"Naked" X-Ray Scans At The Airport.. Your Thoughts?

[Mouse House Mama]

I'm on the fence here sort of. While I think we need tight security I would not want this scan used. Not so much for me because I am an adult, but for my kids. I don't care what you blur I don't want strangers looking at my children naked. I would rather not fly.

 

[Tiggernut_jadie]

That's the thing. There is a good chance a scan like this won't mean random searches won't happen. Also, in general, in countries other than the US, pat downs are a bit more, shall we say, thorough than they are here.

As I said in my initial post, these won't keep us from flying. I will endure and also subject my dds to the 15 - 30 seconds this will take. I doesn't mean that I will like it though, and this feeling like an invasion and making me uncomfortable is just part of who I am. I also don't like going to the doctor's for all those fun yearly exams, but I still do it.

The point is that these aren't 'random' searches. At present EVERYONE is being throughly frisked at security including young children. My friend's 13 year old DD in particular was VERY distressed at the body search and my friend is really worried how she'll react if this is done again on the way back home. If this was to continue I would welcome the body scanners - more for my DD than myself.

 

[mhsjax]

have you actually seen what the image looks like?

the local news did a story on this months ago....made a big deal about it during sweeps running promos for days. Watched the story, and was like..."that's it"?!?!? Calling them naked pictures of people is a far stretch over what we saw on the story.

Yep, I just saw them, and the reporter was told to put something over his private parts so they wouldn't be seen. Sorry but I stand by my opinion So yes I still call them naked pics. You couldn't show them on TV they would be viewed as nudity, so why shouldn't we call it that now. There is no way I would let my kids go through this and it does become something that is used then I won't fly anymore, I have only flown once in the past 10 years, so it won't bother me at all not to do it.

 

[merryweather20]

Where is the intrusion?Please explain why you feel that this scan wouldn't greatly reduce the number of these searches?If they didn't tell you about the scans, would you feel better about them?

They would still need to do the same aount of cavity searches. The machines don't see inside. So if someone had something in one of their orifices the scan would not catch it. Seems kind of worthless to me, since this is known the criminals will simply put all such material in their orifices.

 

[MiniGirl]

I fail to see how it is an intrusion, at all.

The simple fact is, if the person who viewed your scan took a break immediately afterwards and bumped into you in the concourse, he would not know that it was your scan that he/she saw.

Where is the intrusion?

Well, if you don't understand how being forced to allow someone to look at images of my body when I'd rather them not is an intrusion, then I don't think I could explain it to you.

Please explain why you feel that this scan wouldn't greatly reduce the number of these searches?

Because if the airports are on a high alert, they will still rely heavily on these searches. In the same way other security measures haven't stopped it, this won't either. The search the previous poster talked about was probably done in response to recent events. My dh who also just flew out on an international flight experienced the same thing, and he is a crew member.

If they didn't tell you about the scans, would you feel better about them?

Do you mean is ignornace bliss? Or what I don't know won't hurt me? Sure. In the same way it didn't bother me that someone had posted a pic of my dd on the internet without my permission -- until I saw it, that is. Then it bothered me a great deal. What is your point though? Are you suggesting that airports use the scans and just simply not tell the public they are using them?

Oh and whether or not the person who veiwed the scan would recognize me in the airport immediately afterwards really has nothing to do with anything.

Look, we just have different comfort levels. I don't see what the big deal is, and I'm not saying that you or anyone else here is wrong to be okay with this. I just am not, and nothing said on a message board will change that.

 

[zippitydoo]

I went thru one once and I did not like it at all. I felt extremely violated. Once you go thru they make you wait in a little area to see if it was ok for me to continue thru to go to my gate. Lets just say that the person looking at my image and the person waiting in the area with us were making comments about me and my piercings that are hidden. I felt extremely uncomfortable.

 

[bicker]

I think it is fair for each person to make their own decision as to whether they want to participate in air travel, should this new security measure go into effect.

What I think is inappropriate (and I don't know, or care, whether anyone in this thread may have done so or not) is to assert that someone's "comfort level" should have bearing on whether this new security measure should go into effect, or not. Our own personal comfort levels are aspects that govern what we, ourselves, do. They do not serve as foundations on expectations placed onto others, or onto society.

 

[karen l]

The latest incident on Dec 25th involved a man entering this country on an international flight. Until every airport in the world uses the same screening method, it won't be enough to do full body scans here in the U.S. For some other countries, the equipment will be cost prohibitive.

 

[MiniGirl]

The point is that these aren't 'random' searches. At present EVERYONE is being throughly frisked at security including young children. My friend's 13 year old DD in particular was VERY distressed at the body search and my friend is really worried how she'll react if this is done again on the way back home. If this was to continue I would welcome the body scanners - more for my DD than myself.

