A Peek At the National Opt-Out Day Numbers 297
Yesterday was a big travel day for Americans, and the organizers of National Opt-Out Day hoped to use it to highlight widespread, though not universal, dissatisfaction with stepped-up screening measures in US airports, by encouraging people selected for body screening to insist instead on the pat-down alternative. Reader Willtor writes with a story in the New York Times on the effect of the protest: "'39 people had opted out of the body scans in Atlanta by 5 p.m. In Los Angeles, 113 had. One had opted out in Charlotte, N.C. Boston seemed to have something of a mini-spike, with 300.' This is a tiny fraction of passengers, of course. But when I flew out of Boston this afternoon, they had opened a line that led to a traditional metal detector. When I flew out in June all lines went to the nudie scanners. Is it safe to be optimistic that we have been heard and policies have changed? I am not particularly concerned whether we get credit or whether it is reported that the protest fizzled. But it would be nice to know that some of the more invasive theatrics have become optional."
According to its organizers, meanwhile, the opt-out protest was a "rousing success." If you traveled yesterday by air, what was your impression?
Get used to the Police State... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:the opt-out protest was a "rousing success." (Score:5, Informative)
AAA numbers...
In 2000 6+ million traveled by air
After 2001 it was about 4m. It rebounded to 4.5-5m over next few years.
2008 you begin the slide down in air travel
This year is expected to be slightly more than last year, about 1.6m
Next year??
so 6+million => 1.6 million slide
I used to fly frequently (on average standard). Terrorism never would have stopped me. Maybe 10 flights in 2006. And I was good for the airlines. Only 1 small carry on, no luggage, and I even dressed to get through the metal detectors without causing slowdowns. But now, no way. I will not be paying to be treated as if I was in prison. It doesn't make me feel safer to be xrayed and groped.
I may actually need to travel from Chicago to San Francisco early next year and I'm actually looking at AmTrak. 3 days on a hotel on wheels - sounds better than xrays and molestation...
BTW: New Hampshire has a motto "Live Free or Die". They should change it. We have created our of prisons and the terrorists are laughing...
Not in NC (Score:2, Informative)
It's worse. (Score:5, Informative)
Read this. [shtfplan.com]
Opt-outers (presumably of any TSA procedure on any mode of transport) are tagged "domestic extremists" whose data will be referred to the Extremism and Radicalization Branch, Homeland Environment Threat Analysis Division [blogspot.com].
Missing data (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Mine is: (Score:1, Informative)
O'Rly?
http://tucsoncitizen.com/view-from-baja-arizona/2010/05/16/guide-to-border-patrol-checkpoints/
https://www.checkpointusa.org/blog/index.php/2008/07/04/p94
Because it's a worthless waste of time? (Score:4, Informative)
Remember: The TSA has never caught a single terrorist. The TSA has never foiled a single terrorist plot. Tests succeed in getting weapons past them more than half the time. But they've made sure people can't get "bombs" in inside water bottles... by putting all the suspected "bombs" into a trash bin 5 feet from the line. Meanwhile, at El Al you won't star in your own porn or be groped and they don't care if you bring a bottle of water or shampoo, yet no flight out of El Al has ever been hijacked in more than half a century.
Re:Because it's a worthless waste of time? (Score:2, Informative)
yet no flight out of El Al has ever been hijacked in more than half a century.
FYI, that's close, but not quite true. [bbc.co.uk]
Re:the opt-out protest was a "rousing success." (Score:5, Informative)
so 6+million => 1.6 million slide/quote?
Please, p[ease, please, provide a reliable citation for those numbers.
My google-fu is not strong enough.
I promise to use the power wisely and email just about everybody I know with them if they are supportable.
You ask and I deliver,
AAA Thanksgiving travel chart [sfgate.com]
Let's hope it will be there for a while :)
I try not to bullshit and pull random stuff out of my ass... Good luck.
Re:Entirely predictable. (Score:3, Informative)
tyranny /trni/ Show Spelled[tir-uh-nee] Show IPA
–noun,plural-nies.
1. arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority.
2. the government or rule of a tyrant or absolute ruler.
3. a state ruled by a tyrant or absolute ruler.
4. oppressive or unjustly severe government on the part of any ruler.
5. undue severity or harshness.
6. a tyrannical act or proceeding.
YW!
Re:Get used to the Police State... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:the opt-out protest was a "rousing success." (Score:3, Informative)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/11/24/state/n000112S70.DTL
More than 40 million people plan to travel over the Thanksgiving holiday, according to AAA, with more than 1.6 million flying — a 3.5 percent increase from last year.
And a 75% decrease from 2000, but never mind that.
Re:The TSA has not changed policy (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Flying ain't no fun no more (Score:3, Informative)
The lesson is that you get what you pay for! In your case, first-class service. You can have even better service, and skip the security, if you have enough money - just get a private jet. Or, become a congressman.
Stewardesses in the US sometimes try, but usually don't care about you at all if you're in economy class. Especially if it's a smaller plane, they'll probably be bitter and mean instead. However, there is a different set of flight attendants (usually the younger, more attractive ones) that work in first class on the larger planes. Your (usually astronomically expensive) first-class ticket partly goes towards that better service.
On Asian airlines, which generally are very good even for economy passengers (the seats are bigger for one, despite most Asians being much smaller than most Americans...), the only difference between the quality of the flight attendants is that the *really* cute ones are in first class. The other ones in economy are just as nice and friendly (and almost always still cute). It's astonishing how bad flying in or to/from the US has become, especially considering that it's still enjoyable in most of the rest of the world.
Re:Mine is: (Score:3, Informative)
The TSA is lying about all of their numbers (Score:4, Informative)
Oh, I also tried pointing out that their numbers were not correct, they wouldn't approve my comment.