Originally Posted by
danl08
When I walked over I asked him why they were doing this and then he mentioned the V word, voluntary. "Oh, if this is voluntary then I am just going to go through the main security line, bye." That didn't work. He told me to wait and called over a supervisor (3 stripes). I proceeded to ask him what they were doing and why they were doing it. Thats when he started the mantra - "Random and Everywhere". I asked him if I could just go through the main line and they could do whatever procedure they needed to do there - NO. I asked whether doing this here and now would mean I wouldn't have to do this again in the main line - NO. While I was asking questions he threatened to call over police a number of times.
TSA still has no powers of detention AFAIK, you were free to walk away and should have done so. I would also have taken him up on the offer/threat to call the police and I would be real interested in what their response would have been.
Unless everyone entering an airport is swabbed for ETD then this seems to be merely an extension of the SPOT magic pick-out-the-bad-guy charade.