Full body screening for air travelers
Credit: Los Angeles Times
The Transportation Safety Administration is now randomly conducting full body scans of passengers boarding planes at LAX, and plans to expand it to other airports.
The technology, called millimeter wave imaging, uses radio waves to create an image based on the body's energy -- resulting in a fuzzy 3D image in white and gray that shows how the person looks without clothing, according to the Los Angeles Times.
TSA plans to buy at least 30 more imagers and use them at airports around the country as part of a pilot program.
The images are screened in a private room, and the reviewing officers have no interaction with the passengers. The scanners, which cost as much as $150,000 apiece, are currently being used in seven countries and a handful courthouses and jails in the U.S.
Passengers selected for the screening have the option of not being scanned and having traditional pat-down searches conducted on them.
Critics say the technology, also used in some courthouses, allows you to see through clothing.
Is anyone else freaked out about this?
There's more on the story here.
Comments
Immediately after 9/11, a very prophetic friend of mine predicted that in 5 years everyone would be required to fly wearing hospital gowns. He may be off on the timing, but everytime I see something like this - he seems even more accurate.
Posted by: bryanintimonium | April 22, 2008 10:18 AM
Just wait. All nude flying will probably happen in time. That will keep all the Muslims on the "no fly" list off of the planes because of their modesty beliefs.
Posted by: Joe | April 23, 2008 5:29 PM