2 ms·
I too find the domestic TSA photo opt‐out to be quite painless. I recommend simply saying “I’d like to opt out of the photo” as soon as you walk to the platform
by bentley 2y ago
I too find the domestic TSA photo opt‐out to be quite painless. I recommend simply saying “I’d like to opt out of the photo” as soon as you walk to the platform, because saying so as soon as possible minimizes the chance of holding up the line and irritating the agent. The only observable difference in processing is that the agent takes my ID, holds it up, and compares it to my face.
CBP is another matter. When returning from abroad I find their agents to be more aggressive or snarky when I (politely) opt out, although I wouldn’t say it’s gone as far as retaliation. I often get asked why I’m opting out, and sometimes they follow that with additional questions. Several times I’ve received a standard spiel explaining that the photo is not stored permanently or transmitted; the vibe I get is that they’re trained to respond this way to “kooks.”
- JoshTriplett 2y ago9 times out of 10 I've found opting out of the body scanners to be painless. 1 time out of 10 I get a bully who wants to make a scene in order to create social pressure to justify opting out. I always have to suppress the counterproductive and escalatory urge to say something along the lines of "this pointless conversation will be shorter if we skip ahead to where I reiterate that I'm still opting out".
- KAMSPioneer 2y agoCan confirm that CBP is worse about this. I once had an agent insist that it was not possible to opt out, because the scan was mandatory. I pointed out that I had walked past no less than four signs proclaiming the opposite (if you are a US citizen) on my way through the line. _He_ then held up the line as he walked off, consulted with someone who obviously knew better, came back and pouted while he verified my identity "manually."