The Transportation Safety Agency (TSA) has implemented new rules that state all passengers must be screened prior to boarding flights. Concerns over terrorism threats, like those of a recent plot out of Yemen to hide bombs designed as printer cartridges as well as domestic issues have prompted more rigorous screening. Not every one is happy with the new scrutiny, however.
Scanning Airline Passengers for Safety
The TSA currently employs two methods of scanning passengers. One is Advanced Imaging Technology, which is a type of body scanner that shows body contours on a computer positioned in a room that is separate from the checkpoints. The idea is that the person reading the scanner will not be able to identify the person being scanned, to address privacy or concerns of embarrassment.
According to the TSA website, this type of search relies on backscatter and millimeter waves to create an image on a computer screen. While it does release radiation, the TSA site says “energy projected by millimeter wave technology is thousands of times less than a cell phone transmission. A single scan using backscatter technology produces exposure equivalent to two minutes of flying on an airplane.”
This reassurance is not enough for some airline pilots and frequent flyers who fear repeated exposure to the technology and have refused to use it. In fact, the 14.000 members of American Airlines and US airways have been advised by their unions to refuse to use the scanners.
No problem, says the TSA. If travelers would rather not use the scanner, they are welcome to replace it with a full body pat down. Not surprisingly, this option also has its critics. Unlike the gentle pats of the past, the new enhanced pat downs are complete with thighs, buttocks and bras.
This new version of the pat down has been compared to a “virtual strip search” by the American Civil Liberties Union, in the November 13, 2010 Associated Press article "Scanners and pat-downs upset airline passengers, workers" by Joan Lowy and Adam Goldman.
How do Most Americans Feel About Full Body Scanners?
According to the article by Lowy and Goldman, federal security officials consider these procedures necessary in the fight against terror. Surprisingly, it seems the public agrees. In fact, a CBS News Poll published on November 5, 2010, found “Americans overwhelming approve of the use of full body digital x-ray machines…{and} do not approve of racial or ethnic profiling.”
With the busy Thanksgiving weekend approaching and families headed out to the airports for the long weekend, preparing for the inevitable search is crucial. While some Internet blogs are calling for a National Opt Out Day on November fourth, this sounds more like a case of cutting off nose to spite face than an actual plan. The National Opt Out Day encourages passengers who object to the scanner to choose the pat down method and those who object to pat downs to stay home.
The four out of five Americans who support the scans in the interest of safety should plan on arriving even earlier for their flights, as delays are possible due to those who believe their rights are being infringed. With each pat down taking two minutes, as opposed to the 30 seconds necessary for the scan, these “Opt Outers” may cause significant delays in getting through security as they make their point.
Safety in American airports has long been taken for granted but with this new world of terrorism things have changed. And it is not just terrorists that passengers need to be aware of. The TSA website shows that from 11/8/10 to 11/14/10, checkpoints intercepted six prohibited items, 11 firearms, and six passengers with fraudulent travel documents or suspicious activity.
While those numbers may sound insignificant, it only takes one to get through and cause chaos. With that in mind, perhaps a more stringent security system is worth a bit of inconvenience. Based on the recent poll, it would seem the majority of the American public agrees.
Kelly Sharp - Kelly Sharp holds a Master's degree in Education and a Bachelor's degree in Communication, and has been involved in training in a variety ...
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