If you're one of the unlucky few selected for a TSA pat-down next time you travel, you may find it a bit more, um, personal than in the past. Embarrassed by reports of weapons sneaking through security checkpoints, the Transportation Security Agency is adopting a more "comprehensive" physical screening policy.
No one is saying just how much more invasive it will be, but it will most likely involve hands in more places than before, possibly involving contact some will consider intimate, according to a recent Bloomberg report.
A new screening policy may also result in more pat-downs, although no one is officially saying so. Airport workers and airline crews, however, have been notified that random pat-downs may be more frequent and more personal.
The change isn't expected to increase overall security delays, although one TSA official said those selected for more complete screenings will lose a bit more time.
TSA policy requires that pat-downs be conducted by a member of the same gender as the traveler, and passengers are allowed to request a private area for the screening and can choose to have a witness present.