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I opt out mostly to make it as difficult for the screener as possible, not because I think it's particularly less of a violation of my privacy to get my nuts fe
by rdl 13y ago
I opt out mostly to make it as difficult for the screener as possible, not because I think it's particularly less of a violation of my privacy to get my nuts felt up vs. irradiated with low power mm wave. (if there were a "you can have a copy of your own scan" machine, I'd probably voluntarily go through mm wave for fun).
If people opt out, it 1) ties up a TSA agent 2) makes a TSA agent do something moderately unpleasant 3) serves as an example for others in the screening line 4) makes me feel like I'm doing something. OTOH I mostly just don't fly unless it's >800 miles.
I've always had the TSA people screening me be unfailingly polite, if a bit incompetent (not running me through the magnetometer if they're doing a hand screening actually lowers overall security vs. weapons; it wouldn't be terribly difficult to get a disassembled handgun through the hand screening.)
I used to work on military bases with a much more invasive screening (for vehicles; I was exempt personally but my vehicle wasn't). There, there was mostly a legitimate threat (although the biggest screening was in Kuwait, which had ~no risk; it was just a way to keep their combat zone pay. In Iraq, they just asked me to unload my weapon before walking on base, and in 2003/2004, just being white was enough to get on base, no ID needed.)
- einhverfr 13y ago> I've always had the TSA people screening me be unfailingly polite, if a bit incompetent (not running me through the magnetometer if they're doing a hand screening actually lowers overall security vs. weapons; it wouldn't be terribly difficult to get a disassembled handgun through the hand screening.) I have been arguing this for a long time. The removal of magnetometers is a very bad thing security-wise. I am not opposed to the use of bodyscanners where there is reasonable suspicion, but the idea that we virtually strip search everyone and omit the magentometers is just asking for trouble.
- peeters 13y ago> If people opt out, it 1) ties up a TSA agent Isn't this something that doesn't scale then? Author of this post is complaining of being "defeated" because no agent came to give him his pat down. What if it just so happens that a few people had opted out in a short window, and so their pat down guy was tied up? The more people follow this example on a given day, the longer your wait for the pat down will be.
- rdl 13y agoIt depends -- if you are in a hurry, it's going to hurt you more than it hurts TSA, but otherwise, it probably bothers them more. I've never had more than a very brief delay, though. There's extra lulz for me because if I check a bag on a domestic flight it is essentially always because the bag contains a firearm. The red-tagged bags must fly with the passenger, and TSA has already had extended contact with me by that point (they search the bag containing the weapon in your presence, usually in a private room, etc.), so I think making me miss my flight at that point would cause them a lot of trouble without me even needing to prod.
- a-priori 13y agoI avoid travel to the US where possible. But when I do I opt out of their scanners. I figure that if my privacy is going to be violated anyway to enter the States, at least I want to look the person in the eye while they do it.