Despite the national controversy over air passenger security screening, operations at Honolulu Airport went smoothly yesterday, one of the year’s busiest travel days.

There were some fears expressed that an Internet-launched boycott of the body scanners — dubbed "National Opt-Out Day" — would worsen the usual travel crunch on Thanksgiving eve.

But many departing travelers yesterday appeared to opt for the full-body scanner, rather than subject themselves to a pat-down by Transportation Security Administration agents.

By most accounts nationally, lines moved smoothly and there was no more or less congestion at major U.S. airports than in previous years.

"Status quo right now; we don’t see anything significantly different from last Thanksgiving," said Glen Kajiyama, TSA security director at Honolulu Airport. "We want to thank the public for their partnership and their patience. They’re the most critical link in this whole process."

Kajiyama said that earlier in the month there were some travelers asking about what the new measures entailed.

"But once we explain it to the passengers, they’re pretty comfortable with it," he said.

The most visible sign of resistance yesterday came from members of the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii, who were at the overseas terminal handing out informational fliers and stickers that declare, "I object! No naked scans, no groping."

"The American public should have a say in what happens to us, particularly when we’re looking at national security and balancing that with our right to privacy," ACLU attorney Laurie Temple said. "There should’ve been some public input."

Tex Hall, a federal contractor who was flying home to Marlow, Okla., from Honolulu, called the searches "ridiculous" and a waste of the federal government’s efforts.

"I thought it was a bunch of garbage that you can’t profile somebody," Hall said. "If you spend too much time, energy, effort on searching everyone every way, you haven’t focused your search procedures where they need to be on, where you can get the biggest bang for your buck."

Caron McCorvey, who was catching a flight back to Atlanta, said she was scanned, then searched. She said she was upset that TSA agents didn’t tell her why they also had to pat her down.

She said she cooperated because she just wanted to get to her destination. She said she has mixed feelings about the searches.

"I want us to be safe flying, but I think some things are a little ridiculous," McCorvey said.