We Wont Fly. Act Now. Travel With Dignity. Jam TSA Checkpoints By Opting Out Until Removal of Scans

[Magda Hassan]

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Take Action: Defeat the Scanners and Gropers


How to Raise Hell

1. Participate in National Opt Out Day at any local airport.
   
2. Stop flying.
   
3. OPT OUT of the scanners. EVERY TIME!
   
4. Educate yourself, your family, friends and neighbors.
   
5. Organize an educational event at your local airport for National Opt Out Day, Nov 24.
   
6. Create a video saying why you won’t fly. And send us a link!
   
7. Protest to the airlines.
   
8. Make a fuss to the hotels.
   
9. Complain to the government.
   
10. Report your experience to EPIC.
    
11. File a complaint with the ACLU.
    
12. File a TSA Civil Rights complaint.
    
13. File an online TSA complaint.
    
14. Tell We Won’t Fly your TSA story.
    
15. Tweet your feelings with hashtag #wontfly
    
16. Like our Facebook page.
    
17. Connect with us on Twitter.
    
18. Post to Facebook.
    
19. Blog or make a video about your feelings and experiences.
    
20. Ask local media to cover this story.
    
21. Got more ideas? Share them!
    

The Plan is Simple

1. If you absolutely, positively must fly, opt out of the scanners. Do it to protect your health and privacy.
   
2. If you can avoid flying, don’t fly. Hit the airlines in the pocketbook until the scanners and gropers are gone. Make the airlines work for us.
   
3. Raise holy hell. Register your disapproval of the scanners and gropers to your airline, your hotel and all government officials who claim to work for you. Educate your community.
   

For your Health


Tweet

Backscatter X-ray uses ionizing radiation, a known cumulative health hazard, to produce images of passengers’ bodies. Children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with defective DNA repair mechanisms are considered to be especially susceptible to the type of DNA damage caused by ionizing radiation. Also at high risk are those who have had, or currently have, skin cancer. Ionizing radiation’s effects are cumulative, meaning that each time you are exposed you are adding to your risk of developing cancer. Since the dosage of radiation from the backscatter X-ray machines is absorbed almost entirely by the skin and tissue directly under the skin, averaging the dose over the whole body gives an inaccurate picture of the actual harm. In their letter of concern, the UCSF faculty members noted that “the dose to the skin could be dangerously high”. The eyes are particularly susceptible to the effects of radiation, and as one study found allowing the eyes to be exposed to radiation can lead to an increased incidence of cataracts.

For your Privacy

Aside from the health risks of these devices, the fact remains that they allow strip searches to be conducted on a wide-scale level. That they are automated and mechanical in no way changes the fact that when a government agent looks beneath your clothing you are being strip searched. These strip searches are being performed without any probable cause or reasonable suspicion, as primary screening. A recent article in the San Diego Entertainer on August 31, 2010 stated that “the scans are detailed enough to identify a person’s gender… to identify a passenger’s surgery scars, or to discern whether a woman is on her menstrual cycle or not.” Although the TSA purports to be staffed by highly trained professionals who respect the privacy and dignity of travelers, TSA Screener Rolando Negrin was ridiculed by other TSA screeners for having a small penis after being imaged by an AIT device (AKA porno-scanner).
For your Personal Property

There are also property risks. During the time that a person is inside the full body imaging machine, it is impossible to maintain a line of sight to his or her belongings. Remember that because you cannot have anything in your pockets during the scan, this will include all your identification, money, and all personal items. Numerous thefts have been reported at security checkpoints, including incidents that led to the firing of four TSA employees at JFK as ABC News reported.
The Scanners are Ineffective and Unproven Anyway

From the Vancouver Sun: [URL="http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/Full+body+scanners+waste+money+Israeli+expert+says/2941610/story.html"]Full-body scanners are waste of money, Israeli expert says
[/URL]
CNN catches TSA in a lie.

A leading Israeli airport security expert says the Canadian government has wasted millions of dollars to install “useless” imaging machines at airports across the country.
“I don’t know why everybody is running to buy these expensive and useless machines. I can overcome the body scanners with enough explosives to bring down a Boeing 747,” Rafi Sela told parliamentarians probing the state of aviation safety in Canada.
“That’s why we haven’t put them in our airport,” Sela said, referring to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport, which has some of the toughest security in the world.
Sela, former chief security officer of the Israel Airport Authority and a 30-year veteran in airport security and defence technology, helped design the security at Ben Gurion.

How to Opt Out: Say “I Opt Out”



Should you decide to opt out, you must be aware that the TSA will perform a pat down instead of subjecting you to the WBI/AIT (AKA porno-scanner). The TSA may try to pressure you into submitting to the scanners . You are not required by law to submit to imaging, however, many TSA employees may attempt to intimidate, coerce or insist that it is required. You will need to be firm, and sometimes will not be allowed to opt out unless you state in exactly these words “I opt out.” While you should be able to opt out using your own terms, such as requesting a pat down instead, or stating that you will not be photographed nude, remember that not all screeners will be respectful of your decision. They may continue to insist until you say “I opt out.” In these cases it is up to the individual traveler to determine whether to stand firm or to use the TSA’s preferred wording.
WARNING: Enhanced Pat Down

Be aware that the TSA is using what they call an “enhanced pat down” in many instances. These pat downs are much more rigorous and often include the TSA using their palms to touch your genitals in a manner that could feel like sexual assault. If you feel that you or your child were inappropriately touched during the enhanced pat down, call for a law enforcement officer.
Alternatives to Flying

Coming soon. Can you write this section?
We Can Do it

A few committed individuals are working together to effect positive change. If we don’t take action, however meager and ineffective it may seem at first, the ability to opt out may soon disappear. We may soon find these porno-scanners on our roads, in our train stations and sports stadiums. We must end this dangerous and invasive technology here and now! Join us!
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[Peter Lemkin]

Good idea. Now, need to expand that to almost all things instituted since 9-11! Personally, I wish they'd bring back ocean going ships. The only ones now are expensive cruise ships that will not take dogs and cost a small fortune for the human. TSA nearly killed my dog last time I flew and there was nothing I could do but file a 'complaint' that went into the bin. I always get my luggage searched - just a coincidence, I'm sure! Police state built on the lie of 9-11 and much that followed. What little real 'terrorism' there is, IMO, is legitimate response to our state terror. End the first and there won't be the second.

[Magda Hassan]

Ooh, yeah, I love sailing. A boat trip is so much nicer. Human paced. Peter, I think it has gotten worse since you traveled last. If that is even possible.

[Ed Jewett]

There was an incident, with cellphone video, at the Chattanooga airport in which a 3-year old girl, held by her mother, was "groped" while she screamed at the top of her lungs "Get your hands off of me!" They had already taken her teddy bear away from her. The local TSA cretin-in-charge said he'd consider reviewing the child sensitivity training. Janet Napolitano is already on record as stating she and Der Heimat Security won't back down. I haven't flown in two years and don't expect to soon.

[Magda Hassan]

I saw that. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TCHSGvNw...r_embedded Bloody disgusting. And her father works for the tv station so it got the air time but how many other has this happened to and they don't have the media contacts?
Pack of sick perverts and paranoids. Getting the people used to the idea that it is okay for 'officials' feel you up where ever they like. Next the electrodes.

[Ed Jewett]

It's positively revolting... which, hopefully, we soon will be.

[Ed Jewett]

After Encounter with TSA, Man Decides Not to Fly, Government Goon Threatens to Sue for $10,000

November 14th, 2010 Via: Insert Title:
At this point, I thought it was all over. I began to make my way to the stairs to exit the airport, when I was approached by another man in slacks and a sport coat. He was accompanied by the officer that had escorted me to the ticketing area and Mr. Silva. He informed me that I could not leave the airport. He said that once I start the screening in the secure area, I could not leave until it was completed. Having left the area, he stated, I would be subject to a civil suit and a $10,000 fine. I asked him if he was also going to fine the 6 TSA agents and the local police officer who escorted me from the secure area. After all, I did exactly what I was told. He said that they didn’t know the rules, and that he would deal with them later. They would not be subject to civil penalties. I then pointed to Mr. Silva and asked if he would be subject to any penalties. He is the agents’ supervisor, and he directed them to escort me out. The man informed me that Mr. Silva was new and he would not be subject to penalties, either. He again asserted the necessity that I return to the screening area. When I asked why, he explained that I may have an incendiary device and whether or not that was true needed to be determined. I told him that I would submit to a walk through the metal detector, but that was it; I would not be groped. He told me that their procedures are on their website, and therefore, I was fully informed before I entered the airport; I had implicitly agreed to whatever screening they deemed appropriate. I told him that San Diego was not listed on the TSA’s website as an airport using Advanced Imaging Technology, and I believed that I would only be subject to the metal detector. He replied that he was not a webmaster, and I asked then why he was referring me to the TSA’s website if he didn’t know anything about it. I again refused to re-enter the screening area.
The man asked me to stay put while he walked off to confer with the officer and Mr. Silva. They went about 20 feet away and began talking amongst themselves while I waited. I couldn’t over hear anything, but I got the impression that the police officer was recounting his version of the events that had transpired in the screening area (my initial refusal to be patted down). After a few minutes, I asked loudly across the distance if I was free to leave. The man dismissively held up a finger and said, “hold on”. I waited. After another minute or so, he returned and asked for my name. I asked why he needed it, and reminded him that the female supervisor/agent had already taken a report. He said that he was trying to be friendly and help me out. I asked to what end. He reminded me that I could be sued civilly and face a $10,000 fine and that my cooperation could help mitigate the penalties I was facing. I replied that he already had my information in the report that was taken and I asked if I was free to leave. I reminded him that he was now illegally detaining me and that I would not be subject to screening as a condition of leaving the airport. He told me that he was only trying to help (I should note that his demeanor never suggested that he was trying to help. I was clearly being interrogated.), and that no one was forcing me to stay. I asked if tried to leave if he would have the officer arrest me. He again said that no one was forcing me to stay. I looked him in the eye, and said, “then I’m leaving”. He replied, “then we’ll bring a civil suit against you”, to which I said, “you bring that suit” and walked out of the airport.

