California man thrown out of San Diego airport for refusing full-body scan, pat down
November 16th, 2010 - 1:17 am ICT by BNO NewsSAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA (BNO NEWS) — An Oceanside, California man on Saturday morning was thrown out of the San Diego International Airport after he refused a full-body scan and threatened a security guard with getting him arrested.
John Tyner, 31, a software programmer was about to fly to South Dakota with his father-in-law from Lindbergh Field on Saturday morning until a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer directed him toward one of the recently installed full-body scanners.
Tyner declined to walk through the controversial body scanners as he did not like them for a number of reasons, ranging from health concerns to a huge invasion of privacy. While he was arguing with the security guards, Tyner recorded audio and video using his cell phone.
Tyner refused to submit to a body scan and opted instead for the basic pat down but then declined being submitted to a groin check. At that moment he told the TSA agent, “You touch my junk and I’m going to have you arrested,” which caused a supervisor to be called.
According to TSA at the time the controversial body scanners were installed, travelers would have the option to request walking through the traditional metal detector but that option would be accompanied by a traditional pat down. However, Tyner was targeted for a second check due to unknown reasons.
Tyner decided not to fly and requested a refund for his American Airlines ticket which was complied to his amazement as the ticket was non-refundable. TSA agents ordered him not to leave the security area as he could be subject to a civil suit and a $10,000 fine.
After a while, the California man was allowed to leave. He wrote his experiences on a blog and posted the video recorded on the incident. By Saturday evening, 70,000 people had accessed the entry and over 500 comments were posted.
People wrote down similar experiences and denounced their resentment towards the current way the airport security is conducted. Many people voiced their opinion that the TSA is ineffective and their efforts to detect terrorists are senseless.
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