Backscatter x-ray
 

Last night, the 11:00 p.m. news on WNBC did a segment on airport security screening of the future (must have been a slow news night as this seemed to be a filler piece).

I'm watching half-asleep and without my glasses, but 3 things caught my attention:

1. Should all the new devices mentioned in the segment be implemented, TSA staffing would be cut by 80%. (A TSA spokesperson proudly announced that EWR has already cut its staffing by something like 20%. I don't know if it was Hatfield doing the talking as I didn't have my glasses on.)

2. Someone from Orlando said, I think, that 22,000 people a day transit that airport using Clear Card. I don't believe that for one minute.

3. One of the new technologies mentioned was the backscatter. I know that no mention was made of the fact the backscatter strips a person and I'm not certain that they showed a backscatter x-ray although I believe they showed someone entering the machine. It was also said that these machines are being used at Heathrow.

Has backscatter, in fact, been put into operation at Heathrow? Have you ever had to go through it? How is it being accepted there?

I've seen it in use at Heathrow at 1 checkpoint (landside to airside); but going through it was not required. I've tried it out at LHR and elsewhere. I don't think Heathrow would win any friends if it were to dare try to put that thing in place as a widespread mandatory requirement to clear security for flight connections/transfers there. There's a reason why the image that people are generally shown -- if they so request it -- is their backside image. ;) Especially given that it's pretty clear what can be seen on that thing (if you cared to really see what can be seen). When they call it a virtual strip search, that's the right term. Also, it can do a little bit of body cavity/genital area checking too. ;)

How long until those chairs in prison where convicts are required to sit in -- to indicate that they haven't ported any objects in their backside body cavities -- get deployed at airports? :eek: