Typing this on my phone, so please excuse any typos.
I just opted out again at PIT. The one-stripe had a big problem with my opt out and with me telling other people that they can opt out too. I got surrounded by 3 one stripes who told me that I better shut up and that the x-rays are safe. I told them that I have every right to inform people of their right to opt out of a device that uses ionizing radiation, that the damage from ionizing radiation is cumulative and is well known to cause cancer.
Then they started calling for a supervisor, having refused to do the pat down until he came over and again told me that I am not allowed to tell other travelers that they can opt out. I reiterated, loudly but politely, the dangers of exposure to ionizing radiation, and again states that I am within my rights to educate other travelers that they can opt out. So he threatened to call the police, which I ignored. At this point I had a swarm of four TSA people surrounding me and trying to hammer with questions about who I was. I did not answer. They did the pay down during this, and seemed really disappointed that the glove test was negative for explosives. At that point they told me to have a nice day, and I guess forgot all about their whole 'get the cops up here' threat.
So here I sit, airside at PIT, blogging and Facebooking and Tweeting and posting about the punishment for opting out and making sure others know they can opt out too.
The above events happened at the alternate, upstairs checkpoint at PIT, in the old commuter terminal.