Security protest could bring nationwide delays at airports

[Elmore Furth]

Source: CNN

One of the busiest travel days of the year could become even more frenzied Wednesday as protests over enhanced security measures are planned at airports all over the nation.

Protesters are calling the day before Thanksgiving "National Opt-Out Day," and are urging travelers who are selected for the full body scan using advanced imaging technology to refuse the procedure.

If a large number of people refuse the full body scans, they will have to take a more time-consuming "enhanced" pat-down procedure. A mass opt-out could cause more delays at the already backed-up airports Wednesday.

"The goal of National Opt-Out Day is to send a message to our lawmakers that we demand change," organizers of the event say on their website. "We have a right to privacy and buying a plane ticket should not mean that we're guilty until proven innocent."



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/11/24/national.opt.out.day/index.html?eref=rss_us&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_us+%28RSS%3A+U.S.%29

[titaniumsalute]

1. While I agree with peaceful protests

I think this really sucks for the travelers. I have a sister with three kids flying today. The last thing she needs is to have a late flight, miss a connecting flight, and sleep in a fucking airport tonight.

[Pholus]

2. Don't worry! The Today show (and it's masters) were gloating that nothing was happening yet.

So I guess the TSA wins this round. We'll soon be seeing these machines everywhere metal detectors are.

[titaniumsalute]

3. Well it is only 7:42AM eastern

Airport delays are a domino effect. All it takes is a few of these "protesters" to cause 5 to 10 flights delays. Once that happens it can balloon into 75 flight delays. I travel every week. You see this with weather all the time. A big thunderstorm hits ATlanta Hartsfield and closes it for an hour. That alone would delay a thousand flights for the rest of the day.

[Bragi]

13. It's good TSA propaganda to get their messsage out early

It makes sense for TSA to get out early in the media claiming that no-one is protesting.

That will help convince anyone who might have protested to instead comply with the newest assault on the dignity of anyone wanting to take advantage of "the privilege" of air travel.

And it will make it more likely that sheeple lined up for their scans will openly disparage and harass anyone who does protest.

We truly live in Orwellian times.

[titaniumsalute]

21. Agreed

I know we need to change the security means at the airports with TSA. Today isn't the day to do it.

Wait until a random Monday and do it in January when it is less likely troops, college kids, moms and dads are flying around to visit family for a holiday.

[lunatica]

22. You don't understand what a protest demonstration is do you?

It's meant to disrupt as much as possible in order to cause that which is being disrupted to stop. It's the whole reason for the disruption.

[titaniumsalute]

24. Of course I understand what a protest is

But people are not going to get pissed at the TSA today, they'll get pissed at the protesters. What is that going to solve.

The people who fly the most, business travelers, need to be the ones who really stage a protest. If you could get 20% of all business travelrs to not fly for a week the airlines would band together in crisis mode, storm congress and get shit changed immediately. The almighty money is the best way to make changes.

[lunatica]

28. "The almighty money is the best way to make changes."

What do you think the protesters are doing? They're hurting that Almighty Dollar bottom line.

And, if business travelers were to stage protests, guess what. It would inconvenience even more people in the long run.

[titaniumsalute]

30. Who's going to lose money today if protesters cause late flights?

Travelers won't be reimbursed for anything. Not flying is the best way to hit the pocket books.

[primavera]

7. Guess she'll have to write to her congressperson then, won't she?

Democracy offers no guarantee of convenience, that isn't its goal. If she wants to be pissed at someone, perhaps she should be pissed off at the attempts being made by her ostensibly representative government to move her country in the direction of a police state that necessitate such inconvenient civic action.

[fasttense]

4. Don't worry, Americans aren't going to inconvenience anyone.

They don't have the guts. Like President Obama, they would rather get along than stand up for any principal, especially if it may inconvenience someone.

[seafan]

5. National Opt Out-Day at airports across the country, November 24.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010 NATIONAL OPT-OUT DAY


We will not tolerate violations of our Fourth Amendment rights.

U.S. Constitution: Fourth Amendment

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

[fasttense]

8. It seems to me Americans have tolerated an awful lot.

I doubt the taking away of their 4th Amendment rights is going to override their desire for convenience.

They don't want to be stranded at the airport for their 4th Amendment rights. They don't want to be patted down as if they were criminals for their 4th Amendment rights.

It's just too much bother, better to go along and get along.

