Hello FlyerTalk!

I am a professional transportation security lobbyist. I want to share some advice with all of you...

I am as upset as most of you about the current state of transportation "security".

- Organize, organize, organize.... There are several different organizations and groups out there advocating for "National Opt Out Day" and other protest efforts. Having a bunch of small groups will do no good... there needs to be some sort of central "clearinghouse" for all of these wonderful ideas. There needs to be consistency and an agenda.

- Contact those that really matter (and will listen!)... Believe it or not, 99.9% of emails, faxes and letters sent to US Senators and House Members are read by a college intern. The intern then inputs several keywords from your letter into a computer that holds several hundred form letter responses. That is what you get. Your message never gets to the Senator or MoC. However, your STATE legislator most likely will read your letter (or at least a senior staff member). While states have little to do with the TSA, this is a good route to have your voice heard. HOWEVER -- the most influential people you can contact are: Airport Board Members, Members of the City Council where the airport is located, local Chambers and business associations, etc. So, for example, do you travel out of DFW? Contact every member of the Grapevine, Texas City Council (they receive the most tax dollars from DFW airport).

Just some advice. Take it or leave it.

PS -- Those that are speaking out, ie. Ron Paul, are not necessarily the people you want on your side. Like him or not, he is not respected in DC, nothing he does goes anywhere, and the majority of Americans see him as a nut-job. Same goes with Alex Jones... they really are not people you want on your side. You need to influence the average American to follow your lead -- that will not happen with folks like Paul and Jones being your biggest advocates. (I am non-partisan... there are people on both sides.)