Photo by Markus Krisetya.

Going to the airport has always kind of sucked, hasn’t it? Long lines, terrible food, expensive parking, people running all over the place like headless chickens with rolling luggage — don’t even get me started on what it’s like if your flight gets delayed or you’re running late. That said, I can only imagine how messy things might be after all the recent hubbub about the Transportation Security Administration’s new screening policies. Combine the fact that full-body images have been leaked to the internet, many complaints that the security “pat-downs” are basically molestation and the protests for a mass airport opt-out with the fact that holiday travel out of D.C. will likely be busier and more confusing than last year — and Washingtonian air travelers will no doubt be looking at some real travel headaches over the next couple of months.

The TSA doesn’t really seem to mind, though. Consider, for instance, this quip from TSA Administrator John Pistole — and then try and argue that the airport is the absolute last place anyone will want to be this holiday season, even if they don’t object to the new security measures.

Pistole told the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs that his inspectors at 453 of the nation’s airports are not going to back down in the face of complaints that techniques are invasive.

He said they try to strike a balance between privacy and security needs. “We want to be sensitive to people’s feelings about privacy,” he said. “We have to ensure that each person getting on every flight is secure.”

Asked by Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) about groups that objected to all forms of search on religious grounds, Pistole was unambiguous: “While we respect that person’s beliefs, that person’s not going to get on an airplane.”

Sounds delightful, especially now that the agency is involving people’s religious beliefs in all of this! National, Dulles and BWI all have installed the controversial body scanners and will be performing those “pat-downs” this holiday season. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got train tickets to purchase.