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Seems like TSA has enough on its hands without media organizations, like PBS, attempting to gin up additional controversy over the TSA pat-downs. We received numerous e-mails from PBS encouraging us to tweet about TSA experiences during travel over the holiday weekend. They were particularly interested in anecdotes about wait times and “how the new security measures and some passengers’ resistance are playing out.”

Was this spam? Were millions of others hit with the same e-mail?

The full message is below:

Tweet Your Thanksgiving Travel TSA

Screening Experience

Check Security Line Wait Times Using New iPhone App

Many travelers will have their first taste of the TSA’s new stricter security measures this week as the busy holiday travel season begins. With some passengers-rights groups urging people to opt out of security scanners on the day before Thanksgiving for more time-consuming pat-down screenings, the PBS NewsHour wants to know about your airport security experience.

Starting on Wednesday, tweet @NewsHour the time it took you to get through security — from the time you got in line until the time you put your shoes back on — and we might include your tweets in a future blog post and round-up of how the new security measures and some passengers’ resistance are playing out.

Here’s how to participate via Twitter:

  • Include the hashtag #TSATime in your tweet.
  • Be as specific as possible (Example: @NewsHour It took me 52 min. at #DCA at 9 am because I opted out of full-body scanner for #patdown. #TSATime)
  • Include the three-letter code for the airport where you were screened (Example: #LAX, #CMH, #MIA).

And don’t hesitate to provide more details or anecdotes about your experience as space permits. Quotes and observations are welcome. But make sure to keep the language clean and follow the rules at your airport.

If you’re traveling through a major U.S. airport, you can check how long other passengers report it is taking to get though security checkpoints. The information will also be available through the NewsHour’s free iPhone app and as an embeddable widget.

Click here for more information and an embed code: bit.ly/TSATime

Questions? Send us a tweet or an e-mail. Safe travels, everyone!