DCA SkyPriority / full body scanner

Old Aug 9, 2010, 10:21 am
  #16  
 
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Priority lines at BOS funnel to 2 lines, one with full-body scanner and one with traditional. However, they feed everyone through full-body from both lines except when it backs up.

I always refuse full-body ("opt out") and instead endure a fairly thorough groping. My reason isn't about privacy or radiation, but rather that going through the scanner requires that you can't see your property on the belt at all times - in fact there is an uncomfortably long time where it is out of sight. Not safe given the proclivity of things walking away from there.
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Old Aug 9, 2010, 10:57 am
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Originally Posted by andymo99
I always refuse full-body ("opt out") and instead endure a fairly thorough groping. My reason isn't about privacy or radiation, but rather that going through the scanner requires that you can't see your property on the belt at all times - in fact there is an uncomfortably long time where it is out of sight. Not safe given the proclivity of things walking away from there.
This does bring a rather interesting aspect to the situation. I haven't had to do the scanner yet (though last week the scanner line ended up moving faster than the one I was in), but will probably end up doing it this week. I've been trying to think of a way they could do it without having stuff out of possession for too long, but so far can't come up with anything good.

I'd be happier if they'd just bring the pre-cleared thing back. I didn't really need it last time it was around, but would definitely take advantage of it now.
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Old Aug 9, 2010, 11:26 am
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Friday afternoon shuttle, not using the scanner in the Sky Priority line.

With regard to not being able to see your property- I hadn't considered that. The one time I was sent to the full body scanner, I kept my wallet on me as I always do, but they made me give it to them and they went through my wallet and gave it back.

They should have a video screen so that we can watch our bags while we go through the machine.
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Old Aug 9, 2010, 12:33 pm
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Originally Posted by sany2
Friday afternoon shuttle, not using the scanner in the Sky Priority line.

With regard to not being able to see your property- I hadn't considered that. The one time I was sent to the full body scanner, I kept my wallet on me as I always do, but they made me give it to them and they went through my wallet and gave it back.

They should have a video screen so that we can watch our bags while we go through the machine.
Good idea on the screen. With regards to the pocket contents and such, I figured I'd just go back to what I used to do in my early days, which is stick everything in the front pocket of my case.
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Old Sep 14, 2010, 10:26 am
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I've noticed now that a couple months have passed that they've gotten a pretty decent rhythm with the scanners now (usually). I've been nudie-scanned 3 or 4 times now and while it obviously takes longer than just the metal detector, it wasn't by much.
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Old Sep 14, 2010, 11:40 am
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When I fly out of DCA on Monday mornings, they use the scanner but also have the standard metal detector for the same line. If someone is being scanned, they simply have people use the regular machine until the scanner is clear. The first time they implemented it at DCA the line took FOREVER. Doesn't seem so bad now.
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Old Sep 14, 2010, 11:50 am
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i am very passionate about refusing to do this.

i personally feel it is an invasion of privacy and as many others have mentioned dangerous with the radiation levels that it exposes you to.

you can opt out of it and i hope that most people do, in an effort to possibly get these things removed.

it will slowly be forced on us the same way that removing our shoes was... previously you could 'opt out' of that and now there is no way you will be getting through security without taking them off.

just my .02cents
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Old Sep 14, 2010, 12:07 pm
  #23  
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Originally Posted by nfg05
Weird security procedure to allow people to predict and avoid the machine that provides a more thorough inspection.
It does no such thing.
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Old Sep 14, 2010, 12:39 pm
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The groping does seem over the top and a real violation for those who opt out of the body scanner thingy.

I'll opt out as well, but then I enjoy a nice session of inappropriate touching by people I don't know.

And...what happens when a parent wants a child to opt out? I shudder to think, seriously.

