Originally Posted by ScatterX

In a legal sense, the claim of assault is probably incorrect. The process starts with getting your permission. If you agree to whatever procedure they perform on you, you can't then claim it's assault. Of course, if you refuse, they won't let you fly. It would be very interesting for someone to push the envelope and claim they were unduly coerced into giving permission. Somebody who must fly to address a medical condition (e.g., would miss a critical procedure in a hospital in a different city) would be an ideal candidate. I'd contribute to the legal fund in a heartbeat.