Adverse weather and opt-out boycott of body scanners fail to interrupt most Thanksgiving travel

Adverse weather and opt-out boycott of body scanners fail to interrupt most Thanksgiving travel

Snowy and rainy conditions in the western United States and a planned opt-out boycott of airport body scanners did not deter Americans from travelling during Thanksgiving and the overall operations in airports went smoothly as hoped. Aside from some flight delays at New York’s La Guardia Airport and New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport due to strong winds, there were no major disruptions in major U.S. airports on Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The planned boycott of body scanners at airports was not as successful as expected by organizers. The new airport screening process consisting of exhaustive pat-downs and invasive body scanners has prompted anger and protest from several passengers who view them as harassment and invasion of privacy, not to mention inconvenience. Others questioned the health safety of the machines which emit radiation. Yet some have welcomed the new security procedures, or at least resigned to the fact that they must undergo the rigorous checking to assure safety. A recent poll by Washington Post-ABC News and Gallup said that two-thirds of Americans approve of the new high-tech body scanners. However, a Zogby survey on Tuesday said that 61 percent of participants were not in favor of the new screening methods. About 385 body scanners have been installed by the federal government. Security officials have said screening alternatives are being studied.

The Air Transport Association estimates that 24 million passengers will travel this Thanksgiving holiday period, rising 3.5 percent from last year. Sunday and Monday are expected to be the busiest travel days with many returning home and business travel on the upswing again.

Posted by Sophia Andrews on Friday November 26 2010, 5:00 AM EST. Ref: Wall Street Journal. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Travel. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0