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Comment by _ouxp | Hacker News Reader

The TSA is now calling National Opt-Out Day "irresponsible."

John Pistole, TSA Administrator: "On the eve of a major national holiday and less than one year after al Qaida's failed attack last Christmas Day, it is irresponsible for a group to suggest travelers opt out of the very screening that could prevent an attack using non-metallic explosives." http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/11/12/131275949/protest...

That, to me, doesn't jive with their stance that body scanners aren't a big deal because you can opt out. To me, it confirms that opt-out "enhanced pat-downs" were introduced to intimidate people into being scanned.

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"On the eve of a major national holiday and less than one year after al Qaida's failed attack last Christmas Day, it is irresponsible for a group to suggest travelers opt out of the very screening that could prevent an attack using non-metallic explosives."

He seems to be overlooking the possibility that things are getting so bad with the TSA that increasing numbers of travelers would rather take their chances with terrorists and underwear bombs than submit to the TSA's heavy-handed, dehumanizing procedures.

And that no security measure at the airport will prevent a threat before the security checkpoint. With or without people opting out of the body scanners, security checkpoints are bottlenecks (something that the scanners have, in fact, exacerbated) and therefore vulnerable.

My biggest terror fear is the TSA.

Wait, what? It's irresponsible for me to opt out of screening, because screening me might prevent an attack... how?

To me it reads "if you want airport security to go faster so you can get to your plane on time and see your family in time, listen to and trust TSA personnel"

John Pistole should man up, show some leadership, and release his bodyscan to the public to demonstrate through actions not words how these scanners aren't a big deal. John: we're waiting for the pics.

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