New airport scanners.

[Upsidedown Fuji]

The body scanners and the new enhanced molestation pat-downs the United States TSA guards are now allowed to do are absolutely repulsive to me. They add no more safety to flying. This only gives more of your freedom away to big brother.

I am so not looking forward to visiting my family for Christmas this year. If I am asked to go through the scanner I will request a pat down instead. I would refuse both if I didn't have to get back to work right away but I can't afford to be stuck in the US or until I could find a ship to float me from California to any harbor in Japan.

Hell, if I could I would start taking boats.

[Anapan]

Here's a solution to all the controversy over full-body scanners at the airports. Have a booth that you can step into that will not X-ray you, but will detonate any explosive device you may have on you.

It would be a win-win for everyone, there would be none of this crap about racial profiling and this method would eliminate a long and expensive trial.

Justice would be quick and swift. Case Closed!

This is so simple that it's brilliant. I can see it now: you're in the airport terminal and you hear a muffled explosion. Shortly thereafter an announcement comes over the PA system,

"Attention standby passengers we now have a seat available on flight number...

[gtmtnbiker]

Not everyone who goes through the checkout line is scanned. It's just the people who are randomly selected for the check. I recently went through twice and didn't have to be scanned or checked. Same for the rest of my family.

[Upsidedown Fuji]

It's not the fact that everybody doesn't get back-scatter scanned. It's the principle of ramping up "security" measures that really don't add any security that wasn't already there. Plus, virtual strip searches without probable cause. Even regular street cops can't do that to you, yet a branch of the Federal government can? Pretty scary crap if you ask me.

[gtmtnbiker]

It's not the fact that everybody doesn't get back-scatter scanned. It's the principle of ramping up "security" measures that really don't add any security that wasn't already there. Plus, virtual strip searches without probable cause. Even regular street cops can't do that to you, yet a branch of the Federal government can? Pretty scary crap if you ask me.

You really can't say that it doesn't add more security. If it makes someone have second thoughts on bringing weapons/explosives on the plane, then it's working. I don't have a problem with the searches or the scanners. If you don't like it, then it's simple....don't fly.

[AppleQueso]

If you don't like it, then it's simple....don't fly.

Except that's not always a reasonable option.

[Hatta]

Finally, the radiation exposure is reportedly small (and I'm trusting that this part was actually checked by serious scientists

Why would you think that? It's all top secret, you don't get to check their certification the way you do if you go to the dentist. The TSA drones are just that, drones, not radiological technicians. They don't even tell you how many rads you are going to be exposed to. Do they even know what a rad is? Rad Tech's go through 2 years of training, can we trust these TSA thugs to even keep the machine in calibration?

As for "if you don't like it, don't fly", our constitution protects us from unreasonable searches by the government. If it were just airline policy, and I could choose another airline that would be fine. But the TSA is the government and this is unreasonable. No other country in the entire world puts their citizens through this. They don't even use backscatter machines in Israel. If they can deal with the very large threat of terrorism without X-rays, then we can deal with the much small risk of terrorism without them.

Man, I get sick to death of all the craven bootlickers in this country. What ever happened to "land of the free, home of the brave"?

[Upsidedown Fuji]

If you don't like it, then it's simple....don't fly.

This is not an option in my case as it is for business people and others who require air travel as an integral part of their line of work.

I can't drive across the Pacific Ocean from Japan to see my family and friends I haven't seen in 3 consecutive years. So yeah, of course I could choose not to fly but we as customers could also choose to fight to keep our rights while they're still open to be fought for.

So yeah it's nothing right now...it's easy peasy, just walk through a silly scanner and be done with it... It seems harmless on the surface in the name of security but its all just for show.

First we had to remove liquids from our bags, then we had to take off our shoes, now we have to walk through scanners that can see beyond clothing or get fondled by a high school graduate. Once somebody foils the body scanner, they'll go for even more invasive searches like random cavity searches. Don't think it can happen haha, just wait.

[gtmtnbiker]

This is not an option in my case as it is for business people and others who require air travel as an integral part of their line of work.

I can't drive across the Pacific Ocean from Japan to see my family and friends I haven't seen in 3 consecutive years.

Before planes, there were boats. You can still take a boat across the ocean if you so desire. Or change your job to not require flying.

For all of those who criticize these increased security measures, what do you propose should be done? Nothing?

As for the Israeli way, I had a friend who was subjected to 3 hour questioning (this was before 9/11), a body search which resulted him in missing his flight. He was probably acting like a punk and they wanted to put him in his place.

Instead of bitching/moaning about something, let's hear some realistic solutions.

[Ivo]

Finally, the radiation exposure is reportedly small (and I'm trusting that this part was actually checked by serious scientists

Why would you think that? It's all top secret, you don't get to check their certification the way you do if you go to the dentist. The TSA drones are just that, drones, not radiological technicians. They don't even tell you how many rads you are going to be exposed to. Do they even know what a rad is? Rad Tech's go through 2 years of training, can we trust these TSA thugs to even keep the machine in calibration?

I know it is debatable if it is or is not checked for radiation levels properly, which is why I included the disclaimer.

I actually don't think it is a strong dose as it just goes through the clothes and scatters back from skin depth. I'm strongly convinced we are subjected to far worse from the flight itself, or from having X-rays check-ups etc (granted, the risk is higher, but the benefit is also, so the whole risk-benefit is different).
So what I do think it is not worth the added dose for what it is doing (IMO, not much) and that the small, negligible extra risk for the radiation is not worth it for what I think is smaller (perhaps non-existing) risk-loss in terrorism prevention

That negligible terrorism prevention is certainly not worth the added hassle and violation of privacy - those are not extra risks, those are guaranteed with these measures in place (sadly).

Ivo.