X-ray backscatter security scanners

[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.

[emily_in_nc]

It's not the modesty aspect of the backscatter x-rays that bothers me, it's the radiation. I have been exposed to more than my share of x-rays over my life, so it worries me to possibly raise my cancer risk by being exposed to more. I'm not at all worried about someone looking at my body image in a remote location. After a screener has seen a few hundred folks' x-ray, I'm sure my body won't look particularly interesting to them.

Not sure how I feel about having a pat-down. Sounds like they vary widely in how "intrusive" they are. I feel for the man with the urine bag, and women who have had to remove breast protheses; and I completely get how those who have been sexually abused could have problems being touched in this way. I am not sure I believe stories about tampons being removed! As I understand it, the pat-downs are supposed to be outside the clothing. I am sure I wouldn't enjoy being touched that way, but it might be preferable to the radiation, as any embarrassment would only last a minute or two, vs. radiation, which is cumulative.

I'm just not quite sure what I'll do the next time I fly if I have to make this decision.

[bmccasland]

The interesting thing is that other countries don't go to this extreme or are this intrusive. So on an international flight into the United States, you won't be groped. That's what really gets me, the differing standards. Remove your shoes, belts, and be exposed to x-rays or be groped to fly in the country, OR fly in from another country and stay dressed, less exposure to radiation, and not be groped.

Someone needs to come to their senses in Homeland Security.

Or maybe I need to discover the joys of train travel.