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It’s part of what the Transportation Security Administration calls Imaging Technology, and it’s wildly controversial. But perhaps less so since the Christmas Day bombing attempt.
The antics of the pant bomber may soften opposition. If he had gone through one of the full-body scanners, the explosives tapped to his leg might have been found.
In fact, according to AP there are full-body imaging equipment at airports in both Nigera and Amsterdam, but Abdulmutallab did not go through them.
However, travelers going through the Sunport are scanned, at least if they are on the line to the far right in security area.
According to the TSA site Since 2007, TSA piloted state-of-the-art advanced imaging technologies that can detect a wide range of threats to transportation security in a matter of seconds at airports across the country to protect passengers and crews.
Currently, there are 40 millimeter wave imaging technology units in use at 19 airports. Six machines are used as primary screening at six airports and 34 machines are used for secondary, or random screening, as an alternative to a pat down at 13 airports.
TSA has been piloting millimeter wave technology in the place of the walk-through metal detector at six airports – San Francisco, Miami, Albuquerque, Tulsa, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.
In the Sunport the scanner is located on the far right side of the lineup of security lines. Currently, it is voluntary, if you recognize the machine and avoid that line.
The value for TSA is clear - Passenger imaging technologies, like millimeter wave, enable TSA to detect prohibited items including weapons, explosives and other metallic and non-metallic objects concealed under layers of clothing without physical contact.
But there are objections to anything that renders people naked in photographic form. The TSA has taken care to avoid this issue, blurring faces to make the images anonymous. Moreover, at least in theory, the officer viewing the image is remotely located and cannot see the passenger.
Further, the image is not currently stored, transmitted or printed.
Although more has been made of the privacy aspect, the technology itself seems a bit worrisome. There is wave energy played over people, and it may conjure up memories of the x-rays used to test the fit of shoes in the early 1950s.
The TSA asserts Millimeter wave technology passes harmless electromagnetic waves over the human body to create an image that looks much like a fuzzy photo negative. It is safe and the energy emitted by millimeter wave technology is 10,000 times less than a cell phone.
TSA has tested both millimeter wave and backscatter imaging and announced that it plans to purchase an additional 150 backscatter units.
Comments
I'm not sure we can ever make air travel absolutely safe. We can only hope all the right precautions were taken before we board OUR flight.
Thanks Neala, good article. Personally, it wouldn't bother me in the least to go through one of these machines. If it's that or possibly ending up dead because somebody was concealing something, I'd take the x-ray anytime, and it would be reassuring to know your fellow passengers had all been through it too. Heavens, as women we have seen been "seen" by near-strangers in our time: what with mammograms, childbirth, pap smears, colonoscopy operations, just how awful can it be for a stranger to see a fuzzy picture of you in an exray machine? You would only be one in thousands that they've seen that day. I think we need to keep things in proportion here. I wrote about the President's thoughts here: www.examiner.com/examiner/x-29076-SF-World-Travel-Examiner~y2009m12d28-Travelers-experience-delays-President-Obama-addresses-nation-after-Northwest-Airlines-attack#
I went to the far right line in ABQ last spring- it was the shortest line. Apparently everyone was smarter than I was. I was told to pick up my arms and not told what the technology was. When I found out months later, I felt very violated.
I have had issues with security scanning from the get-go, always felt it was invasive and window dressing at best. Someone will always figure out how to beat the system. I do not like my space or person violated and would rather have less than more security.
er with the body-scanner at work? Not really. Security screening are becoming like a visit to prison. Now flight crews are becoming the wardens. The whole situation is absurd. It is time for people to speak up. If the airlines loose business due to these Draconian screening methods, they may lobby for a different approach to safety in the skies. How about checking the watch lists and watching suspicious behaviors prior to flight.
I'm for anything that ensures a plane trip will be a safe journey.
I went through a machine on the far right that was one of the puffer machines. Hated it - felt more like a wind. That was a different technology but since then, I just avoided anything that looked different from the standard screening devices.
What next! in reality we are becoming prisoners of this war!
This is invation of privacy!
Because of a human error, why not hire a dog nippers, I think they will do a better job than most humans or machines!
Plus, why the USA did not send or called someone where this guy departured when they were already warned from the Father of this guy? I do understand you probably get millions of warning that just people trying to get attentions but, if you guys do not pay attention to all the warnings, one mistake like this one, will cost us hundreds of life! This is human laziness error and instead of replacing the human using dog bomb snippers spend tons of money buying this machine and this probably made by the enemies them selves or a corrupted rich politician! It is probably cheaper to hire undercover agents that can detected all the warning signs of someone out there out to no good intentions and dog bomb snippers!It would helped also if you put the agents watching security cameras 24/7!
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