Travel musings

[belmikey]

The more I hear about the body-scanner/enhanced pat-down crap that is gradually being imposed by the TSA as the body scanners come on line, the more irritated I become

Comments

[aryanhwy]

Can you give me pointers to studies showing the full-body scanners are not safe?

They've got them at Schiphol and I've been through them a number of times. I find them much preferable to the alternatives since I don't have to take my shoes off (I have found one pair of shoes that doesn't set off the security alarms).

[belmikey]

All X-Rays have a safety risk.

This article specifically addresses the scanners:

http://news.ucsf.edu/news-briefs/details/ucsf-scientists-speak-out-against-airport-full-body-scans/

[aryanhwy]

Thanks for the link. As for the first claim, I rather treat that like "going out of the house has a safety risk" or "eating food has a safety risk": Sure, it exists, but the risks are so minimal that either you can continue living your life or you can be completely housebound and not do or touch or eat anything, and that would suck.

[mhaithaca]

I think it's a fairly minimal, even acceptable, health risk for occasional flyers. I fly three or four times a year, and the exposure is probably negligible for that many iterations. Where I see a much more valid concern is for airline pilots and flight attendants who would be going through these imaging devices three or four times a week, as well as, frankly, for TSA employees who will be standing next to them constantly. They're much more open and thus harder to shield than the X-ray conveyor-belt scanners, though even those pose a real concern to their operators.

[saraidh]

I've been thinking about that too, since there's a non zero chance I may have to travel for work in December, which case I may effectively not have a choice.

This summary of an encounter with the TSA was recorded.

[sal_e_peters]

I love it when you speak civil disobedience!

[ladydairine]

There are also 2 kinds of scanners, one that uses x-rays and one that does not. Larger airports are getting the x-ray kind, but many smaller airports are getting the other kind.
Since I can't afford the time to drive (or take the train to) to the places that I would be flying, I am opting for the pat down.
http://www.npr.org/assets/news/2010/05/17/concern.pdf

[alienorh]

I was gropped at the Milwaukee airport and not given the option of an Xray. Quite frankly,it shocked the hell out of me. My boyfriend doesn't touch me like that in public. In fact, since childhood, we are told NOT to let people touch you like that. I have no desire to fly again. And I used to love it. I'm sure once I decide to go to Europe again, I'll have to deal. But I was disgusted and pissed but dealt with it because I wanted to get on the damn plane.