What to answer on "why do you opt out"?

Old Mar 8, 2012, 3:02 pm
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What to answer on "why do you opt out"?

I was asked this I answered health and privacy and the TSO began to explain crap to me. What can I answer politely that shuts them up?
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Old Mar 8, 2012, 3:16 pm
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Because, it is still my right to opt out. No further explaination should be required.
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Old Mar 8, 2012, 3:32 pm
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Say whatever you feel like. I don't want to. Because you give me the option. It's Tuesday and I didn't get my USA Today in the hotel. Just respond, "I opt out" and leave it at that.

If they start feeding you crap, interrupt and tell them you didn't ask a question, so they don't need to answer it. Less polite? Put your finger up to your mouth and shush them and say you didn't ask a question, you answered it. Less polite? When they start talking, quick snarky smile and say, "Oh, you're still talking. How cute."
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Old Mar 8, 2012, 5:37 pm
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cause.
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Old Mar 8, 2012, 5:47 pm
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Am I required to answer that question?
Because I can.
The sun came up in the east today.
I have melanoma.
I am claustrophobic.
I have medical reasons that my Dr and myself fell it is best not to expose myself to additional radiation.
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Old Mar 8, 2012, 5:49 pm
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While I support any and all of the answers given thus far, note that if you choose the snarky route, you'd probably best have plenty of time available for the "non-retaliatory" screening which will almost inevitably result.

They can assault you with no consequences whatsoever, but you'd better not talk back to them!
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Old Mar 8, 2012, 6:01 pm
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"Because it is my right to do so."

End of story. It's really funny when the TSO immediately begins to feed me the, "There's no radiation, this is a different type of machine," story as if it'll change my mind. It raises two questions in my mind: one, did you listen to a single word I said? Two, if BKSX is as perfectly safe as John Pisstool would have you believe, why do screeners at MMW airports go so far out of their way to explain that MMWs have no radiation, they're perfectly safe, and "the only machines that you need to worry about radiation with are the ones that look like two blue boxes."

Yeah, that's an exact quote from a TSO. Apparently BKSX is perfectly safe if you're at a BKSX airport, but if you're at a MMW airport, you need not have any health concerns at all, because those aren't the "radiation machines".
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Old Mar 9, 2012, 12:54 am
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"Because I ate a lot of onions and garlic...."
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Old Mar 9, 2012, 2:48 am
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My answer is that they are methodologically unsound. No screener to date has had a clue what to answer to that.
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Old Mar 9, 2012, 5:18 am
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At a pre-check airport if you're not LLL: "Well, since you apparently think I'm not trustworthy, let's prove that I really am clean".
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Old Mar 9, 2012, 7:22 am
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If you have no compunction about lying* (as in tit for tat), just say "religious reasons". There is no allowable comeback to that.

* assuming it isn't true
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Old Mar 9, 2012, 10:32 am
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Originally Posted by T.J. Bender
"Because it is my right to do so."
End of story.
Then an effective response might be to articulate your intent to cease answering none-of-their-business questions.

"Because it is my right to do so. End of discussion."

Probably not best to include the truth as it applies to me:

"Because it is my right to do so. And it annoys you. End of discussion."
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Old Mar 9, 2012, 11:25 am
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My response yesterday was: "Dude, you are holding my boarding pass with SSSS on it. What is the point?" He looked confused.
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Old Mar 9, 2012, 11:35 am
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Originally Posted by BubbaLoop
My answer is that they are methodologically unsound. No screener to date has had a clue what to answer to that.
^

"Because none of you have either the qualifications or protective equipment required of the vet techs who x-ray my dog."
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Old Mar 9, 2012, 11:57 am
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Presuming that you do have a reason for opting out, why would you not want to tell TSA?
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