Topic: Security Opt Out

A traveler reports being denied TSA Pre-Check status despite having a valid Trusted Traveler number, reflecting a reported cutback in the program. Choosing to "opt out" of the backscatter X-ray machines led to a lengthy wait for a manual pat-down. The process is described as a "humiliation process" involving specific verbal cues used by TSA agents to coordinate male assists.

Curry details his experience navigating security at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, where he requested a manual opt-out from the body scanners. He describes a brief confrontation with a security officer before being allowed to bypass the magnetometer entirely for a pat-down. The hosts criticize the "security theater" of airport protocols, noting that his bag full of electronics was barely scrutinized.

With only minutes remaining before their connecting flight to Austin, travelers were forced to use the TSA "slave scanners" after being told a female assist for an opt-out would take too long. A frantic dash through the Atlanta airport involved riding the terminal train and sprinting up escalators with heavy gear. Mickey successfully reached the gate agent just as the door was closing, allowing them to board the plane.

The hosts predict that "National Opt-Out Day," scheduled for the day before Thanksgiving, will result in the TSA purposefully slowing down security lines to punish protesters. They argue that while the initiative is well-intentioned, it may inadvertently provide the "security-industrial complex" with an excuse to demand more funding and faster technology to keep "human resources" and commerce flowing.

The TSA announced enhanced pat-down procedures on October 29, 2010, the same day as the Yemen terror alert. The hosts argue the terror threat was timed to suppress resistance to new invasive screening methods, which include agents feeling the "crotchal area" of passengers.

The discussion focuses on the controversy surrounding TSA full-body scanners and the "opt-out" movement. One listener reports being denied a US travel authorization after opting out of a scan, while another describes a TSA agent's claim that staff are quitting due to the machines. The hosts argue the scanners are ineffective, intrusive, and slower than traditional metal detectors.

The hosts provide contact information for Jennifer Carmichael at the TSA Office of Civil Rights and Liberties, urging listeners to file formal complaints when opting out of body scanners. They argue that a mass "opt-out" movement would create long lines and force the government and airlines to reconsider the invasive security protocols.