The TSA Is looking at you naked

October 2, 9:50 PMNY Budget Travel ExaminerSusan Finch

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I can't wait for the TSA to see my intimate curves!

Will new TSA regulations save you time?

Just what I've always been looking for in the latest annoyances and lack of basic human privacy in air travel. Now airports in various cities across the country are equipped with fancy body scanners, allowing security screeners to take a peek beneath passengers' clothing. The $120,000 machines are described to be the size of a revolving door and utilize low-energy electromagnetic waves to generate computerized image of a passenger's body. Hot.

The TSA claims stepping into the scan takes about a minute and is less intrusive than a pat-down or frisk for concealed weapons. While the scans are considered pretty benign and don't offer much detail, it can generate an image of the "intimate curves" of the human form.

So what does that mean? That they're seeing the shape of our most delicate areas? Further, the images are allegedly neither recorded nor stored, and faces are blurred. I somehow don't believe it. I'm fully anticipating seeing Cameron Diaz's "intimate curves" on the next installment of Inside Edition after she innocently tried to fly to Hawaii for a weekend. Entire gossip monger celebutrash websites will do nothing but offer 'intimate scans' of innocent B-celebrity bystanders just trying to get to their next shoot.

Right now, the scans are voluntary and can have the option of the scanner or pat-down. Barry Steinhardt, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's program on technology, is concerned. "The images that I've seen are quite revealing," he said. "I guarantee you that as this gets more commonly used, you'll be seeing these images on the Internet." Hmmm.... Seems Barry agrees with me.

I've generally always held the attitude that travel takes sacrifice and passengers need to be prepared to follow the rules, no matter how stupid or ineffective the system may seem. Overall, everyone wants to be safe and that's all that should matter.  Saving yourself from danger, saving yourself time.... it can be just as beneficial to a budget traveler as saving money. 

And whether you like it not, following the rules are part of the purchase price of your airline ticket. You really can't fight being randomly selected for a pat-down, nor getting the business from the TSA, nor have your bags lost. That's why I always say, "Pack light, cooperate, don't buy overly expensive luggage, don't have high expectations."

But this whole scanner situation makes me weary. How much more will we have to put up with just to take a flight to see our loved ones, explore, relax, enjoy our lives? While we could jump in the car to travel domestically, how do we get overseas and long distances? When will the actual process and logistics of traveling diminish our quality of life?

I'm not a fan of this. But given the option to be patted down by the TSA during a physical frisk or let them see your "intimate curves", what would you chose?
 

Email me your budget travel questions and challenges at travelexaminer@yahoo.com.  I'll post them here and help you get on the open road.