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Comment by cperciva | Hacker News Reader

Two reasons. First, flying to Canada is simply a longer flight. Second, the USA has some rules concerning passengers on flights in US airspace; it's possible that people who couldn't attend a conference in the USA wouldn't be allowed to fly over the USA either.

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They mostly seem to have issues with flights that transit through the US, which you can avoid.

But the TSA requires airlines to list all passengers on flights travelling over US airspace, and can instruct an airline not to allow specific passengers onto that flight (or, presumably, not allow that airline to fly over its airspace).

That seems grossly excessive.

The TSA are just the goons who search passengers at the airport. They have nothing to do with what you've talking about.

The TSA are not goons. They are just doing their job. If you have a problem with what they do, talk to their boss or vote for the right person.

Most of the TSA people I know are normal people and have families,kids and stressful job with passengers being aggressive at them for no fault of theirs.

> They are just doing their job

The US does not regard this as a valid excuse. Cf. the Nuremberg trials.

They're only following orders? I feel like I've heard that one before, I just can't remember when.

TSA employees are free to quit and find another job that doesn't involve fleecing the public to create security theatre, harassing people for no good reason, etc. They choose not to, and they are responsible for their choices.

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