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

[disfan07]

I agree with PPs who say that in this country we are way overly PC and we have more issues with being modest than most people do in other countries.

I think this would be a great idea. 1) its not like you can tell who the freakin person is. its an outline. It could be you or it could be joe blow across the country. 2) personally, i think theres less of an issue with these than with pat downs...how can anyone think these are less invasive than pat down searches?????

I was exposed more when I had my EP study. I had my cardiologist sticking things in my groin and i had 3 (very cute of course) male nurses in the room as well and placing electrodes, etc all over WHILE I WAS AWAKE and believe me...they could see everything....thsi whole modesty thing is BS in my opinion.
Im probably never going to see the same TSA agent again....and if i do they wont rememebr me....yet i'll let my doctors and nurses see me naked and exposed and you bet you butt i'll be seeing them again....heck, i'm sitting here right now in my hospital room and believe me in the past 48 hours more people have seen me exposed from every which way than anyone would with this scan...i just dont understand the issue

 

[ford family]

Except, could you please point out where on this person's trip the TSA had ANY involvement or input?

We fly several times a year with Delta out of London Gatwick. All passengers are interviewed on behalf of the TSA in the check in or baggage drop line. Being a US airline flying to the US, all aspects of the Delta flight are predetermined by the TSA.

ford family

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

it's already such a hassle to fly now as it is, and i don't think having someone able to see a naked photo of me makes me feel more comfortable traveling. if anything it makes me more uncomfortable, what if those somehow get leaked or something??

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

How?

The computers that receive the image from the scanner have no storage capacity at all, so no image is stored longer than it is on the screen to do a security check. Once the person is cleared, it is erased so the next person's image can come up. There is no way to store the image to transfer it to TMZ.

Nobody can hack into the computers to get the images because none are stored.

The guards are not allowed to have any kind of cell phone or any kind of imaging equipment when they are in the room to take pictures of the image.

There is no identifiers on any of the scanned images. The person in the booth reviewing the images has no idea who he is looking at.

Back scatter imaging technology is used to make the image look like a chalk outline, further blurring it from identification.

TMZ or even Playboy/girl wouldn't even be remotely interested in blurred, unidentifiable images.

oh PLEASE! yeah that's what they're TELLING us....but how do we ACTUALLY know if there's no way for those images to be saved or leaked somehow??

i'm sorry, i don't trust anyone, not even the TSA or the government......i only trust myself.

 

[bicker]

And the country, reasonably, doesn't trust any random airline passenger's word that they're not a terrorist. So we're back to some folks being concerned about fuzzy images of their bodies, up against other folks being concerned about the lives of dozens of other passengers.

Those concerned about lives "win".

 

[Carly_Roach]

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.

My thoughts exactly. This recent experience was of a man flying in from two different countries. Scanning Americans daily on domestic flights would not have stopped this young man from doing what he did. Heck, even limiting liquids to the everyday flying American public couldn't have possibly stopped this young man.

He came in from Denmark, people. Not America.

They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

-Benjamin Franklin

IMO it doesn't matter if the scans are fuzzy or crystal clear, they're invasive and I can see great potential for misuse of those images. One example: instead of finding yourself on The People of Walmart website, you may someday see yourself on "The Fatties of America" website. And once those images are on the web, there's no taking them back. Sue all you want, have the website take them down. But it won't matter: once it's on the web, it's viral. And it's there for the rest of your natural-born life.

These scans will do absolutely nothing to make us safer. If a terrorist is hell-bent on bringing down a plane, then they will find a way. Giving up my liberty and privacy every day isn't going to stop that and it opens a whole new door on what others can do what I've blindly chosen to give up.

 

[Carly_Roach]

And the country, reasonably, doesn't trust any random airline passenger's word that they're not a terrorist. So we're back to some folks being concerned about fuzzy images of their bodies, up against other folks being concerned about the lives of dozens of other passengers.

Those concerned about lives "win".

You are most welcome to your opinion. My opinion is that it doesn't matter how far we go with this - even to the point of every American having to have a full strip-down body cavity search - if someone wants to blow up a plane, they will blow up a plane.

I'm not giving up my right to privacy on the .00125% chance that someday, somehow, somewhere, someone might blow up some plane. Sorry. Not going to happen.

If that makes you think I'm a selfish loser, then fine. I can live with that.

 

[bicker]

And to be clear, I did say earlier, Carly, that I think it is perfectly fine for folks who are concerned about these fuzzy body images to decide to do without airline transportation. I disagreed with those who would assert you're a "selfish loser" or in any other way denigrate your personal choice to avoid flying, should this security measure be introduced.

 

[Disney Ella]

It's true that body scanners won't absolutely prevent anyone from finding a way to blow up a plane, but scanners will reduce the chances of an attack and cause potential terrorists to reevaluate their plans because of the increased risk of detection. To me, that's worth it. And if someone somehow finds a way put a grainy, blurry, black and white image of me on the Internet, that's fine with me.

 

[ford family]

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.

Not so. The focus here is on flights to the US. Relatively few airports in the world have direct flights to the US and all of those are from major cities who either have the new equipment or can afford it.
It would be no surprise if airports with departures to the US started charging a "security fee" to offset such costs.

ford family

 

[ford family]

He came in from Denmark, people. Not America.

Wasn't it Amsterdam?

ford family

 

[eliza61]

You are most welcome to your opinion. My opinion is that it doesn't matter how far we go with this - even to the point of every American having to have a full strip-down body cavity search - if someone wants to blow up a plane, they will blow up a plane. I'm not giving up my right to privacy on the .00125% chance that someday, somehow, somewhere, someone might blow up some plane. Sorry. Not going to happen.

If that makes you think I'm a selfish loser, then fine. I can live with that.

Probably very true. but I can make it damn hard for him/her to do it. If some one wants to put me on the "Fatties of America" website and it saves a few hundred lives. Scan this over weight 50 year old away.

 

[Tantor]

Honestly, I'd rather someone see me "naked" than have my plane crash because someone was let on board with explosives.

 

[shrubber]

Here is a question.
The full body scan machines cost better than $250,000.
A fully trained bomb sniffing dog costs $10,000.
Both would have to have operators of course.

Why do we not choose to use dogs?

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Probably very true. but I can make it damn hard for him/her to do it. If some one wants to put me on the "Fatties of America" website and it saves a few hundred lives. Scan this over weight 50 year old away.

What if someone put your child on a website? Would you feel the same way?

 

[NatashaDisneyCM]

well, I have not read all posts, but watching the Boston area news they said that Logan WILL be getting these, but the good news for people who do not want the scan, you can be pat down! and you have the choice! so that takes care of that!
again, if it is going to save someone, I have no problem with a x~ray scan.

 

[FireDancer]

What if someone put your child on a website? Would you feel the same way?

I've yet to see medical imagine on any website yet people still get those done. In the images I have seen it would be impossible to tell who the scan is of. Sure, they can say it is you or me or anyone but there is no way to tell so I don't care. Heck, someone can take on of the images and say it is any of us right now, it doesn't make it so.

This is the beauty of choice. Since airline travel isn't a necessity, even for going oversees no one has to be subjected to these scans if they do not want. I don't feel our government should walk into everyone's house and scan us, that would be invasive. To require it as a security measure to do something non-essential I have no problem with.

 

[DawnCt1]

"Those who would do us harm", (the euphemism for terrorists) come from a certain demographic with a few exceptions. Women have become part of that scenario in certain countries. Would that demographic 'allow their' women to be subjected to full body scans when many of them cannot be in public uncovered? Just a question, but I think I know the answer to that.

What I heard on the news this morning is that this bomb would have been successful, had not the liquid portion of the device NOT melted the plastic syringe causing it to malfunction. I am from the days of nursing where glass syringes were used for many procedures. All but for a glass syringe.....

 

[eliza61]

Here is a question.
The full body scan machines cost better than $250,000.
A fully trained bomb sniffing dog costs $10,000.
Both would have to have operators of course.

Why do we not choose to use dogs?

What if someone put your child on a website? Would you feel the same way?

There is currently a shortage of bomb sniffing dogs and first priority is currently the military in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Of course I would not want my kid picture on the internet but since my kids probably have more to be afraid of from their sport coaches (most child molesters are some one the kid knows) than a random stranger working in an airport. I'll take my chances and let my kids get scanned.

The images don't seem to be any more detailed than when my kids get x-rays and I don't worry about the hospital staff selling their pictures or for that fact the school photographer who take my kids pictures that are crystal clear and include his name could probably do more damage than the airport security staff.

 

[mariolatry]

Am I the only one who is terribly afraid about dying in a terrorist attack? Statistically it is still very rare. I'm more likely to die in a accident. The issue is that TSA needs to look like they're doing something, in order to calm people's fears. I just don't feel like it's going to solve the problem. Mark my words, if there is another major terrorist attack on mass transportation, it will be from someone infiltrating the industry as an employee. Far more effective, with a higher probable casualty rate.