Be way of TSA this holiday season

Harken ye to the words of lyle . . . I will NOT be traveling this holiday season!

(Surely that will not damage the pocketbooks of the airlines. But if enough of us did it, it would matter. Lil ol' me won't matter much.)

TSA Hassles to Avoid During the Holidays November 15, 2010 3:51 pm by Carl Unger

With the holidays around the corner (I know: already?!), it's worth reviewing some of the TSA's new policies so you don't get tripped up at the airport.

* Secure Flight: This program requires all travelers to submit their full name, date of birth, and gender when booking tickets. TSA uses this information to cross-check the various no-fly and watch lists, and should actually benefit travelers by cutting down on the number of false matches.
Travelers must present this information—it's the only way to get a boarding pass—and will only hurt themselves if they submit incorrect info.
* Enhanced pat downs: Perhaps the best-known new TSA policy is the enhanced pat down, a far more thorough version of the standard pat down.
Travelers who trigger the metal detector or refuse a body scanner must go through this secondary screening process. There has been widespread backlash against the policy, culminating in a potential protest on November 24 in which travelers would opt-out of the scanners in favor of pat downs, thereby grinding the process to a halt.
* Belts off: In addition to shoes, belts must now be removed, even those with non-metallic belt buckles. Apparently belts interfere with body scanners.
No body scanner at your checkpoint? Doesn't matter. That belt is probably coming off anyway.
* Macbook Air: Unlike other laptops, the new 11-inch Macbook Air does not need to be removed at screening.

Readers, what are you looking out for this holiday season?