Oceanside man challenges airport's full-body scan [Updated]

A recording made by an Oceanside man who refused to undergo a full-body scan at San Diego International Airport over the weekend has gone viral as Internet viewers ferociously debate whether airport security measures have gone too far.

John Charles Tyner, 31, said he wasn't trying to pick a fight when he refused an X-ray scan of his body Saturday, but he was ready to defend his rights, according to his blog, if they made him do it. He is opposed on principle to the X-ray machines because it would show an image of his naked body, said Tyner, who blogs as "Johnny Edge."

[Updated at 9:33 a.m.: At one point, as the airport screener explained that the patdown would include brushing his groin, Tyner replied, "You touch my junk and I'm going to have you arrested."

He also refused to be patted down by a TSA agent, Tyner says on a blog post recounting the details of his confrontation with airport security. Tyner recorded most of the face-off on his camera phone, and the images and audio have gone viral on the Internet.

Tyner said he wanted to draw attention to an erosion in liberties and "senseless" efforts by the government to detect terrorists before they board a  plane.

"Every attempt to blow up a plane since 9/11 has been stopped by passengers after the government failed to provide protection for them.... All I did was draw attention to this," he wrote.

Tyner said he would have gone through a metal detector but that airport security did not give him that option. Instead, they refused to allow him to board his plane and he had his ticket refunded.

As he was preparing to leave the airport, another unidentified security official told him he could be sued civilly and fined $10,000 if he exited without undergoing a search, Tyner said on his blog.

Tyner refused and left the airport.

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-- Catherine Saillant

Comments

[Larry]

You do not have a right to fly ... it is a privilege you pay money for and you have to go by the rules! Only a dumb as dirt publicity hound would fight this!

[YTwoBlack]

It's about time someone showed some courage over this issue. Our soldiers are being shot at, bombed, harrassed violently everyday, and everytime we see an unattended package, panick sets in. When are we going to show at least a little of the courage of our troops. This has gotten so ridiculously out of hand that we require pilots to go through screening when the greatest weapon they have is sitting in the pilots seat after the plane is in the air, not taking a weapon onto the plane. What would we do if everyone refused to be screened? It's time for everyone to show some guts. We're always saying how proud we are of our troops; its time to make them proud of those of us at home: show some courage!

[Richard Long]

Maybe we should get to choose who pats us down...you could have a priest, a hot girl, a good looking man, a grandpa/grandma, a robot, someone in a spongebob outfit?? something for everyone.

[olderthandirt]

I boarded a SWA flight today, and because I have "hardware" in by body was subjected to a "pat down". It was the most thorough physical examination I have received in years, and the TSA toadie got a good feel!
Clearly TSA has had mission creep and has no clear direction, no supervision, and is like the IRA another federal agency gone wild.

[beverly sexton]

wow he must really have a very small junk. next time don't fly just drive, what a nut case. he is not looking our for American safety just his little little junk.

[Snowcrash208]

Last week the nation thanked veterans for freedom, this week we should be thanking civilians like John Tyner for having the guts to say no to tyranny. Instead of bleating like a sheep into a slaughterhouse, he walked away.

Naked body scanners don't make flying any safer. Any determined terrorist can beat the scanners 10 out of 10 times. TSA and Janet Napolitano know this. The gropings and virtual strip searches are to subjugate the unthinking masses who continue to do whatever they're told, in spite of the consequences.

If we don't say "no" to these abuses of power by petty TSA managers and politicians who are our moral inferiors, we are guaranteed to face an accelerated process of unprecedented losses of liberties. Those who once saw the USA as the Land of the Free will not even be able to recognize the place.

[David]

The real question is why are looking for weapons instead of terrorist? Because to do this you must observe and PROFILE oops!A dirty word in a PC run-a-muck USA.Then there is no need for "random" anything, no wasting time on persons that any person with an ounce of horse sence nos is not a threat. Think about it looking for weapons is easier, but more costly, than watching for signs that indicate a person is actually wearing a device of some sort.

[hgjg]

"The right to travel is a part of the liberty of which the citizen cannot be deprived without due process of law under the Fifth Amendment." Kent v. Dulles, 357 US 116, 125.

"The right to travel is a well-established common right that does not owe its existence to the federal government. It is recognized by the courts as a natural right." Schactman v. Dulles 96 App DC 287, 225 F2d 938, at 941.

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Add these together...

[Ray]

I agree with the man.
They should be doing this to people coming into the country.

[gern]

These airport x-ray machines can blast out 20 times more radiation than they are supposed to do. If you have to fly often, this is an unacceptable cancer risk.

[Inverse137]

The issue is that flying on an airplane is not a right it is a priviledge like driving a car if you dont go through the nessesary procedures then you cant do it. This guy just want attention and its disgusting that were giving it to him

And for the bottom line post not everything ben franklin says is perfect he was just another person

Posted by: montana | November 15, 2010 at 09:57 AM
------------------
Uhh, you are aware that the guy refused the secondary screening, he was escorted out of line and given a ticket refund.

He did NOT demand to be let on the plane.

It was AFTER everything transpired (taken out of line, money refunded, etc.) that the TSA "Manager" continued to detain him, harass him and "hint" (read: threaten him) with a "civil suit."

I would say the passenger followed the rules to the letter. The TSA manager was the one in the wrong.