[fatbuckel]

9. First off,these searches aren`t unreasonable. You have to set off a metal detector first.

And if you try to go thru a metal detector at an airport nowadays in light of all this publicity, I would conclude that you are up to no good. Second, you are not, I repeat NOT in "their persons, houses, papers, and effects" you are in fact on private property and you have purchased the services of a private corporation. There is NOTHING that forces you to go there. NOTHING forces you to fly. And third, just because you have a low opinion of your body image or have some deep-rooted trauma-drama about being touched by someone non-sexually (no matter how bad you would like to make it seem sexual) you have no right to muck up the rest of the flying publics enjoyment of their trip or delay them unnecessarily. JUST DON`T FLY.

[katnapped]

10. Yes, all you rape victims out there

Just "get over it already"...you're inconveniencing me! :sarcasm:

[fatbuckel]

14. Do you think the TSA will rape someone? Or are you implying that a rape victim would try to

smuggle something on a plane? Of course I mean no insensitivity to rape victims and I think it`s ridiculous to imply anything different. But I also think that if a rape victim has a problem like contact with others like the TSA Officers they will take appropriate actions.(Action that they will be comfortable with)

[fatbuckel]

36. Well, rand paul likes them too. If you don't like the rules, don't fly.

[woo me with science]

25. It is wrong even if you are not a rape victim.

It is a violation of liberty, privacy, and dignity for all Americans.

[Bragi]

11. Excellent statement on how the fearmongers have won

The statement below pretty well sums up for me how the decade-long orgy of fear has made it child's play to now infringe on people's 4th amendment rights in just about any way imaginable:

"And if you try to go thru a metal detector at an airport nowadays in light of all this publicity, I would conclude that you are up to no good."

So there you go. Americans have remained docile as their jobs were sent overseas, as wars they opposed were conducted in their name, as their savings were stolen, as their pensions were looted, and as their houses were foreclosed.

This being so, why would they be expected to react negatively to having their dignity assaulted as a precondition for enjoying the "privilege" of air travel?

More likely, they will just say: "And if you try to go thru a metal detector at an airport nowadays in light of all this publicity, I would conclude that you are up to no good."

[primavera]

15. Bravo, well said

No wonder we keep seeing our rights erode year after year: evidently we're sheep longing to be fleeced.

[fatbuckel]

17. ????????

[Iowa]

37. Well said. It's amazing how many wimps come here to defend the TSA's infringements...

...of our 4th amendment rights. If this was the 1770s these turkeys would be loyalists defending King George.

[lunatica]

23. You don't know what you're talking about

All anyone has to do is say they don't want to go through the scanners to get a pat down or what should be called 'get frisked'. There are legitimate reasons to believe the scanners are unhealthy, especially for frequent fliers or airline pilots and stewards. Then you've totally ignores, or forgotten, that there are children, elderly and people with medical disabilities who shouldn't be touched. Ever.

Just because you don't mind it or find it humiliating doesn't mean the great majority of people should just take it. You can do what you want. I think others should have the same choice.

[MsPithy]

27. Not true!

"You have to set off a metal detector first."

Wrong, they are selecting, supposedly, random travelers for the porn-scanners as well as those who set off the metal detectors. And, the courts have found strip searches without probable cause, to be "unreasonable." You can proclaim your opinions loudly and frequently, but it will be the court that decides if these strip searches or sexual assault "pat" downs are allowed by the 4th Amendment.

[Locrian]

29. not true.

>>You have to set off a metal detector first.

BULLSHIT BULLSHIT BULLSHIT.

I just went thru RDU with ZERO metal. NO medical pins, no belt, ring, zippers, shoes, etc. I could have been NAKED. I still got the full body scan AND got groped.

[blackspade]

31. No this is all about the 4th Amendment

Just because I am on private property does not mean that it does not apply.
You defined it exactly: "their persons, houses, papers, and effects".
See where it says persons and effects? That right is not abridged because I choose to fly.
And you know what? If I purchase a ticket, that means that I have purchased the 'right' to fly.
I paid for it, so they do not let me fly, they can give me a full refund.
As for body image, well that is part of the point.
When you strip search me or feel me up, you are violating my rights because there is no resonable suspicion that I have a bomb or anything else on my person or in my effects.

All I can say is this: When I first started flying in the 1980s, there were none of these check points even though there had been hijackings and killings for decades before. We didn't live in a climate of fear then, because we treated these terrorists as criminals and actually used the law against them. We need to get back to that. It sure would be nice to see my family waving from the concourse as my plane pulled away from the gate again....

