U.S. Airports Brace for Thanksgiving Pat-Down Backlash

With millions of Americans traveling ahead of the holiday weekend, outcry over new screening techniques is growing.

Under new airport security protocols, travelers who opt out of full-body image scans must be patted down. The invasive security practices have sparked outrage, most recently thanks to an internet video showing a shirtless boy being patted down at Salt Lake City’s airport. One man, a bladder cancer survivor, said the urostomy bag that contains his urine burst during a pat-down. With 24 million people flying out of U.S. airports this week, security officials are expecting headaches over the procedures, even though only a small percentage of travelers will be subjected to pat downs. Civil liberty groups are calling for the day before Thanksgiving to be named “National Opt-Out Day” and urging travelers selected for full-body scans to refuse.