TSA Full Body Scanners

[SchoolGirlHeart]

Women - you don't care if a man views your image?

Nope. If it works as advertised, the person viewing is sitting in another room and the passenger's face is blurred, so they can't even tell who I am. I look at it as similar to a doctor's office visit: I don't like disrobing for the doctor, male or female, but it has to be done sometimes. I prefer the full image scanner a hundred times over to the enhanced pat down.

Perhaps some of my not trusting the TSA right now, especially out of SeaTac, is because a SeaTac TSA Supervisor was recently arrested for stealing items out of people's luggage.

It's liable to be misused but imho it's better than a plane being blown out of the sky. Hopefully supervisors will do their jobs and keep and eye on things. But until something better comes along...

[AlbatrossFlyer]

Okay - has anyone actually gone through one? Can you tell us your experience?

yup.... can't get back into the US from Toronto without going thru one. Sorta like stepping into a revolving door without the door. Raise your arms. Stand there for about 20 secs, step out. My only beef it's completely messed up a pretty good passenger screening process flow. The airport had just finished redesigning the security area and had a pretty efficient passenger flow. Then about a month later the US mandated their use at foreign airports. They're big and take up alot of floor space.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

Okay - has anyone actually gone through one? Can you tell us your experience?

yup.... can't get back into the US from Toronto without going thru one. Sorta like stepping into a revolving door without the door. Raise your arms. Stand there for about 20 secs, step out. My only beef it's completely messed up a pretty good passenger screening process flow. The airport had just finished redesigning the security area and had a pretty efficient passenger flow. Then about a month later the US mandated their use at foreign airports. They're big and take up alot of floor space.

Twenty seconds is a long time compared to the 2-3 seconds it takes to walk through the metal detector. Imagine it's *really* slowed down the whole security process?

[txaggirl91]

I went through one coming back from Corpus Christi of all places.

Very easy and much more plesant than the air puff machine. They did have to pat down my left side. I'm thinking it was because of my watch.

The pat down was a better experience this time than some of them after 9/11. When they were doing the checks at the gate there was little to no privacy.

[ph4ever]

Okay - has anyone actually gone through one? Can you tell us your experience?

yup.... can't get back into the US from Toronto without going thru one. Sorta like stepping into a revolving door without the door. Raise your arms. Stand there for about 20 secs, step out. My only beef it's completely messed up a pretty good passenger screening process flow. The airport had just finished redesigning the security area and had a pretty efficient passenger flow. Then about a month later the US mandated their use at foreign airports. They're big and take up alot of floor space.

Twenty seconds is a long time compared to the 2-3 seconds it takes to walk through the metal detector. Imagine it's *really* slowed down the whole security process?

Does everyone have to go through one, or do they select people now and then. If everyone has to go through one I may need to arrive at SeaTac 4 hours before my flight!!!

[ph4ever]

I went through one coming back from Corpus Christi of all places.

Very easy and much more plesant than the air puff machine. They did have to pat down my left side. I'm thinking it was because of my watch.

The pat down was a better experience this time than some of them after 9/11. When they were doing the checks at the gate there was little to no privacy.

Was it one of those "enhanced pat down" using their palms?

[txaggirl91]

Everyone in Corpus had to go thru it.

[ph4ever]

Everyone in Corpus had to go thru it.

So did it take any longer to get through security than it would have prior?

[txaggirl91]

It wasn't really busy but the time to get scan and wait for the all clear wasn't any longer than other times.

Now trying to return the rental car... That's a different story.

[flyboy55]

These things are very expensive but they aren't foolproof.

There is already a very obvious way of getting something past a TSA full body scanner without detection - enclosed in a small container placed up the rectum. Fluids, knife blades and many other items can be carried in this fashion and the full body scanner won't pick them up. Get enough of these folks together on a flight and they could assemble a Volkswagen in the lavatory.

The TSA should be putting a lot more resources into separating out potential threats from the general traveling public instead of treating each and every traveler like a potential terrorist. Our airports should be staffed with a lot more agents trained in behavioral observation.

Forget the full body scanners. Just look for the folks who can't sit down and walk like they have a 2x4 stuck up their backside.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

The TSA should be putting a lot more resources into separating out potential threats from the general traveling public instead of treating each and every traveler like a potential terrorist. Our airports should be staffed with a lot more agents trained in behavioral observation.

Trouble is if they don't treat everyone alike the ACLU and others start screaming about profiling...

I agree **100%** that we should have many, many more agents trained in behavioral observation. Agents should also be asking a few simple questions when they check IDs (where are you headed today? what time is your flight?) just to check for nerves, etc.

[Elrod]

The TSA should be putting a lot more resources into separating out potential threats from the general traveling public instead of treating each and every traveler like a potential terrorist. Our airports should be staffed with a lot more agents trained in behavioral observation.

Trouble is if they don't treat everyone alike the ACLU and others start screaming about profiling...

Let 'em scream. I'm deaf in one ear and hard of hearing in the other.

[Crazy Navy Flyer]

Bring back the profiling, scru the aclu. But that's just my educated opinion. Better yet, let's run security like they do in Tel Aviv.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

The TSA should be putting a lot more resources into separating out potential threats from the general traveling public instead of treating each and every traveler like a potential terrorist. Our airports should be staffed with a lot more agents trained in behavioral observation.

Trouble is if they don't treat everyone alike the ACLU and others start screaming about profiling...

Let 'em scream. I'm deaf in one ear and hard of hearing in the other.

Oh, I don't care if they scream, either, but the courts then have a tendency to suspend programs, etc and in this case that makes us a little less secure.

[tikitatas]

Hey . . . scan away. After sentinel node dye scans, CT scans, MRIs, etc. 20 seconds of fame is nothing . . .

[SchoolGirlHeart]

Hey . . . scan away. After sentinel node dye scans, CT scans, MRIs, etc. 20 seconds of fame is nothing . . .

I'm sorry, Cate, I know this isn't a laughing matter, but you just really hit my funny bone!

[Tequila Revenge]

500 airports are scheduled to have these installed by the end of the year and many airports already have them. Another 500 are scheduled to be installed next year.

Here in Seattle the radio talk shows are buzzing about them because they are set to go live here in Seattle next month.

My first thought was well I have nothing to hide so no big deal; TSA doesn't keep the images. WRONG The more and more I listen to the talk shows about these the more apprehensive I become. I've thought no big deal I'll just opt for the pat down. But now that's all changed because "enhanced pat down" that TSA has launched. So basically now TSA will feel you up if you don't go through their full body scanner.

So I thought I'd take it to BN. What are your thoughts on a full body scanners?

I saw some short news story about pat downs @ Logan in Boston that looked like something that should be done at a Buffett tailgate, not at an airport. The agent was running his/hers (not sure which) hand down a woman's chest and went right between her boobs. Seems a bit excessive for me.

Mrs. TR has two fake hips now AND a pacemaker. Honest, she's really in good health.... just a bunch of weird crap all at once. Anyway, she get's the pat down at every airport, including the between the boobies becasue of the pacer. One TSA agent told her she enjoys doing the pacemaker pat downs.... we both thought that was strange.

I hope the ONE thing airport security does is keep people watching/being aware of the other passengers on the airplane.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

One TSA agent told her she enjoys doing the pacemaker pat downs.... we both thought that was strange.

Ewww.... that would have meant noting the agent's name and writing a strongly worded letter, for me...

[tikitatas]

Hey . . . scan away. After sentinel node dye scans, CT scans, MRIs, etc. 20 seconds of fame is nothing . . .

I'm sorry, Cate, I know this isn't a laughing matter, but you just really hit my funny bone!

S'OK, Jen . . . I'm just not easily ruffled by privacy matters as much now . . .

[SharkOnLand]

Everyone in Corpus had to go thru it.

Did you still have to take off your shoes and put them through the xray machine? 20 seconds in a body scanner seems better than the hassle of taking off your shoes and putting them back on.