Checkpoints

I've been flying a lot this year. The last time I was in an airport, I got to experience the new full-body scanners that the TSA has implemented. I was also subjected to a pat-down, which seemed very unnecessary, to say the least.

Now don't get me wrong, I understand the reasons behind ramping up security these days. I understand that the root of this invasion of my comfort level and personal space is safety. I'm all for safety, believe me. I want my travels to be safe and I trust the officials in the airports and at checkpoints to do their jobs to make sure it is, but I'm just not sure about these scanners. Also, as an attractive woman flying alone, I don't trust the reasoning behind that very thorough pat-down. A pat-down I received AFTER going through the scanners without setting them off.

While I agree that all passengers should go through a security check, on behalf of the safety of everyone flying, I also believe that the personnel doing the checking should be closely monitored as well. Using your job as an excuse to grope a pretty girl is unacceptable.

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Why I don't like the body scanners.

They scare me. There is a lot of cancer in my family, so I'm wary of anything that's gonna expose me to X-rays. Studies have been done to determine the risks involved in these full-body X-ray scanners, and the results across the board are chilling.

You see, this machine scans your entire body very quickly, and in order to do this the beam it uses is very intense. So for a few seconds while in the scanner, your skin is getting pummeled with dangerous radiation. Not only that, but even a small glitch in the device could mean concentrated radiation on a single spot of skin.

Shit.

So not only are checkpoint officials seeing a naked image of your body, you may also be exposed to something that can cause long term damage to your cells. To me, thats infuriating. Even worse is that they don't have the risks posted so passengers could potentially opt out if they have issues with things like oh, say CANCER.

If you'd like some more information, click HERE. It's a letter of concern from several doctors at UCSF, and it outlines risks and concerns pretty well (the PDF will download to your desktop, so be aware of that). I've looked online for some other information, and I get more of the same. Anyone who goes through one of these things is exposed to potentially damaging X-rays at the hands of someone who isn't a doctor. Awesome.

So while I'll entrust my doctor to run an X-ray on me, I have issues with some kid who just got his Criminal Justice degree at the University of Phoenix to zap my entire body with one. That's right folks, you can work checkpoint security with as little as an associate's degree, as outlined HERE.


I don't know about you, but I don't feel safe yet. I just feel like my rights to personal space have been violated. I mean, I may as well completely de-robe and walk through that thing naked, eh? Especially if they're going to pat me down anyway, which leads me to....

....The pat-down. Or in my case, since it was completely unnecessary, getting groped by a stranger. I keep hearing horror stories about this. The latest I read this morning about a small boy in Salt Lake City who was stripped down AFTER going through scanners without setting them off. You can catch that (and yes, there's a video clip) HERE. Think of it this way: if you're driving down the road, an officer isn't supposed to pull you over unless he has reason to believe you're doing something harmful. Yes, there are those officers who abuse the power they are given, but mostly they realize that what they are doing is to protect the other drivers. It should be the same way at airports. Most of us are not threats, but every one of us is treated like one. In short, we are all paying for the actions of a few people.

I realize that in this day and age, security measures in places like airports need to be taken very very seriously. We all want safe travel for ourselves and our loved ones, and I can certainly understand that the core reasons behind what is going on with airline security checkpoints are good ones.

I do not, however, think the TSA has yet found a good way to monitor airline travelers. The new scanners show a complete absence of respect for our health and dignity, and the reasoning behind patting down someone so thoroughly to the point of embarrassment is going too far. We aren't cattle, and 99.9% of us mean no harm at the airport, but we are treated with suspicion and disrespect - even children! And most of us grin and bear it.... those who don't are detained or arrested.

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I fly to New York on December 3rd. I will opt out of the X-ray scanner. I know this is asking to be patted down, but I feel that being groped by a stranger (as unsettling as that is) is going to be less harmful than exposing my body to harmful radiation. My grandmother is a breast cancer survivor, and there are numerous other cases of cancer in my family. I know I'm at risk, and I'd prefer not to take any chances. I will say though, that if at any time I feel like the pat-down crosses any lines, I will be calling for a supervisor. It's not taking a stand, but it's at least keeping my body from being exposed to something that in the long run, could be life-threatening. I encourage my friends and loved ones to do the same when you travel. Maybe if enough people opt out of the X-ray scanners, the TSA will come up with an alternate plan for security screening.