Not Exactly the Transparency in Government We Were Hoping For

[beamjockey]

After singlemaltsilk recently told me that millimeter-wave and X-ray backscatter scanners would soon be in use at Chicago's O'Hare Airport by the Transportation Security Administration, I went looking for more information.


Here is TSA's example of millimeter-wave imaging (with facial features deliberately blurred):

Here is TSA's example of x-ray backscatter imaging:


Here's a description of a backscatter system from one vendor (not necessarily the one deployed at O'Hare). Dose is said to be less than 10 microrems per scan. Americans average about one millirem per day from environmental and medical exposures.

Here's a paper that discusses the risks of squirting X-rays at random travelers, and piously states that the benefits must be balanced against the risks. But it is mighty vague about quantifying the benefits.

(Presumably millimeter RF is less hazardous than X-rays are.)

In the comments of this airport blog, Airline Biz, I found a brilliant suggestion.

Posted by fratermus @ 6:35 PM Fri, Jun 13, 2008

Want to get buy-in? Have each screener post the scans of their own bodies at the entrance to the checkpoint. "Hello. You are being scanned by Tim {pic here}".

If it's no biggie then why not post the scans of the screener (and, hey, the head off the TSA and FAA while we're at it).

If they get to look at us millimeter-nude, we should at least get to look at them millimeter-nude.

An even better idea: Don't use these machines to peer under the clothing of airline passengers, at all.

Comments

[madtechie2718.livejournal.com]

You know, if I never wanted to fly again (and also spend a big chunk of my remaining years in prison) I'd wear an undergarment, doped with an RF reflective material that spelt out: 'Piss off, you nosy little sod' or something similar.

Or perhaps, in the case of a female traveller - 'Hey! I've shown you my tits, now you show me yours'...

There are darker ways to use this - secretly spray/stencil 'TSA SUCKS' on someone's clothing using RF-absorbent paint - but only if they've *really* upset you...

Main problem, to steal a phrase, is that it's just security theatre. far more immediate issues at airports are the next-to-nonexistent vetting of people and things that go airside: ground staff, cleaning staff, the vast numbers of deliveries of inflight catering, many of whom are on minimum wage - as are the security staff.

A recent undercover program at several UK airports (and informal comment is that US ones are no different) showed pretty lax standards and crap implementation of such standards as there were.

General rule seems to be to irritate the customer with grandiose high-visibility madcap schemes, but adopt an out of sight, out of mind view of the 'back office'.

I took a train several times last month - bought a ticket on line, boarded, took my reserved seat, got off in London and walked straight to my destination - the whole experience being just as I remember flying was like 30-odd years ago...