Good luck to all of us.
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Old Sep 14, 2010, 1:39 pm
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Originally Posted by andrew10412
and as many others have mentioned dangerous with the radiation levels that it exposes you to.
This is complete nonsense. Complete and utter nonsense.
The HPS, Health Physics Society, (a group of extremely smart and passionate scientists who take their work very seriously) estimated the dose from a single WBS to be about 0.005 millirems. To put that in perspective, the HPS has also calculated dose to air travelers during solar minimums is about 0.4 millirem per hour of flight (at 30,000 ft, higher altitude would be a larger number).
So, if the dose received during an WBS is unacceptable to you, then you should also not be going on any flights longer than 45 seconds at 30,000 ft, in which time you would receive 0.005 millirem.
Ref:
http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q444.html
http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q8440.html

Originally Posted by hockeystl
You mean you don't want to be subjected to potentially 20x the radiation they initially claimed was emitted from these machines?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/ar...r-thought.html
They don't state what original dose estimates they are referring too but I'll ignore that.
Let's say they are right, and despite the sensationalist reporting and potential erorr in their measurements, it is 20x the above estimate. This means that you are getting as much radiation as you receive on a 15 minute flight at 30,000 ft.

Originally Posted by pokeable
Nope. S'why I will opt out.
I get enough scatter at work, I don't want to subject myself to even more before stepping on a plane.
Then you should also stop eating banana's, which provide about 0.01 mrem for the "average" banana. (Bananas contain naturally radioactive potassium)

/rant

If people want to debate privacy or public safety concerns that is respectable, but please don't start with all the radiation fear mongering.
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Old Sep 14, 2010, 2:52 pm
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Originally Posted by nfg05
Weird security procedure to allow people to predict and avoid the machine that provides a more thorough inspection.


You've got to be kidding, right?
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Old Sep 14, 2010, 8:28 pm
  #27  
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And you still have to take off your shoes... correct?

Eight years to built the A-bomb.

Nine years to put a man on the moon.

Yet... after 9 years, we are still walking barefoot through airports.

Something that would not be permitted in a health care setting... or a restaurant.
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Old Sep 14, 2010, 8:36 pm
  #28  
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I used the scanner at YUL in March. Guess it's a good thing I don't plan on having kids!

(For the record, that was the only time I've used it an I plan to avoid it from now on).
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Old Sep 15, 2010, 9:41 am
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Originally Posted by johnm1019
This is complete nonsense. Complete and utter nonsense.
The HPS, Health Physics Society, (a group of extremely smart and passionate scientists who take their work very seriously) estimated the dose from a single WBS to be about 0.005 millirems. To put that in perspective, the HPS has also calculated dose to air travelers during solar minimums is about 0.4 millirem per hour of flight (at 30,000 ft, higher altitude would be a larger number).
So, if the dose received during an WBS is unacceptable to you, then you should also not be going on any flights longer than 45 seconds at 30,000 ft, in which time you would receive 0.005 millirem.
Ref:
http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q444.html
http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q8440.html

They don't state what original dose estimates they are referring too but I'll ignore that.
Let's say they are right, and despite the sensationalist reporting and potential erorr in their measurements, it is 20x the above estimate. This means that you are getting as much radiation as you receive on a 15 minute flight at 30,000 ft.


Then you should also stop eating banana's, which provide about 0.01 mrem for the "average" banana. (Bananas contain naturally radioactive potassium)

/rant

If people want to debate privacy or public safety concerns that is respectable, but please don't start with all the radiation fear mongering.
Millirem shmillirem, if I can avoid any radiation in this overly polluted world I will.

I dont know what it does to my body and to be honest find it unnecessary.

Cell phones are also safe however what they emit can pop a kernel of popcorn (those who dont believe, youtube it.) How many millirems do you think are in that?
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Old Sep 15, 2010, 9:52 am
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Originally Posted by StayingHomeIsBetter
And you still have to take off your shoes... correct?

Eight years to built the A-bomb.

Nine years to put a man on the moon.

Yet... after 9 years, we are still walking barefoot through airports.

Something that would not be permitted in a health care setting... or a restaurant.
We (now) have a country and populace who has been sold Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt for the last decade. We've been taught to question everyone who doesn't look like us, we've been taught not to question authority, we've been taught that in the name of "safety" and "security", we should ignore our rights and accept sloth and incompetence, and we've been told that it's necessary for us to let our privacy be invaded for the betterment of all. We've been told that if we have nothing to hide, we shouldn't hide anything. And we haven't invested the money into technology that lets us take a bottle of water through a checkpoint (since that seems to be the only way we'll ever be allowed to do it again).

But people just accept it. They say they only travel a couple of times a year, and yeah it's a nuisance, but it's tolerable if it keeps us safe. But it doesn't keep us safe. Just because they tell us it keeps us safe doesn't mean it actually is.
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