nunya

http://www.tampabay.com/news/busines...nology/1185100

chollie

(sigh)

He points out that pax who 'alarm' or pax who refuse (opt-out) of the scanner get a full-body grope.

I wish these guys would do their homework.

These are not the only pax who get a full-body grope.

Pax who are 'randomly' chosen and pax who are medically unable to 'assume and hold' the position are also subject to full body gropes.

Even if those 'bad apple' pax who are physically capable of assuming and holding the position all stopped opting out tomorrow, there are still going to be pax who have no choice, pax who are members of the 'grope for life' club because of physical limitations.

Boggie Dog

I'll bet a coke that once TSA gets the ATR Strip Search machines installed the ability to Opt Out will be taken away. Only those who cannot be screened by WBI for other reasons will get alternate screening.

Any takers?

chollie

Nope. I'm not cheap, but this is a sure loser.

At that time (and I agree, it's coming), I think we are going to start seeing a lot of aggressive challenges to folks who are physically unable to assume and hold the position.

Anyone without an obvious physical limitation (wheelchair) - you know, maybe someone like John Mccain - is going to be assumed to be a liar who's faking it. Ugly times ahead for us.

eturowski

Not new scanners, just new software for the existing ones.

chollie

New scanners, old scanners, new software....

None of it makes any difference for pax who are physically unable to assume and hold the position in the NoS.

Those pax are members of the 'grope for life' club every time they fly.

SFOSpiff

Nah, I doubt we'll lose Opt-Out. That recent court ruling made it clear that body scanning, of any kind, is not a 4th amendment violation as long as there's another choice.

Frankly, I think TSA probably likes the Opt-Out requirement. They can make both choices more thorough and invasive and still meet the requirement of an alternative to either.

chollie

I hope you're right.

I wouldn't be surprised if TSA gets rid of Opt-Out. It is abundantly clear that TSA is cool with groping pax; it is equally clear that TSA wants to dictate who gets groped.

punitive grope = good
pax opts for grope = bad

I think once the bogus new screens are installed to create the illusion that TSA can only see an outline of the pax, TSA is going to start eliminating opt-outs. I think the pax who will really get shafted are the pax who know they are incapable of assuming and holding the position but who do not have an obvious physical impairment. I think these folks are going to be forced into an NoS to 'prove' that the scan will fail and a grope is necessary.

TSA doesn't care what the courts say. TSA can change to a UK-like policy tomorrow (no voluntary opt-out). All pax could do is wait for someone, somewhere, to take it to court. Then pax have the dubious pleasure of paying TSA's legal expenses to defend an illegal action until it finally wends its way to the Supreme Court (which could take years).

No court rulling (other than possibly a very specific targeted court ruling) is going to slow TSA down.

N830MH

Gosh! Not again! Not another new bodyscanners at airports yet again. This should stop!! Enough is enough!! I thought TSA didn't stop doing it. They should get rid of it!

coyote

IMO - the reason TSA came out with the "implanted explosives" announcement was directly in response to the videos of the groping process. The average sheep doesn't care about the nude-o-scopes, they care when they see people molested. If TSA can eliminate the visible molesting, they can eliminate the negative publicity.

Obviously, since a pat down isn't going to catch "implanted explosives" then everyone is just going to have to go through the scopes, aren't they?

RollerGirl

TSA spokeswoman Sari Koshetz ... Citing security concerns ... declined to say when machines with the new software will begin screening passengers at TIA's four gate terminals.

So this idiot TSA woman can't tell us when the new software will be installed FOR SECURITY REASONS -- OH MY WE DON'T WANT THE BAD PEOPLE TO KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING -- even though (1) they announced that the "upgrade" is going on; (2) they plan to demo it when the "upgrade" is complete; (3) when it is complete, everyone will know because they will see the screen with the big green checkmark when they go through the scanner; and (4) the new software is supposed to work just like the old software, other than showing someone what we look like under our clothes. So what is the big secret??

I suspect she just doesn't know how long it will take, but she doesn't want to say I DON'T KNOW. She would rather "cite security concerns" and look like an ....

sigh ...

kathy

jtodd

I'd say it is a little more than look like.

N965VJ

Wirelessly posted (Motorola DynaTAC: BlackBerry9630/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/104)

Opt outs will always be an option. Any screener that decides to play doctor trying to figure out why I can't raise my arm will find the conversation ending not as they planned.