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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Comments

[oak2sfo]

Until they are willing and able to scan 100% of cargo that goes onto the planes (right now it's less that 10%), they should give up on scanning people, since it will not solve the problem.
Most cargo on planes flys by a trust based system - they trust the shipper so assume the cargo is OK - but pretty much anyone - terrorists included can infiltrate the shipping companies. Shipment by sea is even worse that by air.

So, let's not pretend that these measures make us safe - they do not, and will not.

[incog99]

I am going through the airport over the holidays and will be opting out of the scan if asked. I will eat a can of Bush's Mexican Fiesta beans prior to flight. When they start squeezing my butt, I am going to let them have a burst of methane. Civil disobedience comes in many forms.

Ooops sorry, couldn't help it.

[Oscar]

While I sympathize with this young man, if I were flying on the same flight as him I would want to know I would arrive alive at my destination. Maybe someone should start a new airlines called the Crap-Shoot Airlines which will allow everyone without any screening. I should point out, I won't be flying on it.

[incog99]

Bravo! about time

[J. Priest]

Two types of commenters here:

The "authoritarian" types who need a punishing father or mother-figure.

The independent types who want to be left alone.

It's always surprising how many people need to be told what to do and when to do it.

[stan]

Most TSA employees are quasi-retarded. I wouldn't trust them with a flashlight, let alone a machine that emits x-rays. They love bullying passengers around because once the uniform comes off, it's back to the double-wide.

[Billy]

This guy went into an airport and started a recording before he got to the inspection line. This means that he had premeditated the conflict and was expecting to gain his 5 minutes of fame on YouTube, which he did. Thousands of people have now gone to his blog, and he is basking in the spotlight of the aftermath.

Perhaps he would be more comfortable with his flight if there were no security checks at all and everyone was issued a 9mm as they boarded the plane? Sorry, guy, but guns and knives are made from ceramics and high-strength plastics nowadays, and your preferred old-fashioned metal detector is not going to pick them up.

You have all the rights in the world to decline being checked, but I have just as many rights to require the TSA to make sure you're not a terrorist. No one is forcing you to fly; there are no pat-downs on a Greyhound bus or an Amtrak train. Yes flying is far more convenient, but a convenience is not a right.

That being said, I'll take my chances with the xray; I'd rather someone see a blurry picture of my junk than a clear picture of my corpse.

[RUJoking?!]

1) The body scanners don't work, they can't see low density plastic explosives. The TSA stopped claiming that.

2) They can't see inside body cavities, where drugs & explosives can be easily hidden, & still couldn't see low-density plastic explosives.

3) Most air cargo is not searched, nor do baggage handlers pass thru security when working, so they can easily place explosives on planes.

4) Planes can be chartered, then easily hijacked in air, because the customers are not screened.

5) The TSA over-polices airports, but our borders are wide open, N, S & beaches. This is like guarding the front door of a house, so criminals go to the unlocked back door.

6) Why police airports more than theaters, arenas or stadiums? Those Americans are just as exposed to 'terror'.

7) Terrorism is a tactic, not an entity. The TSA's counter-productive attempts to 'make us safe' are not working. These abusive methods of looking at naked children & fondling passenger crotches should be stopped immediately.

8) The TSA should be eliminated as the absurd waste of money that it is.

[Dan]

When did America become a country of pussies? Some goat herders succeed in crashing two airplanes, and some of you are okay with changing our way of life? This man stood up for reason, and brought attention to the fact that these invasive searches dont actualy accomplish anything. 100 passengers should easily be able to overwhelm any would-be terrorist on an airplane. Remind me again... Why do we need high-shool drop outs grabbing our junk?

Anyone who is scared enough of a few uneducated goat herders in the middle east detonating a bomb or two that they're willing to discard the bill of rights has no place in my America.

As a soldier, I'm shamed to count you among the people I protect.

[...]

Really doesn't matter. They pass out steak knives once youre on board if you fly around dinner time, and in first class (which is where every single one of the 9-11 hyjackers were) the steak knives are metal and serrated. Even if we all flew naked, had them check inside our ass for explosives, and ate with our fingers, we'd still have a problem. The problem is, terrorists want the world to submit to Islamic law and will kill you if you don't. I personally plan to die someday because I am mortal, so screw them. We should go back to pre-9-11 days. America is far too fat to fly naked. It just wouldn't be good.

[Salvatore J. Cucinotta]

We are at war. This means certain liberties need to be limited for our collective safety.

[DB]

The day is soon approaching where we'll just have personal forms of transportation that are as fast and video conferencing that allows for us to minimize public air transportation all together.

I'd rather that than submit to what will soon be cavity searches. I can't wait until someone hacks the TSA AIT screen and posts a bunch of people's pictures with names online. Maybe then people will remember what privacy and freedom means and the extent you have to fight to deserve and keep it.

