Some Bay Area Passengers Take Offense To Airport Security Screening

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - A growing number of airline passengers are starting to get fed-up with stepped up security measures, including pat-down searches and full-body scans.

A letter-writing campaign and online petition is urging Congress, the President and the Transportation Security Administration to nix the safety procedures.

KCBS' Tim Ryan Reports:

"I had to take off my top. I had a sweatshirt on and had to take that off too," said Bay Area resident Marsha.

Stan, a passenger from New York who flew into San Francisco International Airport on Monday, said it was quite a change.

"I found it more intrusive than I ever imagined I would," he said. "I've traveled for 40-50 years and it was the worst experience."

Others were more accepting.

"They have them in England so I've had it there," said passenger Natalie. "It's a little bit intrusive, but if it's for security and for the right reasons, then why not."

DePaul University Professor Joseph Schwieterman, a noted transportation researcher, said Americans are less accepting of procedures that people elsewhere are used to.

"It's kind of a higher moral code over here than in other parts of the world," he said. "About how we view our privacy and so forth."

Some passengers who disagree with the policies are planning a pre-Thanksgiving boycott of the screening machines as a sign of protest.

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