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National Opt-Out Day Against Virtual Strip Searches

An anonymous reader writes in about a protest called for the busiest airline travel day of the year. "An activist opposed to the new invasive body scanners in use at airports around the country just designated Wednesday, Nov. 24 as a National Opt-Out Day. He's encouraging airline passengers to decline the TSA's technological strip searches en masse on that day as a protest against the scanners, as well as the new 'enhanced pat-downs' inflicted on refuseniks. 'The goal of National Opt-Out Day is to send a message to our lawmakers that we demand change,' reads the call to action at OptOutDay.com, set up by Brian Sodegren. 'No naked body scanners, no government-approved groping. We have a right to privacy, and buying a plane ticket should not mean that we're guilty until proven innocent.' The US Airline Pilots Association and other pilot groups have urged their members to avoid the scanners and have also condemned the new pat-down policy as humiliating to pilots. They've advised pilots who don't feel comfortable undergoing pat-downs in front of passengers to request they be conducted in a private room. Any pilots who don't feel comfortable after undergoing a pat-down have been encouraged to 'call in sick and remove themselves from the trip.'"

7 of 647 comments (clear)

  1. Re:The privacy/security scale tips again. by windcask · · Score: 5, Interesting

    As soon as you provide a list of terrorists discouraged from boarding planes in the first place because of elevated security policies.

  2. Be safer than sorry when it comes to cancer by kaptink · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Why just do this on one day only when you can make this your default choice? I'd rather be safe than sorry when it comes to cancer. And I dont much like being treated like a naughty child by the TSA or whoever either.

    --
    Those who can, do. Those who cannot, sue.
  3. Re:Conservative issue too. by Alioth · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Perhaps the new motto ought to be: Land of the sheep, home of the scared?

    US paranoia has reached an incredible level. Yesterday I was in Madrid Barajas airport to travel to Liverpool, and there were automatic announcements advising passengers should turn up at the gate for US-bound flights an hour and a half before the boarding time of the aircraft to make it though enhanced security. If you have luggage to check I suspect you now have to turn up at the airport 3.5 to 4 hours before the actual departure time for a US bound flight.

  4. HOW TO END TSA NONSENSE AND BE A GOOD AMERICAN! by Greymoon · · Score: 5, Interesting

    When traveling this holiday season, opt out of any porn scanners. Opt out LOUDLY. Say “I OPT OUT” while you smile at the nearest TSA agent. Be polite and move on to step two, the Pat Down. Getting a hand pat down. Teach your children to shout LOUDLY, “STOP TOUCHING ME in a SEXUAL MANNER!”. Adults shout LOUDLY, “Stop TOUCHING ME in a SEXUAL MANNER!”. Smile and be polite as you do this. Children are allowed and encouraged to cry. Video the whole escapade with sound and as clearly as possible. Post to youtube.com Behold the power of the Internet. Game on Janet!

    1. Re:HOW TO END TSA NONSENSE AND BE A GOOD AMERICAN! by grumling · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Put your children in T-shirts that say "The Federal Government is afraid of me" or "The government thinks I'm a terrorist."

      --
      "Well, good luck finding a judge that doesn't run a bestiality site."
  5. Re:Security Theater Showdown by Gordonjcp · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Make it more uncomfortable for him than it is for me. Just some suggestions for those who have to go through this bullshit.

    When you come back from your "pat-down" be sure to tell all the other passengers to ask for *that* particular screener, because he give excellent hand-jobs. See how red you can make him turn.

  6. Re:Flying != basic human right. by burris · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Flying isn't a right but being secure in our persons from unwarranted and intrusive searches is.

    Personally, I would rather fly on an aircraft where I know that everybody, myself included, had been scanned. What about my rights?

    All of the people who have ever died on a plane, from mechanical problems and pilot error as well as terrorism, doesn't even add up to a single years worth of drunk driving fatalities. I would bet that you still willingly get in a private car so you're only fooling yourself. Airline security is already good enough that further encroachments to our actual, enumerated, rights are not necessary.