[TheMadMonk]

34. The airports and airlines might be private property. TSA IS NOT.

TSA is a government agency and should be ENTIRELY SUBJECT TO THE TERMS OF THE CONSTITUTION wherever they set up shop.

And my person remains MY person wherever I take it, as do MY papers and MY effects wherever I take them, subject only to certain conditions of entry. Being on someone else's private property does not automatically strip me of ANY civil rights. Only a judge may do that, and then only to a limited and generally temporary degree and, in theory at least, only under very specific circumstances.

What you WROTE, (whatever you meant) indicates that it is your belief is that an individual's rights begin and end with his (or her) own property line. That, by extension, no one except LANDOWNERS enjoy 4th Ammendment protections, and then only on their own property.

And given your apparent beliefs, you will be absolutely chuffed to know that for two thirds of American Citizens, their constitutional rights do in fact end at their property line, thanks to a stroke of the pen that extended the US border zone 100 miles inland of the coast and Canadian & Mexican borders. One word: "Customs" and for you mate (if you live in (or visit) that zone), the US Constitution is not even a decent arsewipe, parchment being too scratchy and non-adsorbent by far. Once that magic word is uttered in your presence you enjoy virtually NO RIGHTS WHATSOEVER until/unless someone chooses to arrest you. AND you might want to consider the fact that there is a fucking world of difference between detain and arrest. Under customs DETENTION, you enjoy approximately the same rights as a Guantanamo detainee. Less in fact, they at least have to be declared unpersons/enemy combatants by presidential authority, questionable as that may be.

"Just don't fly." Wonderful advice mate. NOT! Will you just say "Don't leave home!" (or advise people to move inland) if "someone" in a positon of authority decides to take full advantage of the extended customs border zone and deputises every beat cop as a customs officer with full authority to stop and search on a whim inside that zone?

[MineralMan]

6. Well, I predict that it will be a non-event.

At least I predict that it will be a non-event on a national basis. There may be a few minor slowdowns at individual airports, when someone does this, but that's about it. We'll see if I'm correct.

[Bragi]

12. I agree.

North Americans are too socially isolated and personally fearful to act together on anything.

[2Design]

16. tsa assaults will be coming to trains and subways next

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-07-16-tsa16_ST_N.htm

[katnapped]

18. Get your Vaseline ready

"I want to take TSA to the next level," Pistole said.

[Bragi]

20. TSA neds to create a "level playing field" among transportation modes

This makes complete sense to me.

If the government is going to make one form of transportation degrading and offensive, then they need to create a "level playing field" by making travel by other modes of transportation equally degrading and offensive.

This being so, I should think that, eventually, highway toll booths will be "re-purposed" so people in cars can be scanned and/or groped periodically.

To which Americans will say: "If you've nothing to hide, what's your problem?"

[jtrockville]

26. Are private cars next?

[bikebloke]

32. And what about sidewalk safety?

Pedestrians should be routinely groped and irradiated before being allowed a walkway. They very well could have terroristical intentions. Remember the saying, "step on a crack, break your mother's back"?

:eyes:

[jtrockville]

35. Yes yes, I remember well.

This is indeed a gaping hole in our safety and security.

[2Design]

19. TSA Security Theater or Security

http://www.freelancetourist.com/security-theater-or-security/#comment-25

When the gen­tle­man from San Diego stripped to his biker shorts to avoid being molested again, he was told he had to put his clothes back on. http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/Passenger-Chooses-Strip-Down-Over-Pat-Down-109872589.html?dr It is obvi­ous from a visual perusal of his body that he has no explo­sives or other devices on him. If this was REALLY about secu­rity that should have been enough. This is no longer about secu­rity it is about sex­ual assault, molest­ing and power.

Same story another writeup http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40314284/ns/travel-news/

A pre­tense of security.

If you require a machine to see some­one naked, or sex­ual assault renamed Enhanced Pat down, then hav­ing some­one striped down to their biker shorts allows that same view with­out molesta­tion. IF this was REALLY about secu­rity pas­sen­gers should be allowed to strip down to under­wear in order to NOT be molested.

*******************

And the plan is to move these assaults on our freedom to trains and subways too
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-07-16-tsa16_ST_N.htm

[U4ikLefty]

33. My protest will be in 2012. nt