Controversial Full Body Scanners in Use
Tuesday, January 6th 2009
Many of these new methods are welcome. Checkpoint lanes reserved for families are a positive change for families and inexperienced travelers. They can receive extra help from security personnel without having to worry about slowing up the standard lines.
Other changes are a bit more controversial, but still welcome by most people. An example of this is the specially trained behavior specialists being deployed at checkpoints around the country. These security professionals are trained to detect abnormal behavior in passengers. Some people are worried that, as nervous travelers, they will be pulled aside even though they are not threatening. However, the system of behavior analysis is still being perfected and will be much more effective by the time it becomes regular security practice.
Personal privacy advocates are up in arms about another security measure being tried at several airports around the country. Passengers are being selected at random for full body scans in a new scanning machine. The machines emit much less radiation that x-ray machines and are considered safe by medical professionals. However, the full body scan is something akin to x-ray glasses, meaning, at least according to critics, the TSA official monitoring the body scan machine will see you without your clothes. The picture is more like an x-ray than an actual photo in quality.
Passengers have the right to request a hand pat down rather than a body scan. Which is more invasive? It depends on who you ask.