If it makes you feel better, carry on, just don't expect it to change outcomes. It clearly doesn't. Opt outs are not tracked [1]. TSA opt outs are the equivalent of a close door elevator button that does nothing [2].
And a very on topic quote from the above citation:
"Perceived control is very important," Harvard psychologist Ellen J. Langer told Christopher Mele at The New York Times. "It diminishes stress and promotes well being."
Do you really think that if everyone opted out of the scan, and took five minutes to process instead of five seconds, nothing would change?
Protest definitely does change something. The only problem is that not enough of us are doing it.
If you're opposed to these scans, it is your moral duty to opt out, and to make everyone's life harder while doing it. That's exactly how things change.
Do you really think that everyone is going to opt out? If so, can you please provide evidence when and why they haven’t already? Or is it more likely that a small, vocal minority will continue to be vocal? And that vocal minority will remain perpetually upset that everyone else does not protest with them? I am using the entire existence of the TSA until now in evaluating.
I am simply the messenger for the bad news, based on observations of the system at scale. “If the people would just rise up” is not an argument, unless you’re going to show evidence that there is a scenario in which a non insignificant amount of the traveling public opt out, which is…unlikely in my opinion.
See y’all in the related thread 1-3 years from now when this is common practice.
> Do you really think that everyone is going to opt out?
You sure as shit don't need everyone to opt-out. You just need enough folks standing around in a queue for the supervisor to get uncomfortable with how long the line is getting for them to dispense with the theater and start waving everyone through only metal detectors.
I am willing to make a LongBet of $10k to a charity of the winner's choice on this prediction we are arguing over. Please let me know if you would like to take the other side of the bet. You win if protests occur and stops deployment of facial recognition technology for identity proofing travelers at security checkpoints within the US, I win if protests are simply annoying and deployment in the US moves ahead without issue. Timeline is within the next five years.
Let me know and we'll spin it up so we're accountable for our predictions: https://longbets.org/
> Let me know and we'll spin it up so we're accountable for our predictions:
I am not and was not making a prediction. I was using my field observations to refute the implied assertion that everyone would need to refuse automated screening in order to cause that part of the screening to be bypassed by folks who are not refusing to participate.
[1] https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-america-10/tsa...
[2] https://www.sciencealert.com/the-close-door-buttons-in-eleva...
And a very on topic quote from the above citation:
"Perceived control is very important," Harvard psychologist Ellen J. Langer told Christopher Mele at The New York Times. "It diminishes stress and promotes well being."