Oh, dear. The TSA will expand the use of those body scanners we’ve talked about time and time again. This will no doubt freak out a certain segment of the population, but I have something even more terrifying for y’all: adjustable rate mortgages!
The TSA will install 150 of the machines in airports around the country. This, after successful trials at other, smaller airports. Exactly what airports will see the scanners hasn’t been announced yet.
You’ll recall that these scanners are being installed ostensibly to prevent terror attacks in airports or, worse, on airplanes. A person steps into the scanner, and a TSA agent is able “to see” a person’s whole… person. Knives, bombs, explosives, etc. can be seen on the agent’s monitor. The only problem is that you can sorta make out the person’s nude body. Granted, it’s about as erotic as dental X-Rays, but, as Americans, we’re taught from a very young age to be shameful about our bodies. We’re a nation of children.
It should be noted, of course, that the agent who “sees” the body scan never sees the person in question. The scanning machine and the monitor are kept far apart, and the agent keeping an eye on the monitor is locked in some far-away office. So in a practical sense it shouldn’t be an issue, but of course it is.
The TSA spent $25 million from the stimulus program that passed earlier this year. Makes sense, too: spend money on the machines—they’re developed by a company in California—, get the company producing more machines, company hires employees to build the machines, a new coffee shop springs up in town to support all those new employees, etc. And, bonus, we may be safer because of it.
I, for one, have no problem with these scanners. Not that I’m under any illusion that it will automatically make us safer, but, bah, who cares? I have far bigger things to worry about than whether or not some person I’ll never meet can “see” a crappy photo of my body for four seconds.
UPDATE~! The TSA actually contacted us with a more accurate image of what the officers see. Still doesn’t bother me.
I’d rather have this than a pat-down.
+1
TSA: The sound of one hand fapping. Seriously, I doubt beautiful young women will feel as cavalier about this as you, Nicholas.
Have you seen the pictures of women? It auto blurs the face of any picture it takes and it really isn’t an overly flattering photo and frankly they have a solid security profile that keeps hot teens anonymous at the very least.
I would like these a lot more if they were of the skeleton and any weapons like in Total Recall. Not because I am ashamed of my body just because they were way cooler.
Probably causes cancer….
Hello. Blogger Bob here from the TSA Blog Team. While this is an interesting image to look at, it is the incorrect image. While the backscatter is capable of showing this type of image, this is not what our officers see. You can see the correct image here: http://bit.ly/16BYvL
Thanks!
Blogger Bob
TSA Blog Team
That image seems worse to me, Bob. Not more invasive or less safe, just kind of creepy.
No worries, as long as they can’t see the giant balloon full of cocaine that I swallowed.
they do not emit x-rays and have 1/10,000 radiation of a phone call on a cell phone.
I’m pretty sure TSA is doing what they can to keep things isolated but you are forgetting the human element.
The person who is at the scanners can know the person looking at the images. Now all he/she has to do is send a brief signal to his/her friend over there and get those images later. I know it sounds far fetched but it can happen. I know first hand that those people do sometimes abuse their power. When my girlfriend was traveling alone once, the cop pulled her to a different line so he can hit on her. When he learned that she lived another city even made a comment saying that it’s not far for him to travel. He has seen her passport so he knows her name and has other information on her. Now with the scanners he can have pictures too.
I am up for security but am not up for giving too much power to a bunch of people who can, do and will abuse it.
Can TSA blogger comment on the above scenario?
“that the agent who “sees” the body scan never sees the person in question.”
That was not my experience at the Detroit Airport earlier this year. They had me step through one such machine and the TSA agent (who was a lady) warned me about what that machine was going to do and the monitor was right there in front of the machine, out in the open for that lady to see me and my “naked” images at the same time.
I’m not a very conservative person, but just the idea of some random person looking at me completely nude does not sound very nice to me.