Body Scanning

[George Orwell]

Many people are concerned about abuses during the passenger screening process in U. S. airports. Travelers have expressed concern about:

• Being forced to go through the AIT machines also known as full-body scanners or “naked scanner” machines

• Unnecessary groping of passengers’ breast or genital areas

• Humiliating experiences including for disabled or transgendered passengers

• Lack of privacy during pat-downs

• Lack of respect for religious requirements.

https://secure.aclu.org/site/SSurvey?JS ... EY_ID=1440

[George Orwell]

Academics Send Letter to Holdren on Naked Body Scanners

The following letter was sent to John P. Holdren in April of this year by a number of University of California faculty members concerning the dangers of naked body scanners.

http://static.infowars.com/2010/11/i/me ... letter.pdf

[SpatialD]

Notaright, the letter TSA put in your luggage notifying you that they looked inside your luggage DOES NOT prove that all cargo inside the belly of the plane was screened. I'm not sure whether that will make sense to you, but I'm really responding for fear that there may be others who are under the same impression or think your argument makes sense. Much of the freight that is shipped by air by carriers like FedEx, UPS, and the Post Office (not talking about luggage here) is transported in the bellies of passenger aircraft. The majority of it is NOT screened in any meaningful or effective way. There are many other holes in the system where cargo loading is concerned.

Now, will this knowledge make you decide not to fly, or are you willing to accept the current level of risk (even if you would prefer better cargo screening in a perfect world)? If that level of risk is acceptable, surely you can live with me entering the flight deck without showing my penis to government agents or letting them touch it. And I would also think you'd be okay sitting next to a wheelchair-bound 80 year old lady who hadn't been molested either. What is being perpetrated by our government is indefensible and has nothing to do with passenger security.

I do think there is validity to the argument that says if you don't like it, don't fly. As long as the current rules are in place, that's exactly what I've chosen to do - what other choice do I have? That does not mean I won't fight here on the ground for the right to report back to work without being sexually harassed or molested, or for the basic Fourth Amendment rights and freedom of all Americans. But in the mean time, no, I'm not willing to subject myself or my loved ones to this abuse - and I never will as long as I am free to say no to it.

Good post, Kate, but I had to take a pill after I read this part:

NONE OF THE USPS FIRST CLASS POSTAGE IN THE BELLY OF PASSENGER PLANES THAT WEIGHS LESS THAN 1 LB IS BEING SCREENED. Why? Because it has 4th amendment rights according to the Post Office.

Along similar lines, I'm sure those who are unfamiliar will be happy to know that when we're overweight, the airline will remove passengers before bumping cargo. Maybe that's because your luggage won't pitch a fit when it arrives at the destination without you whereas, when it's the other way around, we know we're going to hear about it.

[santafe21]

I think we need some full disclosure on this board as to who thinks TSA intrusion is just dandy - and those who are appalled at such intrusions.

We are in this mess because of ISRAEL - period. We are at war because of Israel. Period. Jews on these boards tend to support what ever it takes to keep us killing Muslims - and they don't identify their obvious bias. I could never live in a place like Israel... it's a police state... unless you're a Jew.

To quote former IRA operative "We only have to be lucky once. You have to be lucky everyday."

Life in the West will become more and more restricted and monitored.... because we let American Jews control the dialogue on who is doing WHAT TO WHOM in the Middle East.

Save the anti semitism charge. I'm guilty as charged... and with good reason.

I do not want to live like this. And the new Nazi's of Palestine are the reason. Plain and simple.

Let's see em muscle the web owners... that's what they do - MUSCLE the world to THEIR needs - which are the only ones that matter.

so let's have some full disclosure.... I HATE TSA intrusion - and want us out of the Middle East and Islamic struggles. Oh, and I'm not a Jew.

NEXT ???

[countrykate]

First they told me "if you don't want to go through a metal detector, don't fly, just drive. That is your right.
Then they told me "if you don't want to take your shoes off, don't fly, just drive. That is your right.
Then they told me "if you don't want people to see you naked or place their hands all over your body, don't fly, just drive. That is your right.

What will they tell me next?

[willone]

I fly all the time and I'm willing to take the time for a body scan or a pat down to prevent another 9/11. Could 9/11 have been prevented if we had the security measures we have now in place then? Take the time your waiting for that body scan or pat down to think about all of the people that lost a life, a loved one durring 9/11 and ask yourself then if your willing to trade security to avoid a scan or pat down. The Fourth Ammendment was drafted a long time ago way before 9/11 let's all grow up and take a lesson from our history so that it doesn't repeat itself. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE SCAN OR PAT DOWN THEN DON'T FLY! your not bieng forced to fly but if you want to fly deal with the security measures PLEASE!

[useyerhead]

The problem is all the body scans and pat downs in the world can't prevent another 9/11.
These methods have not proven effective at anything other than causing massive privacy invasion.
And with the more aggressive pat down procedures, we can expect more inappropriate invasion, more refusals, more lawsuits, and more delays.
It's time for us, as passengers, to put our foot down and say enough is enough.

[testaimaging]

What if we could avoid all this???? What if we could scan all incoming people in an airport (those leaving for flights, those coming in for flights) and check their likenesses against the CIA/NSA/FBI/Moussad (sp???) data-bases to see if they are or resemble known terrorits? No one would be touched, or extensively search.

[freqtravelermd]

I got pulled into one of the new scanners at BWI last month (Baltimore-wash is where they often test new scanners, etc). I didn’t realize where I was headed until I got there, but that wasn’t the worst of it. After I went through the scanner, they virtually tore my luggage apart while a female TSA employee asked me a number of personal questions. She wanted to know where I was going, why, what was my business there, what business I was in, what was my educational background, etc. when I tried not to answer, she insisted she was just being “friendly” was there some reason I dint; want to be “friendly” to her. She also patted me down including touching my breast even though I went through the scanner. It was scary as hell, I felt like I was in Nazi Germany. What the HELL does my educational background have to do with anything? I do not “profile” in any way shape or form. This is all a gross invasion of privacy!!! We are losing our liberties! We are sure as heck giving a victory to the terrorist as we obliterate our democracy, and oh, BTW I was a 9/11 responder so I know horrific it can be.

[joeszot]

Concerning the new scanners at airports.....Flight crews shouldn’t have to go through this. All you need to do for them is retinal scans or thumbprints so you identify who they are. Pilots don’t need weapons to bring down airplanes, they can put it into a power dive at any time. Identifying who they are is the important thing. If you want to extend this to the public, you can add on a $25 surcharge to tickets for about 5 years to pay for the scanning equipment.