I wondered if he might just be suffering from post air travel malaise? Its very common, I usually get it too.

[annie0000]

Thanks guys, but no, they don't make you go back through if you set it off, you just get a hand search - i had two!

This isn't something that has happened for the first time and could be something else entirely i.e. post holiday infection etc., he has had these issues for over 10 years now. He has been for tests and they haven't found anything, but his symptoms have lessened as we've learned to avoid the triggers. I have contemplated that it is maybe all in his head, but the physical symptoms are very real, you can actually see him change colour - it seems to effect one side more than another, so for example if he wears a tshirt that doesn't agree with him, one hand and arm goes very pale and he gets a buzzy feeling and ringing in his ears and when he takes it off, he returns to normal. He cannot have dental xrays and sometimes finds that sleeping with his head next to a wall can effect him too.

Its a bit of a nightmare really.

Thanks for the tip about the pacemaker though, i'l look into that and see if that might be something valid to try.

We are honestly not terrorists or smugglers, just a normal family trying to have a holiday :)

[annie0000]

Just googled, If you have a pacemaker with metal in it, you are issued with a card to show security, so that looks like it wont be an option sadly.

[ivor4781]

ive never seen anyone NOT go through again when stopped and searched me included

[annie0000]

well I am not lying ivor :) i regularly bleep and get searched and I've rarely been sent back through. I think as a woman though they identify that you are wearing a bra from the search and presume it's the wires or hooks maybe and therefore there is no point sending you back through?

[annie0000]

I say rarely because if I really think hard, I think I might have gone back through it but that would be a long time ago and I can't really remember so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt...

[Maydup]

That's it then, put a bra on him!

Sorry annie, you walked right into that one.

[annie0000]

Ha ha - that's a good idea Maydup :)