These are some very good answers as to what you should do and pretty much cover it but lemme give you some advice from a screener standpoint. If you are at the point of being arrested, it is 99% of one of the following: 1. You have physically assaulted or verbally threatened a screener (verbally usually just gets you detained, not arrested as in handcuffed, they just escort you down to the police office). 2. You have a weapon of some type that is not allowed in the bag (I.E. Explosives, explosive devices, guns in carry-ons, undeclared weapons in check luggage(usually only detained and fined) things of that nature) or 3. You make a threat towards an airport or plane....you get the drift. You will not be detained, persay, if you alarm the ETD. When an ETD alarms, they usually just ask for your boarding pass and ID to jot down the info in the alarm book. You can refuse to give them that information, but will not be allowed to board the aircraft and would probably be viewed as suspicious and probably followed by local PD. We haven't had this situation yet so I can't really say what exactly what happened. We are not briefed on passengers refusing info because supervisors take care of those situations. Actually at our checkpoints there is a notice that states passengers can refuse screening but will not be allowed to board the aircraft. I cannot vouch for other airports, only my own. Even though every airport with TSA there has the same SOP, you know the inconsistancies. At our airport, the airlines will usually let someone board who may not possess a gov't issued ID but another valid ID. TSA does not check tickets and ID's at our airport(GSO, NC) except when you alarm on the ETD. At that point, if you did not possess a valid ID and the airline checked you in we would get them involved to get your information. We rarely have complaints at GSO, mostly just from FF's who want us to put in a FF lane for monday mornings and thursday evenings because our lines get really backed up. Other than that we are generally commented on frequently because we have very knowledgable employees who are professional and curteous. Hope that helps.