I understand you're still angry, essxjay, about your incident. I hope that when time has passed and you can reflect on the issue with a more jaundiced eye, you can recognize a couple things:

1. Some flyers don't have passports (in fact, isn't it like 90% of Americans do not have them?);
2. Some flyers don't have thumbprints on file (I don't - why would I?);
3. Some flyers don't have driver's licenses;
4. Some flyers don't participate in FF programs (I don't participate in every program); and
5. Being molested without your consent by the TSA is illegal, and you can call the police (see the thread about Penn's experience at Las Vegas).

Finally, the choice is not between giving all four of those pieces of information OR being physically molested. It's a choice about traveling unhindered by government authorities, which people like Spiff believe is an American citizen's fundamental right, and burdening them with providing additional information other than a paid ticket in exchange for travel without hassle is an arrogant overstepping of their Constitutional powers. I don't necessarily agree with him about that, especially because there is still a risk from terrorist attacks, but in "normal" times, his point is 100% valid, it seems to me.

[This message has been edited by anonplz (edited 01-22-2003).]