AN AIRLINE CAPT PASSING THROUGH THE SECURITY GATE WAS CHALLENGED BY THE ALARM BEING TRIGGERED. HE CITES A TOO HIGH SENSITIVITY SETTING AND POOR TRAINING OF THE OPERATORS WITH AN ATTEMPTED HAND SEARCH OF HIS PERSON AT MIA; FL.

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I NEEDED TO BE SEARCHED AT SECURITY AGAIN. AGAIN THE SCREENER DID NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF A PVT SEARCH. I HAD TO MAKE THIS KNOWN AND THEN SEEK OUT THE SUPVR TO GET THIS SEARCH DONE. SUPVR AGREED AND ENTERED THE PRIVACY 'BOOTH.' I FOLLOWED TO FIND IT FULL OF EQUIP WITH NO ROOM FOR ME TO ENTER BEYOND THE OPENING. THERE WERE NO OTHER OBSERVERS PRESENT. AND BY ENTERING FIRST; SHE HAD ANY SMALL AMOUNT OF PRIVACY AFFORDED RATHER THAN I. SHE INDICATED FOR ME TO RAISE MY ARMS FOR THE SEARCH. I QUESTIONED THAT SHE WAS CONSIDERING A CONTACT FRISK. I HAD TO TELL HER SHE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH ME BUT ONLY USE A WAND. SHE THEN TOLD ME THEY DID NOT HAVE A WAND. THINKING I MUST HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD THIS; I CONFIRMED SHE WAS SAYING SHE DID NOT HAVE A WAND AT THE STATION. CONFIRMED; I TOLD HER SHE STILL DID NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO TOUCH ME AND I WOULD GO TO OTHER CONCOURSE IF I COULD NOT HAVE A PROPER SEARCH THERE. SHE DID NOT DISAGREE. I LEFT THE BOOTH AND WENT BACK THROUGH THE ARCH. AT THIS POINT SHE REACHED FOR MY LUGGAGE AND KIT BAG; TELLING ME TO LEAVE IT THERE. I TOLD HER I WAS NOT ABOUT TO LEAVE MY EQUIP UNSECURED BUT WOULD TAKE IT WITH ME. SHE DID NOT OBJECT. ALL OF THIS WAS IN FULL VIEW OF SEVERAL PAX AND CREW WHO COULD NOT AVOID SENSING SOMETHING WAS WRONG AS YOU MUST LEAVE THE AREA THROUGH THE ARCH AND AGAINST THE FLOW. I ALSO WAS ABLE TO AGAIN PASS OTHER SECURITY IN THE SAME EXACT STATE I WAS STOPPED AT FIRST LOCATION; BUT WITH NO ALARMS BEING TRIGGERED. GIVEN THE DEMONSTRATED LACK OF PROC BY THE PERSONNEL AT ORIGINAL CONCOURSE; PERHAPS THEY ARE COMPENSATING BY HAVING WHAT EQUIP THEY DO HAVE SET AT TOO SENSITIVE A LEVEL. THIS ASSUMES THEY ARE AT LEAST OPERATING THE EQUIP CORRECTLY. I FIND IT SURPRISING THAT NOT ONLY IS SOME EQUIP MISSING; BUT THAT SUPVRS ARE NOT AWARE OF THE PROPER PROCS FOR CONDUCTING A SEARCH. GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER SCREENINGS; I WOULD SUGGEST IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY THAT CONCOURSE PERSONNEL BE BETTER TRAINED AND EQUIPPED.