Originally Posted by
OldGoat
There's an interesting
NPR/Thomson Reuters Health Poll that says Americans consider the security check to be a bigger health concern than flights. In fact
This provides insight to the sluggishness of air travel growth and the recent disconnect between economic growth and air travel growth. Although the vast majority of travelers do use the scanners, the vast majority of those who refuse are simply not traveling. Thus, the TSA's stats showing a miniscule number of opt-outs do not support assertions of acceptance of the scanners.
I would throw into this number those (such as many of us) who self-opt out be choosing a line with only a metal detector. If I pick the west main Dulles checkpoint as an example, I don't think I'm too far off by asserting that about 50% of people voluntarily line up in the metal detector lines and 50% line up in the Cancer Box lines. So, if I apply the 23% figure to the 50% who line up in the Cancer Box lines and add it to the 50% who have already opted out by going through the metal detector lines,
I will assert that ~62% of passengers at Dulles refuse to go through the Cancer Boxes.
Of course, this number needs to be increased by people who have stopped flying, use surface transportation, or have switched to an airport(s) uncontaminated by Cancer Boxes.