Distracted Driving

National Opt-Out Day a dud

Sea-Tac security line

I spent Wednesday hanging around Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) wandering from one security checkpoint to another in case there was any interesting mass opt-out action I could report on for a story being put together by msnbc.com.

But, as you can tell from the headline of the story – Planned airport protests fail to take off there was no mass opt-out action.

In fact, on what is traditionally one of the busiest travel days of the year, Sea-Tac, like a lot of other airports around the country, was remarkably empty.  According to a police officer riding by on a Segway, the biggest problem at the airport was the 40-minute line at the Starbucks outlet just beyond security.

The checkpoint  lines I was monitoring were so empty that the TSA employees on duty had plenty of time to be jolly. They were showering travelers with courtesy (“Step right up. We’ve been waiting for you. What a nice jacket!”) and waving at folks passing by.

Even the planned opt-out demonstration was a fizzle. Less than a half dozen people showed up to hand out pamphlets (“What the Transportation Security Administration isn’t telling you…”) and there were few takers.

Opt-out a fizzle

Of course, not everyone flies somewhere for Thanksgiving. A lot of folks stay home and plenty of people take to the roads.

If you do drive somewhere this weekend, here’s a handy map with information about the state-by-state distracted driving laws.  The map was put together by the folks at iZUP using information published by the Governors Highway Safety Administration.