[TheRightStuff]

TSA employees are power hungry pervs looking to play cop and get their jollies.
If they required a college degree to become TSA there wouldn't be so many problems - but instead it's "equal opportunity" meaning the very lowest grunts with any intelligence get the job.

[bookem dano]

I think what bothers me is the fact that we don't submit every person all the time. How long would they keep doing this if...
Every person was required to strip before they could board the plane, regaurdless of sex, age or race.

[Carlos del Gato]

I have the solution: FNA Fly Naked Airlines

Just try and hide a bomb internally.

BTW - first class is for first class bodies at NO extra cost. Coach is for - YUK.

[Russ SoCCal]

I agree with Brian's quote from Ben Franklin. Unfortunately, it's doubtful that it was actually Ben Franklin who said it. The sentiments are still valid.

[Cliff]

It has reached a boiling point. "This" is the point where OUR rights are gone. If you decline you get fined?! If that isn't govt cohersion I don't know what is. I hope he sues the crap out of the feds for this. I'm an ex marine and I didn't join and do my time so people could lose the rights I faught for. You watch... now they will make you leave your cell phones and electronic devices so far behind you can't record this to cover these incidents up. This man is a hero impo.

[lalapo]

I don't see any problem in pat down searches.
I really appreciate TSA and DHS persons doing their job calmly with moron/conservative/ignorant passengers like Mr. Tyner.

If you have problem with someone messing with your junk, why don't you keep it home? Ask surgeon to make it detachable. :)

[Steve]

Yeah! Someone's finally standing up to this nonsense. After spending good time and money to arrange a flight and a trip to the airport, most people are anxious enough to get to their flight on time and get going, that they're willing to suffer progressively more intrusive abuse.

First it was simple searches for box-cutters and other sharp weapons, then unidentified liquids, both of which made some sense, but then shoes had to come off because some jerk (okay, terrorist) tried to light his shoes. (How come we don't have to take off our underwear too---since another idiot tried to light his underwear?) Then body scans, "X-rays", and pat-downs (hey, who's being treated like a criminal here?) . . . At what point do people start to boycott? At what point do they decide that the costs of being treated like cattle far exceed the benefits.

[Perhaps if TSA would give rebates or 50% off coupons for a future flight to those that they treated intrusively, it might start to make some sense? Or maybe they're afraid that people will start complaining they weren't given the chance be "felt up" so they could get some money saving coupons.]

If people had to go through this nonsense to get on their local public transit, they would balk, and start finding alternate means of travel. Airlines sometimes make flying bad enough of an experience with crowding, bad food, etc. The question is how much do TSA actions hurt domestic airlines at the margins by making the experience annoying and insulting enough to cause people to avoid flying if at all possible---by tele-conferencing or train, or car rentals? How many people have the TSA killed by causing them to drive instead of fly---driving being much, much more deadly than flying?

Let's hear more stories like this!

[Christina]

He just need NOT fly. I do not want to be on the same plane that he's on. GEEZ... the security is there to protect everyone on that plane. How selfish and arrogant. CHARGE HIM!

[Heisenberg]

He obviously set this whole thing up.

[Jack43]

How do they pick which ones to frisk? Let's see, grab the old lady, but don't touch the one in a burka or the one who looks like Osama (that would be profiling).

Sorry, this is government out of control.

[dennis dalyon]

I admire this guy. These screenings are organized fear and intimidation, a reaction run amuck. a constant reminder that we were too lax and allowed aliens in to train flying jets while they holed up in cheap motels. This hyped up security is a constant reminder of the official reasoning and justification to be Iraq and Afganistan. We fear a phantom enemy so much that we now subject ourselves to tit and nut searches. What is next,subways? I flew recently to Far East countries and do not recall excessive paranoia at the airports. One had the impression that the officials were calm and diligent. but confident without imploying over the top search measures.

[Commentator]

TSA stands for Take Scissors Away and Thousands Standing Around!! TSA is a joke! Its more insecurity at the nations' airports than security! Management and labor is in bad shape, no union representing TSA screeners, wages are low, screeners are overworked and many are corrupt and dishonest, stealing items from passengers and treating passengers in a rude and discourteous way. I know this first hand, because I used to be a screener and I Quit!

[xray-ted]

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.

I think that comes from the antiquated document that was known as the US Constitution. But of course we don't have that as a protection anymore, oh wait, we do! But only if we insist on using it.

Random naked body scans and physical assault pat downs without reason are by definition UNREASONABLE.

This gross violation of Americans civil rights is an outrage. Miss Parks went to jail for not giving her seat up to a white man and we let these people feel our women and children up? If we don't stop this we deserve to be slaves!