The Line Must Be Drawn Here

It’s too much to hope this is the start of an “I am Spartacus” movement, but this ExpressJet pilot shows us how we should all deal with the pickpockets and gorilla gropers who constitute the TSA, which now wants nudie pictures of you before you can board.

He. Said. No.

CNN) — A pilot who refused to submit to a full-body scan or the alternative pat down going through airport security said the procedures violate his rights.

Michael Roberts, a pilot for ExpressJet Airlines, refused a full-body scan last week at a Transportation Security Administration check point at Memphis International Airport in Memphis, Tennessee.

Opting out of scanning is permitted, but those who opt out must receive an enhanced pat down from a TSA employee.

“Pat down is misleading,” Roberts said. “They concentrate on the area between … the upper thighs and torso, and they’re not just patting people’s arms and legs, they’re grabbing and groping and prodding pretty aggressively.”

Roberts said TSA security measures are ineffective, and cited concerns for his rights and privacy in refusing the procedures.

“I was trying to avoid this assault on my person, and I’m not willing to have images of my nude body produced for some stranger in another room to look at either,” Roberts told CNN.

Full story here.

Here’s the best part, TSA’s rationale.

The TSA said in a statement that “security is not optional” and any person who refuses security screening is not allowed to fly.

“TSA’s responsibility is to keep the traveling public safe and we use an unpredictable variety of security techniques to carry out this mission,” the statement said.

“Crew members have access to sensitive areas of both airports and airplanes, making it necessary for all crew members to be subject to multiple layers of security.”

The pilot doesn’t need to smuggle on nail clippers or a Glock. He sits behind the wheel of a multi-ton, turbine powered, 400 mph guided missile.

Captain Michael Roberts, badass of the week, shows us how we can all take back our dignity.