You are right. I misspoke. The searches your friends experienced at gatwick was probably in response to recent events. Even after the scans are in use, if something like this were to happen again, these searches would still take place. The scans would not stop them. Standard procedure.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

The latest incident on Dec 25th involved a man entering this country on an international flight. Until every airport in the world uses the same screening method, it won't be enough to do full body scans here in the U.S. For some other countries, the equipment will be cost prohibitive.

I agree.

 

[IDoDis]

I saw some scans on the news and they looked like a person in an aluminum foil suit. I could see body creases, but that's it. It really didn't seem like that big of a deal. Those machines do take 3 times longer to get through though, so the wait time will drastically increase when going through security if everyone has to use them.

Like another poster stated, unless they are used world-wide, the machines wouldn't help if a flight was orginating from another country where the machines are not used.

 

[clovergirl5]

I went thru one once and I did not like it at all. I felt extremely violated. Once you go thru they make you wait in a little area to see if it was ok for me to continue thru to go to my gate. Lets just say that the person looking at my image and the person waiting in the area with us were making comments about me and my piercings that are hidden. I felt extremely uncomfortable.

Wow, that was quite rude.

 

[eliza61]

I have no problem with it. If it would have stop nutcase on the flight last week, I'm in.

Is the technology already in use anywhere?

 

[davidsprincess]

I don't have an issue with the body scanner images...a believe me when I say a naked image - even a fuzzy one - of me would not be a pretty sight!

Personally I would far rather have this done - and allow my DD who's 9 to have it done to - than a physical search. I have friends who flew to Orlando (from London Gatwick) yesterday and they were all given a full body search...including their three kids (girls aged 9 and 13 and a boy aged 5). I'd rather have a blurry, non-identifiable image to be taken of my child than a security person touching them all over!

I totally agree with the bolded part. I just got my first full body search done on the 17th when I flew for my grandpa-in-law's funeral. Security was good about it. When she had to check the inside of the waistband on my pants she let me know in advance. Same when she had to run her hands down my butt and around my b**bs. And this was all done in front of EVERYONE.

So for those that are modest, would you rather be padded down ALL OVER (and I do mean all over) each time you flew instead?

 

[Micca]

I'm ok with it especially if it meant I could bring my own Dr Pepper with me.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I'm ok with it especially if it meant I could bring my own Dr Pepper with me.

Seconded!

Mmmmmm... I love the Doctor.

 

[Mickey's Minion]

I have no problem with it. If it would have stop nutcase on the flight last week, I'm in.

Is the technology already in use anywhere?

Yes, Direct from TSA Website

* Albuquerque International Sunport Airport (Primary)
* Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Secondary)
* Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (Secondary)
* Denver International Airport (Secondary)
* Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (Secondary)
* Detroit Metro Airport (Secondary)
* Indianapolis International Airport (Secondary)
* Jacksonville International Airport (Secondary)
* McCarran International Airport (Primary)
* Los Angeles International Airport (Secondary)
* Miami International Airport (Primary)
* Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (Secondary)
* Raleigh-Durham International Airport (Secondary)
* Richmond International Airport (Secondary)
* Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (Secondary)
* San Francisco International Airport (Primary)
* Salt Lake City International Airport (Primary)
* Tampa International Airport (Secondary)
* Tulsa International Airport (Primary)

http://www.tsa.gov/approach/tech/imaging_technology.shtm

We live in a metro area with one of the airports currently using them. If you are randomly selected for a search, you have the choice of having a physical search by a TSA agent or standing in the machine.

As I said before, I would rather have some anonymous person glimpse a fuzzy picture of my body rather than having some stranger standing there putting their hands all over my body.

But to each their own. I would feel more violated being touched, others would feel more violated being scanned. As of now, the scanning is optional for every passenger in the US.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

If they begin this type of scanning, I will no longer fly... far too invasive for the average traveller and way too much room for abuse.

My thoughts exactly. I'm more likely to die in a car accident than in a terrorist threat, and I'm not willing to get naked before getting in my car either.

I have no problems with it. I'm not modest at all and think in this country we are way to ashamed of the human body.

Just because someone feels a need for privacy does not mean that we're ashamed of our bodies.

 

[LisaR]

If you are randomly selected for a search, you have the choice of having a physical search by a TSA agent or standing in the machine.

So are you saying the scan is only used if a person is randomly selected for a search (and the person doesn't want a physical search)? Not all travelers have to pick one or the other. I don't understand this. We have the equipment in place but we don't use it.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

So are you saying the scan is only used if a person is randomly selected for a search (and the person doesn't want a physical search)? Not all travelers have to pick one or the other. I don't understand this. We have the equipment in place but we don't use it.

Well... it wouldn't be the first idiotic thing we've done.