Should airlines be given the choice whether they want to do the TSA pat downs or not?

No, how safe the skies are is the business of the Federal government and should be applied across the boards. Passengers should not have to check to see if their airline has the latest safety precautions.

It isn’t the airlines that do the pat downs, it is airport screeners
If the airline did it, what would stop someone from avoiding a pat down for AA, then handing material to a United passenger. If they aren’t all safe, none of them are.

remember, the pat down is if you fail the metal detector twice, or if you won’t go through the scanner. Not everyone gets scanned.

the question at work about the pat downs is: after you get patted down, do you tip them $5 or $10? ;>)

@zenvelo I think that would be subjctive and would depend on how good it was, just like any other “service”. Ooooooo yeah, little bit to the left, there, ok, now harder, right there, ssssssss, ohhhhhhhh yeahhhhhhhhhhh. That’s worth a tenner.

Sure—if they want to be known as the airline to the terrorists!

A few airports have opted out of using TSA and use private security companies. The companies are still dictated by the federal government in what screening procedures they must use. It would be interesting to see what procedures private companies could put into place that could perhaps be better than the feds.

Sounds like a case of discrimation here. its either one for all or all for one.

I think a bunch of us would choose those that refuse the latest ‘safety’ steps over those that do not refuse.

No. It’s not within their responsibility.

No, they shouldn’t be allowed to do them in the first place, let alone required.