US Airport Security Moves Smoothly Despite Protest Effort

Security lines at U.S. airports appear to be moving smoothly Wednesday, despite calls for protests over the full-body inspections that critics say are intrusive.

The critics are dubbing Wednesday “National Opt-Out Day,” and encouraging large crowds of Americans who are flying for the Thanksgiving holiday to refuse the use of full-body imaging scanners and instead undergo a more invasive full-body pat down, which takes longer.

The protesters say scanners, which emit radiation and transmit a virtually naked image of the traveler, grossly violate a person’s privacy rights and dignity. Protest organizer Jim Babb (with WeWontFly.com) told VOA the Transportation Security Administration has been “totally negligent” on informing people about privacy and health risks they may encounter with the new procedures.

The protests, on the day before Thanksgiving, come on what is traditionally the busiest travel day of the year in the United States.

The head of the TSA, John Pistole, told American television (ABC’s Good Morning America) on Wednesday that travelers should expect delays because of the protests. He says his agency is fully staffed and prepared to handle disruptions at airports across the country.

A USA Today/Gallup poll says nearly six in 10 passengers are bothered or angered by the new pat-down procedures at airports, and many dislike the full-body scan. Nearly half of travelers say they believe the new pat-downs, that include touching the breast, buttock and genital areas, are not more effective than previous search methods.

A travel expert, Josey Miller of TripAdvisor.com, told VOA that travelers have the right to refuse both the scanner and the pat-downs, but warned that TSA officials have the authority to deny access to a flight. In some cases, TSA could fine a passenger for non-compliance with security screenings.

The Obama administration says the enhanced security measures are necessary to thwart terror plots like the attempted bombing of a U.S.-bound plane last Christmas by a Nigerian man who allegedly had explosives in his underwear.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs noted that the new procedures are in place only at 69 out of the nearly 450 airports in the United States.

On Thanksgiving, Americans gather with family and friends to give thanks, a tradition started by English settlers nearly 400 years ago.

The American automobile Association projects that more than 42 million Americans will travel during the Thanksgiving holiday period, lasting from November 24 to November 28.

Some information in this story was provided by AP and AFP.