Originally Posted by
jkhuggins
Fairly simple answer, really. As a passenger, you're not obligated under the law to answer the TSO's questions --- or, for that matter, to comply with any of TSA's rules and regulations. And, in return, the TSO is not obligated to admit you to the sterile area, either. TSA is pretty adamant about the point that it's not a constitutional right to board a commercial aircraft ... no matter how inconvenient the alternatives are.
You are mistaken about the basis for the constitutional objection, which is not that TSA violates the constitution when it denies access to an aircraft because you refuse to submit to the limited administrative search conducted at the WTMD checkpoint. These administrative searches are clearly constitutional but, because of the limitations on the scope of administrative searches, some TSA practices, e.g. BDO questioning, looking for "contraband" in places that could not conceal weapons, explosives or incendiaries, etc., are, in my opinion, unconstitutional irrespective of what TSA might say.