X-ray backscatter security scanners

[lph]

I was beyond that point the time a male GYN stuck a speculum in me and walked out of the room to get something, leaving the door open and my cervix on display to whoever might walk past

What an absolute idiot . Just having my friendly and motherly female GYN do the speculum thing in the privacy of a small room has me mortified.

I wouldn't care much one way or the other about the scan myself, but I can fully appreciate that some people find it a very uncomfortable experience. It's not just a question of pulling yourself together and being sensible, or a question of what the scanner thinks or feels.

[TsPoet]

well, if you can't laugh...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HXEE...layer_embedded

with all of the anger over this issue, I found this to be a nice laugh break.

[Biciclista]

FYI, it isn't just the USA.. People in Germany demonstrated at an airport by stripping en mass.
There's another European group afoot that is planning for men to wear kilts and no underwear.

[Trek420]

Somewhere high in the mountain top in a cave or maybe lurking on TE Osama B.L. is having a laugh. "I sent the shoe bomber and now they're taking off their shoes, the underwear bomber and now they're stripping and wearing kilts .... hmmmm, Dolly Parton wig bomber for a full hair search?"

Ride your bike or take the train?

[Catrin]

I am not what one would call overly modest, but as a violent rape survivor (twice) I am very sensitive about who touches me - and when you hear some of the stories about quite inappropriate touching - whether the stories are true or not - it causes me concern and I would stress out before the trip far more than would be good for me. I have put all of that behind me but it does leave scars and I had to deal with full-blown PTSD because of it. I have not had cancer, but my mother has.

Therefore, as I said, I won't be flying at all any longer unless there it is for something SO attractive that it would out-weigh the stress of what possible searches might occur. Intellectually I understand the process, but choose not to submit myself to it without a VERY good reason.

Pity, as I actually enjoy flying, but you weigh the options and do what is best.

TsPoet - thanks for the link - that was a hoot!

[indysteel]

I'm not sure how I feel about all of this so I haven't weighed in yet on this thread. But I did want to offer a virtual hug to those of you who are rape or incest survivors. My heart truly goes out to you.

[PamNY]

This is slightly OT, but relevant. Patrick Smith, a pilot who writes for Salon, points out that many airport workers with access to aircraft aren't screened at all.