Hesitant to fly to the US in the coming weeks.

I wasn't quite sure where to put this so mods, feel free to move where appropriate.

I'm supposed to be flying to the US sometime in january. I'm genuinely concerned about the new TSA rules. I'm not too comfortable with the new scan technology they are using. The long term effects haven't been assessed yet if I'm not mistaken. So I might opt out of the scan. What would I be exposing myself to if I refuse the scan?

I figure they will pat me down ... with enthusiasm, to say the least. What I'm more scared of is being immediately treated as a criminal because I refuse the scan, thus delaying my plans or worse.

So can anybody who flies regularly explain what I might be exposing myself to by refusing the scan? Any tips would be appreciated. I don't want to make a statement or anything, I just want to get through the gates and on to my holiday trip.

Really, it's the first time I've been hesitant to go to the US. The fact that I'm really scared to cross the border, to me, speaks volumes of what is happening in that country. I wish it never came to that.

When I went to Turkey a couple of years ago, I remember passing an airport checkpoint in a small country where I had to transfer. That checkpoint basically consisted of two military, arab looking guards with AKs and a dog. I actually felt no fear when I crossed that checkpoint. It's ridiculous the situation with the TSA.


Thanks,

Wowbagger

It's not so much the "flying to" the US that you should be concerned about as much as the "flying-out-of" the US. Unfortunately America has a vendetta against high-speed railways and if you are overseas, then weeks on a ship would seem outrageous. It's just another travesty all must deal with to avoid being labeled as a "communist"... I mean "terrorist" nowadays. Just a newer term for McCarthyism I guess.

reply to post by CthuluPrime

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I'm actually from Canada, but car or train is still out of the question since it's a good 20 something hours drive, plus I don't have a car so it gets complicated.

Is there any chance that I would get branded and stuck on a watch list or are watch lists only for americans?

And why is it that it seems to me that only US border and customs agents are the ones that are kind of nasty? meaning that they are the ones that I wouldn't dare mess with. I mean, when I cross back into canada, I actually enjoy talking to our customs agents. Same when I went to Japan and Australia. I actually got random checked when I went to Australia then I had a pleasant and informative discussion with the agent that searched me and my stuff. Had it been americans, I might have broken into a sweat just at the thought of maybe saying something, or acting in some unacceptable way for the agent

Is there a requirement in the job application that says the agents have to be mean? Or does it just attract people that want power in some shape or form. Like they can't be police so they become border agents?


Sorry if my thoughts dont come across clearly all the times, english is not my main language.