X-ray backscatter security scanners

[shootingstar]

Somehow I get this powerful feeling that U.S. federal security checks are abit different than Canadian process for each country's respective domestic flights.

What I have noticed are (seemingly) random selected passengers at the Canadian airports where I've been this year several times over a span of 7 months, is that some individuals are checked more thoroughly with a hand-held scanning device which is presumably is more sensitive than full-body scanning. All passengers get the full-body scan anyway as we walk under the um....x-ray arch security scanniing gate.

[badgercat]

This blogger (who had the advantage of plenty of free time) managed to avoid both the backscatter and the pat-down: http://noblasters.com/post/1650102322/my-tsa-encounter

[blackhillsbiker]

I'm with MomOnBike. There's cancer in my family history, and I have touch issues! I'd be more than willing to submit to a background check. They can go through my luggage with a fine-toothed comb, and I would wear lycra if that would help. Given the choice, I'd probably still take the scanner. The prospect of being touched all over by a stranger is more than I could take.

Deb

[Owlie]

I'm glad this hasn't fallen to TSA-bashing, or at least not the rank-and-file, as it has elsewhere. I'm not entirely sure they want to be doing this.

I'm kind of glad I'm not going to see DBF this winter. I hate flying, I hate going through airport security because I'm one of those people who's always thinking "What if xyz sets off the metal detectors?" even though the only piece of metal on me is my retainer. The prospect of getting irradiated (even if it is a "small" dose) or being groped (or AND being groped if some part of the picture doesn't come out right) is not an appealing prospect.


Zoom-zoom, since the new scanners don't show anything internal, tampons or cups won't show up.

Edit:
CVG has the scanners, but Dayton doesn't look like they do. Since the driving distance is about the same and flying out of Dayton is cheaper...hehe. Also, CLE doesn't appear to have them. I guess they prioritized the high traffic airports?

[OakLeaf]

I guess they prioritized the high traffic airports?

That can't be, CMH is lower traffic than either CVG or CLE, probably around the same as Dayton.

ORD used to be the highest-traffic airport in the USA (not sure if that's still the case), but surprisingly they weren't on the list that EPIC posted in September (nor was Dulles, although both DCA and BWI were). I was really stunned that EWR didn't have them last month.

[parity]

I am more worried about my plane dropping out of the air then a terrorist blowing up the plane. Human errors (Pilot + other) seems to be the biggest cause, if you believe this site:

http://planecrashinfo.com/cause.htm

So all of this security theater is mostly nonsense as far as I am concerned.

[zoom-zoom]

Zoom-zoom, since the new scanners don't show anything internal, tampons or cups won't show up.

Ahhh...I was under the impression that they were, to look for, um, inserted weaponry.

[smurfalicious]

since the new scanners don't show anything internal, tampons or cups won't show up.

Oh thank goodness! I was worried my lucrative career as a drug mule was about to come to a halt! *smirk*

[PamNY]

Regarding safety of the machines, I can't stop thinking about how they told us the air was safe to breathe after 9/11.

[GLC1968]

I'm with MomOnBike. There's cancer in my family history, and I have touch issues! I'd be more than willing to submit to a background check. They can go through my luggage with a fine-toothed comb, and I would wear lycra if that would help. Given the choice, I'd probably still take the scanner. The prospect of being touched all over by a stranger is more than I could take.

Deb

Yeah, ditto this. I'm really not sure what I'm going to do in December. I've still got a month to stress out about it though!

[PamNY]

A message allegedly from Transport Canada, but really the Mercer Report.

[KnottedYet]

I'm with MomOnBike. There's cancer in my family history, and I have touch issues! I'd be more than willing to submit to a background check. They can go through my luggage with a fine-toothed comb, and I would wear lycra if that would help. Given the choice, I'd probably still take the scanner. The prospect of being touched all over by a stranger is more than I could take.

Deb

I've been kidnapped and viciously raped, with nasty brutality with a knife and threat of death involved.

I've had cancer.

Both gave me scars.

Frankly, I'm more afraid of the damn cancer. The kidnapping and the rape messed me up bad (and years of therapy still haven't fixed it, and simply can't... it's my life and every day is a choice to continue living) but cancer takes that choice to live away from me and puts it in the hands of one rogue cell of my body.

I can survive the pat-down. I can choose to fly to be with my loved ones and take the pat-down.

But the x-ray backscatter expends all its energy at the level of the skin, and that's where all my cancer has been so far. The choice is stolen from me with x-ray backscatter.

I can choose to have a mammogram, because I am at very high risk for breast cancer and that exposure is carefully controlled and I have decided it is worth it to me.

But when the choice is a pat down (not my idea of fun, but worth it to be able to fly this time) vs. the x-ray scan (no personal touch issues here, but the possiblity that the scan could trigger more cancer which I really think is bad news) my choice is to live.

As it is actively chosen. every. single. day. of. my. life.

Will I choose to fly next time? I dunno. Probably. Love is more important than fear. Getting where I want to be in 2 hours vs. 18 is more important than avoiding touch in pat-downs (which I have experienced before when I trigger the alert).

Will I let it make me stop traveling? No. Yup, I think the current stuff is stupid and does NOTHING to make us safer. Yup, the convenience of flying is worth the bearable anxiety of being touched through my lycra by a strange woman. (if it were a man, I'd probably freak, and that's the honest truth)

Everyone needs to make their choices. Fly or not? X-ray backscatter or pat-down? And then either live with those choices, or get up and do something about it.

[moonfroggy]

there is no cancer in my family
but i'm a survivor of incest
and the xray thing the pictures i have seen of what they see is enough to make me uncomfortable and the idea that if i was on my period they would need to see my menstrual products.
the pat down the xray thing
i guess being a survivor of incest means i have no family i would want to see anyway and luckily the majority of my friends all live within a few hours of me.
i didn't like flying before this and i sure as heck won't be flying anyplace while this is in place. but i have been seriously talking with my husband about wanting to do long distance bike touring when my son and any future children are old enough to pedal too and this gives me more reason to go for that. the husband things bike touring sounds crazy but this whole thing makes him not want to fly anyplace either so i guess in a way this helps my case for traveling by bike.

[pumpkinpony]

A side note on menstrual products...

I seem to get selected for 'random' security screening every time I fly. I had one flight that was a late notice rush - as I was packing I upended an entire box of tampons at the last minute into my carry-on. I got selected for screening and a 'bag check'. That was the quickest bag check ever! Two TSA guys open it up, look inside, close it and ask for a supe. Now three TSA guys, I'm trying hard not to laugh at them... They open the bag again (off to the side now) and the Supe takes a quick look, closes it, and asks if I have any liquids inside. After saying no they let me go.

[KnottedYet]

I had a "marital aid" in my bag once.

It had sparkly silver bits through-out. Very pretty.

The silver glitter showed up on the hand baggage x-ray.

TSA chick ran my bag through. Backed it up. Ran it through again. Backed it up again. Ran it through again. Dude training her said, "No matter how many times you run it through, it's gonna look the same." He had to explain to her what it was. She thought it was a bong. I just stood there smiling.

Whisked me through, and done!

I also had a similar experience with a Brooks saddle. (B68, for those who care.) I told the x-ray guy what it was, "It's a bike saddle," and they let me go without opening my backpack.