Body scanners have been introduced at Heathrow in line with UK Government requirements which state the following: "For the benefit of all passengers' security, passengers may be required to be screened using body scanning equipment. Screening will be conducted by security officers acting on behalf of the airport operator. Images of passengers will not be saved."
This has been introduced to improve security and refusal to comply will mean passengers cannot fly.
Body scanners will give airport security staff an increased ability to detect explosives or other potentially harmful items hidden on a passenger’s body.
For the present time only a proportion of airline passengers will be selected for screening. Passengers will not be selected for screening based on their race, ethnic origin, gender or age.
Safeguards have been put in place to make sure that privacy is respected.
However, if a passenger is selected for scanning, and refuses, they will not be allowed to fly.
Earlier this month two women, one a Muslim, became the first people to be barred from boarding a flight at Manchester airport because they refused to go through a full-body scanner. The women, who were booked to fly to Islamabad with Pakistan International Airlines, were told they could not get on the plane after they refused to be scanned for medical and religious reasons.
And what if you can't raise your hand???? Say a broken collarbone. A broken collarbone can't even be put in a cast ( I had one twenty years ago ) all they can do is put your arm in a tight sling... so what if i buy a few feet of gauze and sling my arm, then I got my UK opt out?
I am physically unable to use the scanner and have never been selected to use a scanner in the UK. I generally travel from LHR T1 or T3, MAN, CWL, EDI, GLA (and some of those airports don't actually have scanners)
Then again, I have never actually seen the scanner in use at any of the airports in the UK I use. The scanner is used but apparently far less frequently than in the US.
There is no definitive answer to your question. RadioGirl has tried to get an answer from MAN and the general answer appears to be 'no scan, no fly' (to paraphrase) But chances of being selected are much lower. I suppose worse case is to have a back up plan if required. We've discussed that in several threads here in past.
Yep, the U.K. has been "no opt out" for awhile, but it does bear repeating.
To avoid the possibility of dangerous radiation or becoming trapped in the U.K. on the return trip, I suggest flying into and out of France and taking a ferry or the Chunnel to and from the island.
I suppose you'd only need to fly out of France on the return trip though - they won't scan you if you're incoming, right?
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I don't think the transit checkpoints at LHR have NOS.
To the people who suggest you would be trapped, I suggest you investigate LGW (south terminal), BHX, EDI, GLA, or any of the several other scanner-free airports.
chx1975: I imagine they won't select people with broken arms (selection is done after you have passed through the WTMD by a few officers roaming about.
From my limited experience the NOS is roped off around half the time.
It's possible if one is connecting in LHR for instance to an onward destination.
And to be more precise, isn't it just England which has the scanner, while common sense still reigns in Scotland and Wales?
DfT rules apply to Wales and Scotland as well. That is not a delegated function. However, I think you are right, I have not heard or seen the scanners at EDI yet, and haven't heard of them at GLA.
If you state during the screening process that your arm is broken when it isn't, you can be arrested for making a false declaration, yes.
You don't have to claim a broken arm. Just having an arm in a sling should keep you out of the scanner. A arm sling could be required for many conditions other than a break, conditions that are not visible: rotator cuff injury, a torn tendon, etc., etc., etc., all injuries that keep you from lifting your arm.
DfT rules apply to Wales and Scotland as well. That is not a delegated function. However, I think you are right, I have not heard or seen the scanners at EDI yet, and haven't heard of them at GLA.
I have not flown from EDI, GLA, or CWL in 2011 but never saw them there in 2010, so am hoping that things remain the same...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chx1975
And what if you can't raise your hand???? Say a broken collarbone. A broken collarbone can't even be put in a cast ( I had one twenty years ago ) all they can do is put your arm in a tight sling... so what if i buy a few feet of gauze and sling my arm, then I got my UK opt out?
Never mind a broken collarbone-how about my torn rotator cuff where I can't raise my right arm above my shoulder or someone (not me ) with severe arthritis who can't raise their arms.
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You don't have to claim a broken arm. Just having an arm in a sling should keep you out of the scanner. A arm sling could be required for many conditions other than a break, conditions that are not visible: rotator cuff injury, a torn tendon, etc., etc., etc., all injuries that keep you from lifting your arm.
That was not the question. The question was whether one could be arrested for "faking a broken arm".
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Quote:
Originally Posted by B747-437B
That was not the question. The question was whether one could be arrested for "faking a broken arm".
Nope, and any security personal making that claim will be answering questions on where they went to medical school and to see there professional credentials and licensee's.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scubatooth
Nope, and any security personal making that claim will be answering questions on where they went to medical school and to see there professional credentials and licensee's.
Correction: they may be asked questions, but they will be responding DYWFT.
more seriously, 
) with severe arthritis who can't raise their arms.
