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> I'd also add that the three worst travel experiences I've ever had were: immigration at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, anything at all London-Heathrow, immi

> I'd also add that the three worst travel experiences I've ever had were: immigration at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, anything at all London-Heathrow, immigration at Toronto Pearson. Funny, my only complaint about Toronto was that the immigration officials tried hard enough to avoid charging me the work permit fee that it wasted a bunch of our time. Best experiences though have been Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Worst experiences have been Houston and JFK NYC. Sea-Tac is ok aside from the body scanners.

brightsize 13y ago
I was surprised that just recently on an in-state flight from Spokane to Sea-tac and back, I did not get scanned at all, I only got the metal detector treatment. I had thought that the gawk-at-you-naked scanners were the default everywhere no matter where you were traveling. I was surprised to find that leaving Tegel in Berlin was easy as can be, short lines, quick trip through the metal detector. The entry process at Sea-Tac was another story though. It took forever. You got grilled, you got the German Shepherd dog sniffing your crotch, and you had to wait for all your bags to be x-rayed. Some of the agents seemed to be behaving in a very rude way, in particular I remember one agent seemingly being a real jerk to some poor old guy who didn't speak English well. I remember thinking how bad an impression of the US that the foreign visitors in line must be forming. I was at that moment embarrassed to be a citizen. [edit: %s/x-ray/metal detector/]
- adammil 13y ago
  Sometimes they randomly open and close security lines between scanners and metal detectors. To avoid the hassle, I pick the lines that are obviously headed to a metal detector. When I opt out, I do it firmly but politely, and never had anyone say something except one time a TSA man said "You know this isn't dangerous radiation, right?" I just said "It doesn't matter. I'm opting out." I always take the pat-down in public and they vary a lot in quality.

brightsize 13y ago

I was surprised that just recently on an in-state flight from Spokane to Sea-tac and back, I did not get scanned at all, I only got the metal detector treatment. I had thought that the gawk-at-you-naked scanners were the default everywhere no matter where you were traveling. I was surprised to find that leaving Tegel in Berlin was easy as can be, short lines, quick trip through the metal detector. The entry process at Sea-Tac was another story though. It took forever. You got grilled, you got the German Shepherd dog sniffing your crotch, and you had to wait for all your bags to be x-rayed. Some of the agents seemed to be behaving in a very rude way, in particular I remember one agent seemingly being a real jerk to some poor old guy who didn't speak English well. I remember thinking how bad an impression of the US that the foreign visitors in line must be forming. I was at that moment embarrassed to be a citizen. [edit: %s/x-ray/metal detector/]

adammil 13y ago
Sometimes they randomly open and close security lines between scanners and metal detectors. To avoid the hassle, I pick the lines that are obviously headed to a metal detector. When I opt out, I do it firmly but politely, and never had anyone say something except one time a TSA man said "You know this isn't dangerous radiation, right?" I just said "It doesn't matter. I'm opting out." I always take the pat-down in public and they vary a lot in quality.