'National Opt-Out Day': Will a protest against body scanners work?

A privacy activist wants to send the government a message by convincing flyers to resist the "naked" security scanners at airports this Thanksgiving. Bad idea?

Which is worse: A full-body scan "peep show" or a pat-down "groping"?
(Image credit: Getty)

A privacy activist is urging Americans to protest new, full-body scanners at airports by insisting instead on time-consuming pat-downs during the busy Thanksgiving weekend. The Transportation Security Administration is pushing the technology — 1,000 of the scanners are scheduled to be in place by 2011 — to help combat terrorists, but critics say the scanners, which essentially let security personnel peer through clothing, are too invasive. Will "National Opt-Out Day" strike a blow for privacy, or just make air travel miserable for everyone this Thanksgiving? (Watch an NBC report about the new pat-downs)

Good idea, bad timing: There is no doubt that the new "naked" scans are "unapologetically intrusive," says Madeline Holler at Strollerderby. Even some pilots and flight attendants are joining the "revolt." But if too many protesters opt for the full-body pat-downs, it will take even longer for holiday travelers to get to their gates. There has to be a better way to protest.

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