If going through airport security you were selected for secondary screening, which method would you prefer?

I am a 65 year old woman. They damn well better have "probabale cause" to use this scan or I will volunteer myself to the ACLU and take it to the supreme court, if necessary. We have a RIGHT to some privacy...at least the last time I checked the Constitution!!

Would you prefer less detail and make it easier to smuggle box cutters or explosives on board?

Ha i think they just prefer anything they can use to scream about something.

It's just a sketchy greyscale picture of you in your undies, who cares. There are too many people with body issues in this country. I don't know what the big problem is. Do you think there is some sicko masterbating in the booth to your body scan?

When backscatter radar was first described, I thought that a way to fund that invasive technology was to form two lines: The victims passengers on the left, the $5 a peep pervs on the right; that could subsidize the machines in no time.

Hey, is that bellybutton lint?

WraithGT

Do you think there is some sicko masterbating in the booth to your body scan?

Would that surprise you so much?

The question is, where do we draw the line and insist that bin Laden not be allowed to destroy America? Too many people assume al Qaida is a bunch of camel-humping rag-heads. And yet, bin Laden made it clear that he never expected 9/11 to destroy America directly. He expected the fall-out from 9/11 to destroy America, bit-by-bit.

I'd say he is winning his war.

I've seen the high tech body scans. No one sees you naked. And no, no one is getting their "jollies" watching the images on the screen.

Then drive your CAR or take the BUS !

Speaking from the male point of view I have had several pat down searches by men and I am sure, with the law of averages, that at least some of these men may have been homosexual but I have never felt uncomfortable or felt that there was any unnecessary "touching"

I've also been pat down by women guards as well. But we won't go there. lol

seriously though, if they are well trained in proper pat down search methods you should hardly even feel them.

OK you convinced me Tiz. I'm changing my vote.

what GOOD is a security scan like this if, when it comes to legal matters involving whether or not a detained or arrested individual was indeed a legitimate security risk (you KNOW that there are cases like that!), the technology actually has no method for providing the "incriminating" visual evidence, post facto??? If the image scan is deleted immediately after, how the heck would it ever be used to prove anything later? I think the "zero storage" thing is bunch of crap.

You bring up an excellent point. I also agree that there is/must be some minimal storage capacity or at least the ability to quickly install a program that would.

I suspect there are provisions written into the legal language of their S.O.P. manual.

If you consider there are exceptions to every rule, it only makes sense that a visual observation of anything dangerous would be an immediate and justified reason to retain such recorded information.

I would expect that if the image shows something the person would be immediately detained. If it turns out that they had a weapon why would it matter if the picture was saved? All the evidence we would need is the weapon.

Right, but what if something in the image only vaguely looks like a weapon, they detain the person, it turns out to be something harmless, and the person sues? How would the TSA defend itself?

I don't really believe the "no storage capacity" line either. One of these days, some of these photos will end up on Myspace or Youtube, and then all hell will break loose. Then we'll have spent millions of dollars on these machines for "safety" while instead some minimally trained security guard is j*cking off in the back room.

Why do we all have to be treated like criminals?? The bomb-sniffing technology and dogs and the metal detectors/screening machines have done an amazing job the last 8 years. Sure, nothing's 100%, but a naked image of me isn't going to increase that to 100% either.

I agree. That was my initial thought when I first read this article. There could be long term health problems (possibly cancer issues) with this technology , especially for frequent fliers.

Less radiation than a tooth xray.

These scans are stored somewhere. Nothing is ever lost on a computer. Watch some of the old Arnold Schwartzenegger films - where he and his fellow agents walk through scanners which show their skeletons and weapons only. I am sure this type of scan is a possibility. Beyond that, I agree wholeheartedly with the above comment. I also agree with scanning foreigners from certain countries and from radical religions much more carefully regardless of race or ethnic group. When in doubt do not issue VISAs!

Airport security doesn't even care if you are on the rag or not. But if concerned wear a Tampon when you fly.

of course at some time a body will probally get turned on . get real this isn't the olden days..say what you want!!!!

It's not about that other women have breasts, and so do I.   What you are saying is the same as if I happened to be in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and because other women are flashing their breast so should I! It's not going to happen. Is there a reason the TSA needs to see the size and shape of my nipples???? Is there really???? Does this make me feel safe? No.

Have you ever REALLY looked at the TSA employees? I wouldn't open my front door to most. I do not believe they have higher morals, or behave sexually neutral being innundated with pictures of near naked people!!

Male or Female - its a total invasion of my privacy!

Being an IT expert and consultant, there are too many ways to save an image. And I am sure there is ways to do it, just nobody is talking. And TSA legal protection, sure they keep an image of those they want to.

More dangerous is ionizing radiation. Soon all frequent travelers will have medical problems with birth defects, their own cancer, and more. No, this to me is a more a health issue.

Does anyone remember the shoe x-ray scanners some 50 to 60 years ago. Where great, but turned out later as a health issue. And if I wear metallic thread woven underwear (that is available now on the market) that will protect me, for sure, they will want to see what is behind it.

And Muslim women hidden behind tons of cloth. That will not go over well either. Maybe straight TSA agents only using the equipment, scanning same sex passengers.

