Originally Posted by
star_world
Ah, when all else fails back to the good ol' fearmongering ^
Do all of these devices expose people to unnecessary radiation? Absolutely not.
The TSA/DHS has never met a fear they dislike.
Any radiation exposure at a checkpoint is unnecessary radiation. While these machines are claimed 'safe', they've been rubber-stamped through and have avoided most regulatory channels in the war on terror, and a grand ol' spending spree.
Many products of the past have come back as dangerous years later -- how the people living near manufacturing plants where emission levels were once labeled as "safe" or "non-existent", etc, have gotten seriously ill, en-mass?
My concern of the machines are two fold, safety and privacy. The machines exceed the scope of a primary administrative search, IMHO, when other technologies such as ETD, or even canines are more effective.
Are there specific procedures in place to minimise privacy issues? Of course, but facts don't matter here at TS&S since it is assumed that every TSO is a wannabe voyeur.
Are there specific procedures to allow a passenger's belongings to remain in their sight? Of course. Again, disregarded here.
While procedures have been established, it's of my opinion the entire concept of a virtual strip search has gone too far for PRIMARY screening. US Federal Courts have ruled in the past that inmates taken county jails & holding facilities for minor, non-violent crimes cannot even be "strip searched". I don't know where the "Nude-o-Scopes" fit into this today, as they're relatively new vs the rulings in the 6th circuit which date back to 1989.
With respect to passenger belongings remaining in ones sight, this frequently doesn't even happen when you take the "Nude-o-Scope" out of the picture.
Many US airports are old and have "security checkpoint areas" that were never meant to house such equipment.