I gave a nod to the Fourth Amendment when I responded to moondog with one of my experiences while on my way to visit him. However, as I also noted there, the reason I didn't say anything to the TSA people at the time is because anyone with basic knowledge of Constitutional law would've simply reminded me that the Constitution simply protects against unreasonable searches: It does NOT guarantee the right to interstate air travel. As long as people can opt out it's no more a civil liberties violation than requiring drivers to be licensed by the state.

I'm not really thrilled about any of this, nor looking forward to the travel next time I visit my family Stateside (for one thing, a transatlantic flight is slow torture for smokers; do you have Gloria Allreds number? ) It could be vastly improved, and the above mention of behavioral profiling seems a very promising example of how. I'm fairly certain the current system is quite Constitutional, however. If we swallowed the "PATRIOT" Act monitoring our library cards, banning books and authorizing government phone and computer surveillance it's a crime to mention even if you discover it, this is small potatoes.