With ever emerging technology, this type of scan will, sooner or later, become the norm.

The bottom line will eventually be: no scan, no flight. If those who's religious belief won't allow for a scan (or pat-down) then they can take a train or boat, but at some point, all transportations agencys will have it............Welcome to the21st century.

If you have ever actually seen one of these scans as I have you will know that they do not reveal that much detail unless you have a vivid and warped imagination. You really look more like a transparent ghost. You may see what appears to be underwear lines but really what you are seeing is the change in the density of the clothing.

Have you ever worn shorts? A t-shirt? A ...gasp....bathing suit?

If so, then your body wasn't yours, it was out there, shockingly for everyone to see...ohh the humanity.

/sarcasm

Are you telling me you'd rather have a stranger touch you all over your body rather than have that stranger look at a blurred image on a computer screen?

If this is what it takes to prevent me from dying in a plane crash caused by terrorism, so be it. Lo-tech and PC methods can't do the job safely. Early post 9/11, it was ridiculous seeing things like a little old lady be pulled out of line at the gate for random screening.

No, it would not have prevented 9/11.

There is only ONE reason 9/11 happened: our "authorities" allowed it to happen. That is an established fact. They were warned repeatedly -- by various individuals -- of highly suspicious activity, and chose to ignore the warnings.

The only speculation is whether they were too incompetent to do their jobs, or they were told not to do their jobs.

It's a shame -- and it's the REAL risk to our security -- that we will never know the truth.

It's a perfect system as is? Really? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Tell that to the relatives of the 9/11 victims.

Do you realize that there are a lot of non metallic weapons someone could conceal on their body that would not be detected by a metal detector because ding ding ding, they are not metal.

You would do neither? Is the system failing? Are you kidding? Do you ever fly?

I get stopped every time I go through security. The clasps on my bra set off the alarms (okay, there are a lot of them). A very nice woman comes over with her security wand and I make light of the situation with humor. What else am I to do? If I refuse, my family is traveling without me. It isn't a peep show...its all business. And yes, the x-ray ALWAYS misses something. I have travelled to and from FL not realizing that at the bottom of my back pack, I had a full (big) tube of sunscreen! Nothing is perfect.

Get over yourself.

A perfect system? *snort* I guess you don't read the papers, all these stories about reporters who got various knives and things through security. Back when they had the "lighter ban", where you couldn't bring lighters aboard, I brought seven - yes seven - lighters back in my carry-on luggage. Yeah, perfect system. Catches everything. Uh huh.

I assure you, you'd be shocked what people get on planes. It's not infallible. It's just smoke and mirrors, and typical American arrogance. And some day when there's another attack, we'll all do our "woe is me, how could this happen?" routine. It's frustrating, to say the least, because it's preventable.

The invasive view of you naked has everything to do with security. How else would they spot something dangerous that is non metallic that a person keeps on themselves.

Obviously the old xray and metal detectors didn't work to stop 9/11

True the government probably could have prevented 9/11 if they listened to the warnings signs, but they didn't and the airport security screenings were the last line of defense that failed.

If we can improve that last line of defense, I'm all for it.

Uh, all of you folks who keep saying that it's ok to violate everyone's civil rights because we need to do more to catch people with box cutters (like the 9/11 hijackers), should read about what actually happened on 9/11. The airport security DID find the box cutters & knives. They weren't confiscated because under the regulations at the time, passengers were ALLOWED to bring knives with up to a 4" long blade as a carry-on item. Also, if you think pat-downs and body-scanning are necessary for safety, ask yourself how many planes have been hijacked since 9/11. Zero. As in, none. We don't have body-scanning now and terrorists aren't hijacking anything. So why are you so scared? Nothing has happened but you're willing to throw your civil rights away because you're scared that something might happen. They have a word for that. It's "coward".

I'd rather have someone read my boring emails than to let another terrorist attack happen. I'm just not overly concerned about it, I guess. I don't feel I've lost anything. Maybe that makes me a sheep. *shrug* I've got other concerns about our government besides them snooping around my mail. Shoot, anyone reading my emails would be bored to tears. While I'm not running around living in fear, I do feel that it's realistic to understand that we are very much hated by terrorists around the world, and it doesn't hurt for us to be vigilant when warranted.

Considering that the monitoring station is remote and thus unable to connect a scanned image with an actual person...

No, there is no danger of impropriety or invasion of privacy for anyone, famous or not.

Come to think of it, there are already camera's everywhere on the security lanes where we're all taking our clothes off.  I have never seen any of these pics on TMZ or YouTube or any magazine.  The only pics of Celebs I've seen at airport security are zoomed in shots taken by the paparazzi.

Excellent comment, truly excellent.

Excuse me but has anyone seen the thumb drive I left in the scanner yesterday? I forgot to take it with me when I clocked out. :P

The government is in the information collection business. They never shred or delete anything but that's just what it is. If it gets me on a plane faster I'll e-mail them a pic of me naked. Who cares? It's anonymous.

BYW, all you paranoid types, did you ever think what type of technology would pass through all your clothing but miraculously stop at your underwear? If it's penetrating clothing it's going all the way to skin, baby.