Student strips down to Speedo at Salt Lake City airport

Video: Despite tougher security, millions fly in stride

Open in new window

2. Transcript of: Despite tougher security, millions fly in stride

   Advertise | AdChoices

   LESTER HOLT, anchor (Kabul, Afghanistan): want to begin back home with a Thanksgiving eve trip home that many feared would dissolve into chaos at the airport because of something called National Opt-Out Day . It was a plan for a protest against those new TSA screenings and pat downs, but so far tonight, looks like travelers have been more interested in getting where they're going than in making a point. NBC 's Tom Costello is at Washington's Reagan National Airport . Tom , what's it look like there?

   TOM COSTELLO reporting: Lester , good evening to you. The talk is whether, in fact, all of this concern about passenger outrage may have been more hype than reality, because behind me we have smooth sailing at this TSA checkpoint. Same thing at checkpoints across the country. Very few people opting out, and very little in the way of a slowdown at any checkpoint.

   Unidentified Woman #1: Your Fourth Amendment right.

   Unidentified Woman #2: You can opt out. You can say no.

   COSTELLO: Despite sporadic calls for passengers to take a stand against the TSA 's new procedures, travelers today seemed more interested in getting home for Thanksgiving .

   Unidentified Woman #3: Doing what I have to do to see the folks.

   Unidentified Man #1: People are really moving through pretty briskly.

   COSTELLO: The TSA reports checkpoint wait times across the country have been running below average...

   Unidentified Woman #4: Please be prepared to remove all jackets, coats, sweaters.

   COSTELLO: ...very few passengers opting out of the scanners. NBC correspondents have also have been watching the travel day.

   TIM MINTON reporting: I'm Tim Minton at LaGuardia Airport in New York , where the TSA says nobody's opted out of full-body scanning and there's been almost no wait at security all day.

   KRISTEN DAHLGREN reporting: I'm Kristen Dahlgren at Chicago's O'Hare Airport , where security lines are moving quickly and the TSA reports no signs of any protests. The bigger concern here may be the weather.

   MIGUEL ALMAGUER reporting: I'm Miguel Almaguer in Los Angeles , where the TSA says there were no major problems at LAX this afternoon. In fact, many passengers got through security in about five minutes.

   COSTELLO: On a cold morning in California , one traveler wore a bikini to avoid a scanner pat down.

   Unidentified Woman #5: I don't think there's many places to hide anything in a bikini.

   COSTELLO: While Bobby Burke and Monique Richards flew out of Chicago divided over the TSA .

   Mr. BOBBY BURKE: If they have to be a little bit more aggressive in their search, you know, to scan you, I don't mind it.

   COSTELLO: Monique , though, opted out in protest.

   Ms. MONIQUE RICHARDS: It's just too much. It's like you want to be safe, but you don't want your -- you don't want to feel violated.

   COSTELLO: While a Gallup poll found 71 percent of regular fliers believe any loss of privacy from the scans or pat downs is worth it, the former LAPD terrorism and intelligence chief says, ultimately, the focus has to shift.

   Mr. ERROLL SOUTHERS (Former Los Angeles Airport Homeland Security Official): We've got to get to know our traveling public. We've got to understand how to find the bomber instead of the bomb.

   COSTELLO: But today, the biggest travel problem has nothing to do with the TSA ; instead, it was a computer crash at Spirit Airlines . Spirit says that, in fact, its computers have been up and running since about noon. Minimal delays there. The FAA says tonight it has some delays because of wind in the New York area. But beyond that, Lester , systemwide, a very smooth day for traveling.

   HOLT: All right. Tom Costello tonight, thanks.

   LESTER HOLT, anchor (Kabul, Afghanistan): Millions more Americans are making their Thanksgiving journey by car. I want to show you a picture that's pretty typical of what's going on tonight. It's the New Jersey turnpike between New York City and Philadelphia . The AAA anticipates 94 percent of people traveling 50 miles or more this Thanksgiving will be doing so by car.

   LESTER HOLT, anchor (Kabul, Afghanistan): The weather is going to be a major factor, the upper Midwest and West on this Thanksgiving holiday. Here was the scene in Fargo , North Dakota , which got hit with heavy snow today and where more is expected tomorrow. Heavy

   Show transcript