RosemaryT

Are you male or female? It's a serious question.

I frequent another forum with 200 regular posters and 99% of them are women. When I post anything negative about the TSA, the women go nuts. Overwhelmingly (85%), the response of the herd is, "anything for safety," or, "I don't mind being stripped searched and seen naked in the NOS if it means we'll be safe in the skies."

Imagine my delight in finding FlyerTalk, where 85% of the folks feel JUST LIKE I DO about the TSA. As a frequent flier, it boggles the mind how *anyone* can observe the antics of the TSA's Security Theater and not be 100% disgusted with the whole affair, and their mission drift and the erosion of our fourth amendment rights.

My question is, what are the demographics of people who object to the virtual strip search? My random (and admittedly unscientific sample) suggests that women - young, middle-aged and old - are willing to tolerate ANYTHING "in the name of safety," while the men are more ready to protest and resist, in an effort (however feeble) to preserve some remnants of our freedom.

Further AT the airport, I've observed that it's the men who opt out of the NOS and the women do just as they're told and go on through the WBI.

In my own household, my attorney husband is the deferential one, happily strolling through the WBI and I'm the renegade.

Your observations?

Rosemary

FriendlySkies

Perhaps we should all join the other site you frequent, and teach them a few things

Fredd

Sex please?

It's my pleasure. But seriously, folks...

Interesting question. ^

I think females tend to be culturally more conditioned (substitute your own word) toward modesty than males.

In our household, Mrs. Fredd and I are both adamantly opposed to the imposition of the Nude-o-scopes, both for reasons of modesty and concomitant forfeiture of civil liberties, and for potential health hazards and the implicit over-reacting governmental hysteria in implementing them.

Superguy

I'll say I'm a male in my early to mid 30's. I opt out every time.

I know several women who opt out as well - most did after they were aware of what the machines actually did.

gj83

I'm a female and I hate the Nude o Scopes so much I blog about it regularly. Does that make me the main female anti NoS travel blogger

essxjay

Direct answer to the OP: I'm female, 48.

Indirect answer: Gender has nothing to do with my position on the current state of airport security checkpoint screening.

exbayern

What she said.

There are a lot more females on TS&S than I first thought.

TNGALINFLORIDA

Early 30's female over here. Single, no kids, and I travel a too much for work and not enough for pleasure. I will not go into a NoS. Case closed. End of story. Personally, my refusal to do so is a mixture of the privacy issue, the possible data leak issues, and the radiation. My biggest gripe however, is that I don't believe that a US citizen should be subjected to this kind of scrutiny when travelling within our own borders.

Honestly, I'm only a wee bit surprised at the response you see on the other forums. One would expect that females would be more concerned about random strangers seeing naked images of them.

The other side of me wonders if they have the typical soccer mom mentality, and don't think too deeply about these kind of issues on a day to day basis. Their concerns are more about getting Jimmy and Suzy to soccer and cheerleading practice on time, and what to cook for dinner. If they sit down to watch the news at night, they are being spoon fed what a great job we're doing at preventing another 9-11. They have no idea what an atrocity this is to our freedoms.

For example - I play bunco once a month with a group of ladies in my neighborhood, all who are married and have children. One is a travel agent. Last month I brought this topic up during the course of the evening, and none of them had any idea that the NoS were in use. Not even the travel agent! They didn't come right out and say "anything to stop the terrorists", but there was a definite laissez faire attitude about the whole process. You would think that these women would be in mama bear mode when thinking about flying with their children on their next vacation, but they didn't seem to give a damn.

Oh, and sorry to any soccer moms I may have indavertently offended in my rant.

essxjay

If the OP would like, I could add a poll about gender to this thread.

fs2k2isfun

Male, 23, I always opt out.

exbayern

May be helpful, considering that several of us have gender neutral names - and although I did assume that OP and TnGal were female, I may have been wrong to assume.

Apparently I appear male in my online posting life, although I am very definitely not in my real life.

essxjay

+1.

Mama Bear Mode is a present tense function in the face of concrete threat. Future tense abstractions about airport security is, like, "whatevs" for many non-FFs I would imagine.

essxjay

+1.

NC_Girl

Female - 40

I always opt out.

I too have noticed, sadly, that so many people, mostly infrequent flyers say they will do whatever to "feel" safer.

Wimpie

RosemaryT - I'm Male - Older - and ALWAYS opt-out. I will NEVER enter one of these, and my considerable family has become aware and fully agree. You are right that soccer moms don't give it a thought, until you make them aware, and then most of them become instant activists - think about the children!

Please help distribute the pamphlets at:
http://airportbodyscan.org
http://www.nudeoscope.com
http://ThousandsStandingAround.com
http://scrapthescanners.wordpress.com
http://dontscan.us
http://dontscan.me