[Grape Victim]

If you can't protect your own well-being & like a herd of cows or sheep, have to defer it, cowards stay home. There is a reason dentist and doctors give you a lead vest and step out of the room before an X-ray. We are being used as guinea pigs for the Backscatter which even in low doses of radiation can have long term damaging and cancerous effects on the epidermal layer of the skin.
There is also a reason why sexual organs are called as such, any touching of that organ is sexual.
Use common sense, if these extremist can't get on the plane, all they have to do is detonate while standing in line or while being screened. Any protection from this?
Scrap the backscatter and Molestation. If it wasn't so invasive, why are they backing down from kids getting groped or moving you to a private area so that the crowd is unable to make a judgment call?
If your the type to just sit there and roll over and die, don't fly. Most of the public are not like in 2001. If the choice was to die or fight to live during a flight, I wouldn't hesitate to curb stomp anyone trying to take my life away.
Suggestion: Give any individual $350,000 for taking down and apprehending a terrorist during a flight.
Use:
puff machine, metal detector, wand, return to back hand frisk.

[KW]

Good for you, Mr. Tyner. Sexual assault by TSA agents is inappropriate. The metal detector should be a good enough check, and the radiation from backscatter x-rays is very likely unhealthy. A "random" security check should not include touching the groin. At the very least there has be some suspicion of concealment or wrongdoing for it be a justified search.

Count me in as yet another person who won't fly while these ridiculous security regulations are in effect. The recent court ruling that upheld the civil fine for refusing a search and leaving the airport was a bad court decision and should be overturned.

[bewildered bystander]

Yet another Homophobic fear:, "if you touch my junk, i will have you arrested"
sexual assault, .....REALLY? what is up with people?

[mike]

Could even be terrorist propoganda to lower our defenses. You know get them angry so they stand up for their rights. Then they lower security to compensate. I hope the FBI/CIA check him out and make sure he didn't just cash a check from a strange account.
BTW I get screened in every way when I fly. I wear a prosthetic leg. And yes it makes sense to make sure nothing is hidden or dangerous in it/connected. I feel better actually when they check it out.

[wildcatherder]

To the extent our entire society has accepted increasingly intrusive airport security measures, Osama bin Laden has won! There is nothing intrinsically special about air travel. An explosive on a train can affect just as many people. Yet air passengers, due to the unexpected fluke success of the 9/11 attacks (no one knew the buildings frames would burn), give up more and more of their time and personal freedom to these security measures. We have introduced a constant drain on the economy in return for dubious "security". I'd called that a win for Al-Queda.

[Gordon Epperly]

Here is what the FDA had to say regarding x-ray scanning devices:

"... The FDA also plans to require makers of CT and fluoroscopic devices to build safeguards into their machines and to develop safer technology, and to train users of these devices on their proper use. The agency will hold a meeting in late March to get expert opinion on what needs to be done to improve the safety of these devices.

"Some suggestions under consideration include requiring the devices to display and record the radiation dose being administered. The FDA said it may also require that the devices record and transmit the radiation dose used to a patient's electronic medical record as well as to a national radiation doses database.

"In a cooperative effort, the FDA and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are going to get hospitals and imaging centers to start using quality-assurance practices to improve the oversight and safe use of these imaging devices. This new program will be part of the accreditation process for these facilities, according to the FDA. ..."

How many TSA employees have the medical knowledge to know what is the safe dosage of x-rays that is being imposed upon the public and are they recording and sending the dosage readings on each person scanned to the FDA data banks?

[tew]

"Every attempt to blow up a plane since 9/11 has been stopped by passengers after the government failed to provide protection for them.... All I did was draw attention to this,"
OK, I guess he's got access to top secret information and kees tabs on all of the efforts of the CIA, FBI and other agencies. He seems to know none of them have stopped any attempts to blow up a plane since 9/11.

[Noah]

He is calling attention to the erosion of liberties. Good for him.

[Eric Watson]

I always refuse the x-ray, the pat down is humiliating, but better than being zapped for no reason.

[Miracle Mike]

Oh, yeah, for you sheeple complaining about someone standing up for his rights, please, leave the country. You don't belong here and don't deserve to live in a "Free" country.

You throw abusive words around attacking citizens in the light of an obvious inside 9/11 job. There is enough physical evidence to prove it but that would be too big of a let down for your infantile minds.

No, go ahead, lie down for the overlords, but real citizens of America who lost loved ones protecting this freedom won't.

These restrictions are in place to protect the criminals from the population, you maroons. Tap your phone to see if you know they are lying cheating murderers. Justify the Patriot Act which is the opposite of its name. Military Commissions Act, and the loss of habeus corpus.

Powder Puff weasels parroting Katie and the talking heads.

God tells me that you are goners, feel it?

[CarolO]

So drive a car next time. The others on the flight also have "Rights"......and it's their right to arrive safety. This is nothing more than an xray so stop being a baby. Not allowing this makes you look quilty of something.

[Chris]

Good for him. I won't fly because I refuse to give up my 4th amendment rights. To TheBigPicture, I'd rather have someone that's willing stand up for their rights next to me on a plane over someone that's willing to bend over and let theirs go in the name of "security."

[Dave9]

"Flying on an airplane is not a right."

But protection from unreasonable search and seizure while going about your private business is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4th_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

Do some homework...

[Mike]

He does have the right to drive but he does not have the right to waive civil liberties in TSA's face threatening my safety to get on a flight.

I think he should be placed on the 'No Fly Roster'.

How quickly we forget all of the attempts to bring harm to innocent people around the world utilizing distractions like this guy to sneek through.
I just don't get people like this that get caught up in such bull making my trip through security that much slower while they require multiple TSA agents to handle this guy.

This guy does not want liberty he just wants attention.