Backscatter getting ATD?
 

I flew into PIT tonight, and I noticed that the main checkpoint has had one of its Rapiscan blue walls of ionizing radiation replaced with what looks to be a newer model with a protruding LCD screen similar to the ones installed on the L3 MMW machines. It used the name Intelliview, and the blue panels now have the chalk outside "I surrender!" pose. This installation occurred sometime within the last three weeks. I hope this doesn't mean the purchase of more backscatter machines for currently WTMD only airports because the TSA seemed to be moving in the direction of MMW+ATD only for new installations.

no idea whether this is the outfit, but perhaps.

Best of luck to them getting that purchase order past Congress. I seem to recall one of our friendly neighborhood clones--er--TSOs mentioning that the reason BKSX had fallen out of favor was because it couldn't be made to work with ATD, and that when that hurdle was solved, we'd see more BKSX orders "to encourage further development of both technologies".

The TSA can say or do whatever they think will make Chertoff's pants get a little wetter and his wallet a little thicker, but I just don't think they'll be able to get any more BKSX orders through. MMW, sure, but BKSX has too many inherent political concerns behind it for any lawmaker who values their job to sign off on a budget that orders them.

As far as I'm concerned, both technologies are equally odious and the health advantages of MMW are meaningless.

It's the principle of allowing ones provacy to be violated in an automated fashion and being forced into a degrading and insulting body position that I find to be objectionable and I certainly hope the "good guys" in Congress don't let themselves be swayed by the "less dangerous" technology. Saying that MMW is "better" than BKSX is the same thing as being a "little bit pregnant" and misses the point entirely.

No, it was a Rapiscan-branded backscatter machine. The protruding LCD panel on the 'exit' side, similar to the MMW setup, said Intelliview. This is different than the embedded LCD that usually has the Rapiscan logo displayed on the current backscatter installations. If you do a search, it shows that Rapiscan filed a trademark for Intelliview earlier in June.

I agree. While I have little objection on health grounds for the MMW, I still think that the machines slow down lines, infringe on liberties, are a waste of money and provide only a small increase in security. In some ways, one could argue that the machines provide less security since metal objects that a WTMD would detect could pass through undetected with the scanners.

I will report back on Sunday to see if the machine is in use with ATD or not.

Many here would argue exactly that--WBI and ATD technology in particular leaves us less safe than ever, as several YouTube videos show how easy it is to defeat. Much more difficult to defeat a WTMD/HHMD combo, with targeted pat-downs if you defeat those two. The biggest threat to American aircraft that would go through the checkpoint isn't a sophisticated plastic/liquid explosive; it's someone carrying a knife.

Ironically, the TSA makes sure to boast about the "good catch" when a TSO catches a knife, but whenever a celebrity comes out and says, "Oh, hey, look what I accidentally took through security with me," the TSA's response is that knives are not a threat.

Update
 

I just transited the security checkpoint at PIT, and they were using Rapiscan backscatter with ATD on the one machine where it was installed. It seemed the TSOs were still trying to figure out how to use it, but the gumby image was on the LCD panel.

That's good to hear that the pleasure room will go away. However, I hope this doesn't mean the deployment of more backscatters.. :eek:

I went through PIT for the first time today since I posted the thread, and here is a picture of the Rapiscan machine with the gumby-style software installed:

http://i.imgur.com/tLmXSm.jpg

Click on the image for a larger version of the picture. Today I went through the main checkpoint, but there was only this backscatter machine with the gumby software. The Express/First/Elite lane still had the radio earpiece people. I don't know about the alternate checkpoint, but they had two traditional backscatter machines there five weeks ago.

The new panel looks like something from Star Trek..

Was the (presumably) female clerk's hair really that yellow???

I have no idea as I took this picture from a distance while waiting for the tram to the airside terminal. This is the main checkpoint at PIT, and I am always over on the far left side of that picture (you can see a second backscatter/WTMD pair over there). The elite line feeds into the WTMD usually, and it provides good opportunities for a SDOO as long as the moat dragons aren't ushering everyone into the backscatters, which happened today. There was actually another FT member who had a successful SDOO shortly before I traversed the checkpoint, but I wasn't so lucky. :(