[David Guyatt]

I think the only power any of us have anymore is our purchasing power.

If we collectively cease purchasing airline seats, this entire police state network will implode within weeks, as the airlines couldn't survive financially.

The same is true of almost everything else too: don't like it, don't buy it.

Keep your card in your wallet and move on to something else.

[Christer Forslund]

TSA to investigate body scan resister Oceanside man took a stand against security, went viral

By Robert J. Hawkins,
Monday, November 15, 2010 at 7:59 p.m.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2...scan-resistor/


/ Family photo
John Tyner of Oceanside.




Photo by John Gastaldo
An unidentified passenger raises his arms in the body scan machine on Monday as TSA employees work in a secure area at Lindbergh Field's Terminal 1.

• Read John Tyner's blog.
  
• Listen to the audio of John Tyner's encounter with the TSA.
  

The Transportation Security Administration has opened an investigation targeting John Tyner, the Oceanside man who left Lindbergh Field under duress on Saturday morning after refusing to undertake a full body scan.
Tyner recorded the half-hour long encounter on his cell phone and later posted it to his personal blog, along with an extensive account of the incident. The blog went viral, attracting hundreds of thousands of readers and thousands of comments.
Michael J. Aguilar, chief of the TSA office in San Diego, called a news conference at the airport Monday afternoon to announce the probe. He said the investigation could lead to prosecution and civil penalties of up to $11,000.
TSA agents had told Tyner on Saturday that he could be fined up to $10,000.
“That’s the old fine,” Aguilar said. “It has been increased.”
Tyner’s stand tapped into an undercurrent of resentment toward the TSA and how security checks are conducted at the nation’s airports. Those commenting about Tyner’s experience at SignOnSanDiego.com told their own stories of personal humiliations and invasive body searches.
TSA chief John Pistole was grilled about Tyner’s case Monday on CNN.
“The bottom line is, if somebody doesn’t go through proper security screening, they’re not going to go on the flight,” Pistole said.
Other news websites, from gri.pe to Yahoo! News to Drudge Report, have consumed Tyner’s tale and recirculated it to millions of readers. On Monday, Tyner spent the entire day fielding interviews from television, radio and news agencies.
Tyner, 31, was on his way to South Dakota on Saturday to go pheasant hunting. He was chosen for a full-body scan and opted out because he thought it was invasive. He was then informed that he would be subjected to a body search. He told the TSA agent, “"You touch my junk and I'm going to have you arrested.”
Tyner likened the proposed search procedure to a “sexual assault.”
When he tried to assert his rights, Tyner was told by a TSA supervisor on tape, “By buying your ticket you gave up a lot of rights.”
Aguilar says that Tyner was facing nothing more than the traditional pat-down that TSA has used for some time, and not a more aggressive body search in effect since late October.
In the end, security escorted Tyner out of the airport, after American Airlines refunded his ticket.
According to Aguilar, Tyner is under investigation for leaving the security area without permission. That’s prohibited, among other reasons, to prevent potential terrorists from entering security, gaining information, and leaving.
Since Saturday, Tyner’s story has added fuel to the Opt Out Day movement which is calling on air travelers to choose not to undergo the full-body scans on Nov. 24, the day before Thanksgiving and traditionally one of the year’s top travel days.
Since the rollout of the imaging scanners there has been controversy over the quality of the images, which show limited details of a person’s entire body, and the possible saving of the images – something TSA has denied is possible.
The level of exposure to radiation has also been an issue for many.
Aguilar cautioned against the scanner boycott. He said he is aware of a backlash.
“Let me paraphrase our new administrator, John Pistole,” said Aguilar. “It really is irresponsible to encourage anyone to opt out of a technology that is there in place specifically to protect the public.”
In late October, TSA added another layer of security, the resolution pat-down, which requires TSA agents to grasp the body of the subject more firmly when running hands over limbs and also requires probing up to the genital areas of the body.
Aguilar said that once a passenger enters the security area, there is a legal obligation to follow through with the process.
While a passenger can, like Tyner, ask to opt-out of the full body scan, they must walk through the traditional metal scanner and then, at the discretion of the TSA, undergo a pat-down search.
Aguilar said the aggressive body search is not designed as an inducement for passengers to opt into the full body scan. Aguilar said that since the resolution pat-downs began, there have been only four in San Diego.
And even though there are 10 full-body scanners stationed throughout San Diego’s airport, it is rare to see more than one in operation in a security area. The TSA staff does not yet have enough trained people to operate them, Aguilar said.
Only about 4 percent of San Diego’s passengers undergo the full body scan at this point, Aguilar said.

[Jan Klimkowski]

a TSA supervisor (said) on tape, “By buying your ticket you gave up a lot of rights.”

The Man speaks.

It's 2010 and you don't need LSD to spot that authentic, unthinkingly fascist, leer.

Meanwhile: "The TSA is not going to do sex to me"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko8uwkmMQ9E