Friday, November 19, 2010

Grassroots Travelers Vow to Not Fly on the Busiest Travel Day of the Year

Travelers voice their concerns about their close encounters with TSA’s body scanners and new pat-down techniques. Passengers have the option to walk through the full-body scanner or be pat-down by a TSA agent as part of TSA’s security preventative measures. These measures are creating quite the buzz for travelers.

According to CNN Travel, Grassroots groups are urging travelers to either not fly or to protest by opting out of the full-body scanners and undergo time-consuming pat-downs instead….One online group, "National Opt Out Day" calls for a day of protest against the scanners on Wednesday, November 24, the busiest travel day of the year.

In a recent article, by Eileen Sullivan of the Associated Press, states that John Pistole, TSA Administrator says he understands those privacy concerns, but says the government must provide the best possible security for air travelers. Pistole sympathizes with travelers and assures the public that these measures are implemented to protect all travelers. In fact, Pistole received the pat-down himself.

In any situation, there are always two sides to every coin. In this case, we can either accept the security measures that are in place; or we can protest and decide not to fly.

So, to travel, or not to travel, that is the question. The answer, it simply depends on what you believe is more important to you. Personally, I don’t think the majority will sacrifice visiting their family for the holidays, or attending an important meeting to make a point to TSA and Homeland Security. After all, it is their job to protect us, is it not?

For more information on the TSA pat-downs and full-body scans before flying check out these articles, http://tinyurl.com/29jylj6 and http://tinyurl.com/26ak63e.

No comments: