This video is here to demonstrate that the TSA’s insistence that the nude body scanner program is effective and necessary is nothing but a fraud, just like their claims that the program is safe (radiation what?) and non-invasive (nude pictures who?). The scanners are now effectively worthless, as anyone can beat them with virtually no effort. The TSA has been provided this video in advance of it being made public to give them an opportunity to turn off the scanners and revert to the metal detectors. I personally believe they now have no choice but to turn them off.
Please share this video with your family, friends, and most importantly, elected officials in federal government. Make sure they understand that your vote is contingent on them fixing the abuse that 200,000 passengers face from the TSA on a daily basis.
My legal battle against the TSA’s nude body scanner and pat-down molestation program continues in court, soon with a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court. If you’d like to donate to this effort, send PayPal to: jon [at] fourtentech.com
I’d like to thank:
Travel Underground – http://www.travelunderground.org/
Freedom to Travel USA – http://fttusa.org/
Legislators who have stood up to the TSA – especially Dr. Ron Paul & Sen. Rand Paul
…and all those who have both publicly and privately stood up to the TSA.
Add me on Twitter: @tsaoutourpants (no “of”)
Transcript:
I’m publishing this video because I want the world to know how much danger the American Transportation Security Administration is putting all us all in with their haste to deploy the expensive, invasive nude body scanner program. When the machines came out, we were told that the invasion on our privacy, doses of radiation, and trashing of our Constitution were necessary because the old metal detectors weren’t good enough. That “non-metallic explosives” were a threat, even though no one has boarded a plane in the US with any type of explosive in nearly 40 years. But while America was testing these devices, Rafi Sela, who ran security for Ben Gurion airport in Israel, which is known for being one of the most secure airports in the world, was quoted saying he could “overcome the body scanners with enough explosives to take down a Boeing 747,” and Ben Gurion therefore refused to buy scanners. The US ignored this warning, and Mr. Sela never publicly explained his statement. But it stuck with me.
As a scientist, engineer, and frequent traveler, as well as the first person to sue the TSA when they rolled out the scanners as primary in Nov. 2010, I studied and learned about both kinds of scanners currently in use by the TSA. Here are several images produced by TSA nude body scanners. You’ll see that the search victim is drawn with light colors and placed on a black background in both images. In these samples, the individuals are concealing metallic objects that you can see as a black shape on their light figure. Again that’s light figure, black background, and BLACK threat items. Yes that’s right, if you have a metallic object on your side, it will be the same color as the background and therefore completely invisible to both visual and automated inspection.
It can’t possibly be that easy to beat the TSA’s billion dollar fleet of nude body scanners, right? The TSA can’t be that stupid, can they?
Unfortunately, they can, and they are. To put it to the test, I bought a sewing kit from the dollar store, broke out my 8th grade home ec skills, and sewed a pocket directly on the side of a shirt. Then I took a random metallic object, in this case a heavy metal carrying case that would easily alarm any of the “old” metal detectors, and walked through a backscatter x-ray at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. On video, of course. While I’m not about to win any videography awards for my hidden camera footage, you can watch as I walk through the security line with the metal object in my new side pocket. My camera gets placed on the conveyer belt and goes through its own x-ray, and when it comes out, I’m through, and the object never left my pocket.
Maybe a fluke? Ok, let’s try again at Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport through one of the TSA’s newest machines: a millimeter wave scanner with automated threat detection built-in. With the metallic object in my side pocket, I enter the security line, my device goes through its own x-ray, I pass through, and exit with the object without any complaints from the TSA.
While I carried the metal case empty, by one with mal-intent, it could easily have been filled with razor blades, explosives, or one of Charlie Sheen’s infamous 7 gram rocks of cocaine. With a bigger pocket, perhaps sewn on the inside of the shirt, even a firearm could get through. It’s important to note that any metal object of any size can use this technique. …and I don’t urge you to try to bring contraband through security, as the nude body scanners often have false positives: so while the metal on your side might get through, a button on your shirt or a sweaty armpit might “look suspicious” and earn you a pat down anyway.
Now, I’m sure the TSA will accuse me of aiding the terrorists by releasing this video, but it’s beyond belief that the terrorists haven’t already figured this out and are already plotting to use this against us. It’s also beyond belief that the TSA did not already know everything I just told you, and arrogantly decided to disregard our safety: anything to force Americans to give up our liberty to the federal government and our tax dollars to companies that are in bed with that government. The nude body scanner program is nothing but a giant fraud, which should come as no surprise after the Fast & Furious scandal that sent thousands of guns to Mexican drug cartels and cost a Customs and Border Patrol agent his life. THIS is a disgrace. So let’s fix this problem — now — before the terrorists take this opportunity to hurt us: the TSA must immediately end the nude body scanner program, and return to the tried-and-true metal detectors that actually work, and work without invading our privacy, as well as implement better solutions for non-metallic explosives, such as bomb-sniffing dogs and trace detection machines.
The TSA is worse than ineffective: they are an epic fail placing us all in danger. Beyond the scanners, Demand of your legislators and presidential candidates that they get rid of this $8B a year waste known as the TSA and privatize airport security. Ask for their commitment to our rights in exchange for your vote. And no matter which party is in the White House or holds on to Capital Hill, the issue of ending TSA abuse is of interest to all Americans; it’s NOT a partisan issue. We must all stand together and demand an end to the organization that molests our families while placing us in danger by directly ignoring blatant security flaws.
Thank you.
Professional Troublemaker ® 
I was told exactly the same thing by an ex-TSA agent. Furthermore, I was told one can hide pale plastic explosives by pancaking it against one’s skin.
I just made a tiny url of this page: http://tinyurl.com/how-to-fool-the-scanner
and will share !
Good to have confirmation that the TSA knew of this and did nothing.
The person who told me this is a creative artist, and now runs an “anti” TSA website of sorts and also is involved with a local theater group in which the players demonstrate TSA “security theater” in a show.
How is Susan’s comment confirmation? S/he could very easily have just, oh I don’t know, LIED in the comment box and clicked “post”.
Example: I too was told the exact same thing by an ex-TSA agent. Furthermore, I was told that aliens are switching out our airline pilots with robots in order to lower the cost of Whoppers at Burger King.
See how I just made some shit up? I suppose you now have confirmation that aliens and androids are among us. Idiot.
Okay, if somebody needs to check whether I’m making stuff up, check Freedom to Travel USA under Facebook, and look at my summary of our Thanksgiving protest (me and the former TSA agent) timestamped 11/25/2011 6:22 AM.
Has this guy disappeared yet?
Still here. 😉 Thank you to all who have come to discuss, and for the first time I can say “Welcome Drudge Readers!!” 😉
Does anyone know if B52 bombers armed with nukes have ignition locks on their engines. Lets hope terrorists never hijack a B52 loaded with bombs.
TSA WILL NOW RETALIATE AGAINST THE FLYING PUBLIC
The groping of women and children will be increased and more intense than ever. Husbands will be forced to watch as professional TSA gropers grab the private parts of their wives, daughters and sons. Security was never the real issue of TSA, the real issue was control of the public and restrictions of commerce. Body scan photos of political enemies like Palin, Senator Paul, Glen Beck, and their family members will get released just before elections. An evil has decended on our nation and its called the TSA.
Funny how it is just republicans that get scanned when the tsa was created by republicans as an effort to increase government size while lying about decreasing it.
The poor husbands…
They will have to watch. Because it affects them and not the people being groped.
Dude, sexist much?
Reblogged this on freedombytheway and commented:
The first American to sue the TSA over the nude body scanners released this video moments and full transcript moments ago of how worthess the machines really are…please read his entire post and other posts about his ongoing battles with the TSA.
A few more things – Jon, I hope that’s the last time you’ve walked through a backscatter machine. No matter what soma is fed to the sheeple, I still remember that targeted radiation is a health risk.
This is great material to send to my local reps along the theme of “security is ineffective.” In line with that theme I am also sending this from a former FBI agent:
http://tinyurl.com/ex-FBI-agent-speaks-about-TSA
Hahahhaha, someone said sheeple.
One of the most pointless words ever invented. Oh, you don’t agree with me? You must be part of the sheeple!
That is so what a sheeple would say. Baaa. Baaaaaa.
Whenever someone says “sheeple” I think of the fat-chick ICP fan on Workaholics.
http://xkcd.com/1013/
Yes but they also said “soma” a la Brave New World. Using *words* is a bit of a cliche in itself.
Actually, “terrorist” has become an overloaded word.
I read the FBI above site. The guy still believes there is such thing as the AL “CIADA”. DUMMY.
Pretty much anyone who has even remotely looked at this issue knows that a number of the investors in the scanning technology are also members of Congress. The level of incompetence and corruption within the TSA is staggering.
If you *really* want to see a change, you need a national no-fly week. Imagine if there were NO passengers. Imagine how Delta, Jet Blue, and every other subsidized airline would react. Now, imagine them directing their focus at eliminating the TSA.
It’ll never happen, however. The US is a nation of sheep, who perhaps collectively see their rights being eroded and their liberties being limited, but don’t believe that one person can make a difference, and therefore don’t participate in such movements.
A number of groups have been agitating for this for quite a while now (stop flying), but getting everybody to cooperate is not a simple matter.
Every time I have gotten an email from one of my airlines (through their frequent flyer programs) reminding me to use up my FF miles, I always take the opportunity to email back and tell them why I will not fly any more.
It’s even harder because American infrastructure promotes flying, so people who do want to stop flying have no options. We’re far behind on high speed trains and driving across country is expensive, a drag, and yes, expensive. Flying is much cheaper, is well funded, and not going anywhere, so that’s why they decided to trample on our rights.
Stop flying? I don’t think you realize that a lot of just can’t do that.
Next time we have aid work to do, I guess I’ll just drive down to Colombia. Or I’ll swim over the Atlantic for school. Some of us can’t sit holed up in our towns doing nothing. Why not donate your FF miles to a charity program who can actually use them?
@ CC: You CAN just stop flying. It is not a necessity in life. Now, as far as aid work, that is honorable and I am for that totally, but there is aid work to be done around here as well(or where ever you are). I’m not trying to discourage anyone from going outside the U.S. or whatever country they call home to help those in other countries, it is just a point to be made. As far as going across the Atlantic for school…. O.o Where do you go to school? You must be lucky enough to have a lot of awesome opportunities to be doing all this stuff. That’s probably why you think airplanes are a necessary fact of life, but I can assure you that they are not. They haven’t exactly been around for forever. Now, just because you don’t go boarding airplanes to fly around the world all the time does not mean you are stuck holed up in your town. There’s more than one way of transportation, it just may not get you to all the places you want to go. Which, you know, is why we have planes. But to decide not to use them anymore is not an impossible decision. Just inconvenient. And you don’t really have to stop, just speak up. Write a letter and note that you are a customer. They’ll care about what you have to say at least a little bit.
Also, I want to note that Susan herself admitted that getting everyone to cooperate in a protest against flying is not a simple matter, and I’m sure she recognizes all the reasons people are throwing out that it is “impossible.”
I think if everybody who did not fly for work stopped flying, it would have sufficient impact.
Those who do fly for work but don’t have to be physically present at a location to handle equipment, machinery, etc, or otherwise shake hands to close a deal can raise the issue with their companies and their human resource departments, and investigate videoconferencing alternatives. People should be raising holy hell with their employers. The founders of FTTUSA have.
Wha…do you know how many people have to travel between offices and/or to meet clients cross-country? LA-to-NY just as probably the most common example. So you’re saying instead of a 6-hour cost-effective trip, they should turn it into a week-long, gas-guzzling excursion?
I’ve done video conferencing with various vendors; it ain’t the same. Good luck telling millions of business people to stop flying in protest.
I get that it’s more cost effective to the individual, but you can’t say flying is less “gas guzzling” IMO. Do you have any idea how much has one of those large passenger jets burns through on a cross-country flight? It’s staggering.
It is worth noting that flying is more efficient per passenger mile than driving. One of the largest planes flying today, and definitely not the most fuel efficient, the Boeing 747-400 has 4 engines and STILL manages to achieve approximately 91 passenger miles per gallon. In short, to compete with this, you would to seat 3 people in an average midsized car and get 30mpg on the highway to TIE the efficiency of the jetliner. And all of this does not even factor in the time you lose by driving across the country vs. a flight. I am not arguing whether it is POSSIBLE to not fly, I am just saying to make a statement that planes are less efficient fuel wise “IMO” doesn’t make any sense. It is a demonstrable fact, not something that is an opinion.
It has nothing to do with “being sheep” and everything to do with a more globalized economy.
A lot of business and non-profits couldn’t afford to just not fly for a week and a lot of families would miss out on wedding, events, birthdays, anniversaries. You’re looking at this from a fully Middle America US based point of view. Some of us have to travel to other places to do aid work or go to school. I’m sure as hell not walking to another continent.
Do you live on a base in Antarctica? Why do you HAVE to go to school on another continent? Do you think you are too good for any schools in your own part of the world? You are not.
And why do you HAVE to go do aid overseas? If you really want to help people aren’t there any nearer to you that could use some? If not then tell us, where do you live? I want to move there.
Hogwash. Today I refused to submit to two milimeter scans as my own method of silent protest. I have refused and will refuse to enter the machines.
Well, I’m just one person, but I’m refusing to fly. In fact I am driving 14 hours (total) on a business trip next week, just so I don’t have to go through the crap at the airport. Not looking forward to it, but it’s better than being sexually assaulted by a government employee (that ISN’T part of the IRS.. *zing*).
Awesome!
I was in Oakland airport, where there were easily maintained a 2:1 ratio to TSA employees to entire passengers at the airport. It was such a joke that I laughed and smirked as they treated me as a would be terrorist while forcing me to enter the TSA radiation machines. I asked if I had an option to not beam myself with radiation, to which he replied yes you can get a patdown, and at the same time using the scanner on me. Thanks for the option. But where do you start? this is just one more example of surreptitious waste in what has become the new American reality. The reality being, our government is for sale, our military is for sale, and oh yes.. our freedom has already been sold.
Wow, & funny how the radiation leak at Lihue never made any national news. The Garden Island news did a good job reporting the truth of the story & also exposing lies by TSA.
We’re now getting 1,000 hits per hour and today is officially the busiest day for this blog it its history, beating day 1 when my original lawsuit was filed. Thank you so much, guys! If you haven’t already, please share on Twitter and Facebook, as well as submit to Drudge Report (right side of their main page, towards the bottom). Thank youuuuuu!
You made the front page of Hacker News : )
http://news.ycombinator.com/news
As a lifetime tech guy, I am extraordinarily honored!
You’re also on the front page of Reddit.
http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/qkr4m/1b_of_nude_body_scanners_made_worthless_by_blog/
#1 story on hacker news, #3 story on reddit. Must be an important post!
why can’t the scanner just use a different background color, say yellow?
Everything else would be yellow too. These are using xrays and don’t have any kind of color. It’s not the background that is the problem; it’s the technology and implementation.
For the same reasons a traditional XRay you’d see at a doctors office can’t show colors. It’s indicating how much radiation goes through an object. More radiation (like the background) is darker. Less radiation is lighter. There is no other color except dark and light.
sorry meant that if the x-ray hits the background at 100% (no interference) make it yellow. If it is 0-99.99%, make it the black to white scale. I assume there is computer post-processing of the scan.
Assuming the metal object blocks the radiation, then why can’t you tell that difference between 100% blocking of the metal object and no interference at all…
Might be missing something obvious 😉
Or more simply, turn 90 degrees the the left and take a scan
You’re using your microphone wrong, it’s a side-address, not front-address.
It looked funny that way. 😉
New procedure: Scan each passenger from the front and side.
Twice the radiation and twice the time, and would require software adjustments. Not to mention there are other exploits: this is just the one I chose to publish. 😉
Any particular reason you chose to publish this exploit and not others?
I’m a firm believer in full and open disclosure for security research (and all other research actually) and given that the current system is already provably flawed at such a fundamental level, as well as that the statistical expectation of skyjackings against U.S. based flights is so miniscule, I have a hard time coming up with good reasons not just lay all the cards on the table.
Can I put this on my new blog? http://stopthescanners.com ?
Of course!
Nice video.
But privatize airport security? Right, that’ll fix the problem for sure…after all, privatizing banks, health care and power grids also worked just fine, and those private police forces also work like a charm…
With private security, you have recourse. When I first went to sue the TSA, they hid behind jurisdictional limitations that apply only to the government.
Beyond that, the private security firms have to deal with the free market. Air travellers have a little bit of money, and if security is too weak (travellers think it’s dangerous) or too invasive (travellers won’t put up with it), they will find an airline that does better.
…and I respectfully disagree that a “public” bank/health care/power grid would be better than what we have now.
–Jon
While, I do love what you’ve done here Jon. I mean, it’s incredible really. I have to respectfully disagree with you. Your point that the TSA will hide behind goverment jurisdiction limitations is very true, but this also happens in the private sector for different reasons. Private business will often have it’s own legal wranglers that make recourse for the consumer difficult. We shouldn’t disband a public TSA in all forms, but I would agree that it should be smaller and less able to implement dangerous or arbitrary nonsense. It could possibly be combined with private security in a “mall cop meets city police” kind of manner. Flatly, I want to be able to fly to a city of my choosing without having to wait for the free market to fix that city’s airport’s problems.
The things is that neither making everything public or subject to the free market is the answer. Whatever works correlated with how much risk we the public are willing to endure is the answer.
Privatizing IS the best way to go. Let the airports/airlines be responsible for security on their planes. They want customers so they will treat people with respect. The TSA, like all federal agencies have no skin in the game. They get paid no matter how they mistreat people. They only serve one customer: the government.
Actually, privatization of airport security was a reality up until 9/11. It was one of the reasons the hijackers were so easily able to get onto the planes, because non-standard, profit-maximizing methods were shoddy or lacking in one department or another. Since the government has taken control of airport security, despite the abuses it has resulted in, we are actually safer than when airport security was privatized.
Ford: Did the 9/11 hijackers take forbidden (at that time) items on the planes? Did private security allow any banned items on the 9/11 flights that you can identify?
Rather than blaming the private security, consider that the allowed items were simply too broad. Further, the best defense the pilots had was the cabin full of passengers who would have preferred to live. Unfortunately, fighting back against hijackers was not promoted for citizens prior to 9/11.
In regard to Ford’s reply, the security before 9/11 was excellent. Consider what its goal was: to prevent traditional hijackings and bombs and guns from getting on board. In its entire timeline, this security worked well and it even worked on 9/11. Indeed, these things are all it needs to prevent. Two things now work to secure planes against 9/1-style hijackings: 1) securing the cockpit doors and 2) the passengers knowing to act against any would be hijacker. In fact, they learned this on 9/11 itself: United 93.
We need to bring back the security we had before 9/11. It worked, it was fast, it wasn’t at all intrusive, and we could bring on board a lot of things that are needlessly being prohibited.
I agree!
We actually need less privatizing! The problem with the scanners is that private companies are putting pressure on the TSA to buy their crap.
Also, in situations like this, my experience is that private companies are a lot less friendly and cooperative than people who actually work for the citizenry.
Yeah… LIke the DMV
Yeah, the DMV is a model of friendly and cooperative.
Yeah, the DMV is a real pain – but have you ever spent hours on the phone with a health insurance company trying to get something straightened out? Use your imagination; you can probably think of other private companies that are a pain too.
I’m not familiar with the technology and it’s limitations but it seems to me you could just adjust the scan (or do extra scans) of the individual from each side (so 4 scans in total) to defeat this? Again, don’t know the limitations but I’m sure the TSA must have thought of this issue in the first place?
Are you aware of how much radiation these things give your body in the first place? Its too much to ask people to go through it from every angle, especially if you fly for business trips often.
You know how when you get an Xray at the doctor or dentist, they make you wear a lead covering to protect your vitals unless its necessary to actually look at your vitals? Yeah you dont get one of those for these machines. And this is FULL BODY.
Simply flying is much more harmful to your body in terms of the amount of radiation that you’re exposed to.
No amount of radiation is too much when protecting Freedom… (yes, I’m being ironic AND sarcastic)
So just asking people to enter the scanner and turn around would defeat this issue?
I am SO proud of you & thankful FOR you.
Totally off-point, but I’m here to help. That microphone is a “side-address” mic, meaning you want to talk into the side of it. Speak-into the side with the light (or logo) on it. It’s not great for holding in your hand either. 👊
You mentioned “no one in the US has boarded a plane with any type of explosive in 40 years.” Is this because all attempts used metallic explosives that were caught by metal detectors and luggage x-rays?
We would have heard about it.
I’m not exactly sure what he means by “no explosive”, but: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_shoe_bomb_plot
There have been no suicidal airline passengers with working non-metallic bombs that have caused fatalities in 50 years to be precise.
The shoe-bomber was 1 of the 2 FAILED ATTEMPTS covering EVERY FLIGHT in the ENTIRE WORLD over the last 15 years. In fact, it was not a “working” bomb despite the 5 years to plan for that attempt.
And to confirm, Richard Reid boarded a plane outside the United States.
You can rest now knowing you are safe with or without illegal strip search scanners.
I believe he said one had “boarded a flight in the US” with explosives. The Shoe Bomber boarded overseas IIRC. I’m too lazy to google it.
Sounds like an opportunity for the TSA to waste another billion dollars.
I’m still waiting for the “Total Recall” scanners. They will probably be next once our Treasury is drained from these POSes.
The other problem with the current state of security theater is that if you decline to be scanned, you also get to skip the metal detector, and you are left with just a pat-down, which is also able to be defeated.
Incorrect. I travel a lot and I always refuse the scan. The procedure is to walk through the traditional metal detector and then get the pat down.
YW, not sure what airport you travel to/from but I travel every week, typically SAN, PHX and STL. I always request the pat down and they have you walk around the metal detector and through a glass door where a TSA agent meets you, gets your belongings and takes you to a pat down station.
BW, I have been through security at BOS, CLE, PDX, and LGA in the last few months and have had the metal detector before the pat down experience. Since your experience is different, it just further indicates how silly it all is.
New procedure: backscatter scan AND old-school metal-detector check.
PROOF THAT GOVERNEMNT IS JUST HORNY AND WANTS TO SEE YOU NAKED
For those clinging to the scanners….
1) Scanners take longer than metal detectors. Running 2 or more scans will make security lines even longer, almost prohibitively for busy airports.
2) Since a little over 50% of passengers just get metal detectors, the alleged risk that only the scanners detect doesn’t apply to over half of all passengers….hence, useless. It’s like a fence around you yard with 2 sides missing.
3) Running both a metal detector and a scanner scan would further immobilize air travel.
4) The scanners can be defeated with vaginal or anal cavity insertion of items.
5) Scanners are a huge waste of money and time.
Actually, there are other ways to beat the scanner beside the technique demonstrated here. They are in fact quite useless and can be easily defeated by anyone who understands how they work. And yes, TSA knows all this. That’s why insiders such as Federal Air Marshals and Red Team leaders refer to TSA as the Terrorist Support Agency.
Not surprised. This Bush Administration Brain Child, aka The TSA, hasn’t stopped or caught anything, except red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, tooth paste, and nose hair scissors.
Sandra, don’t forget Skittle bombs and pretzel daggers.
They confiscated my sewing scissors that my grandma owned. I’m still furious about that. You know anybody can just steal a steak knife after they get past security, there’s all those fancy restaurants.
Hate bush all you want but the TSA came around based on the 9/11 commission report recommendations; which was a joint 5/5 democrats/republicans commission.
New procedure: everyone must show up to the airport naked and will be issued TSA-approved hospital gowns and slippers to wear on the airplane. (“TSA-approved” means made of a lightweight paper-like substance incapable of being twisted into a rope which could be used as a strangulation device).
> “TSA-approved” means an orange jumpsuit
FTFY.
as if i wasn’t already cold on a flight! lol
I’m still not convinced that just turning to the side will not solve the problem. He says it will take up more time, but I don’t think that is a huge concern for the TSA. Seems to be a pretty big time suck as it is, and I’m sure they know that. He also says it will require software changes. Explain that to me. It’s an x-ray camera. Seems pretty straightforward to me.
I fully support everything you say right up until the end. It is a *really* bad idea to put essential public services in to the hands of an organisation whose sole intent is to make their bottom line as big a positive number as possible. NO kind of law enforcement officer should be a hired goon.
It’s a really bad idea to make ANY essential service dependent on a bureaucracy of fist-glazing mouthbreathers who are not accountable via lawsuit.
FTFY
FYI, TSA ARE NOT LAW ENFORCEMENT.
They have no powers of arrest or detention. The Pedosmurfs must call a real cop if they wish to detain you.
Cops have historically usually sided with the TSA… just an FYI.
So, no redress of grievances via the courts and politicians ignore truth mongers. The masses actually embrace airport/bus terminal/road side screening and regardless of data provided, will go along with whatever authorities tell them to do.
This leaves only one remaining option for solution. Lone wolves carry out assassinations of key players in charge of not only setting policy, but of those implementing such as well.
This is a good time to remind people that the opinions expressed in the comments of this blog do not necessarily reflect those of the blog’s author, and I want to explicitly disassociate from this comment. Killing people is not the answer. Educating people is, and having people demand their rights is.
Are you sure he wasn’t being sarcastic? After all, such “lone wolves” are one of the major justifications behind the whole police state we are now subjected to in the name of keeping us safe in the war on terror.
There are a few government-approved security agencies that airports are fully allowed to use instead of the TSA. It may be worthwhile to try to get airports to make the change (as some already have) rather than just try to get the TSA to change.
The problem is that they still have to use TSA rules, which require the use of naked body scanners.
Wow, that tool a lot of courage. Thank you! I completely agree that the TSA body scanners are invasive and a waste of my money.
@ Randy, lots of folks won’t stand for ANOTHER shot of radiation from a scanner. I can attest (from medical issues, not a frequent flyer) that having that many X-rays is NOT good for you in the least. Logistically it’s been explained already– you’d have to show up 4 hours early for a flight just to get through the line…but from a health standpoint? I don’t think they can justify that many more (plus, the COST would also go up– just what we all want)
I don’t understand this video – aren’t the TSA scanners a 2 stage process? First the passenger goes through a metal detector and then through x ray scanners. The scanner detect any nonmetallics which aren’t detected by the metal detectors. The metal detector detects any metal which might pass through the xray scanner. it sounds like all the basis are covered to me….am I missing something?
no, you get one or the other. they usually randomly put you into one. or you can opt out and get the pat down. which is a great choice for us single homosexuals! jk
Different airports use different methods, and some do not use backscatter at all. Your experience at one airport may differ significantly from that of another airport. It’s another reason why these machines are useless – as much as I hate the idea of them being at every airport, the fact that they aren’t and the usage is not consistent means that it is irrelevant. Like another commenter said before, it’s like a yard with only two sides fenced – everything can simply funnel through the unfenced areas.
I love how you just ignore attempted explosive detonations that have taken place since 9/11. Return to metal detectors to keep us safe? From explosives? Do you expect the TSA to test every single person for explosives? Do you think explosive detection is fool-proof? What about ceramic knives?
The shoe bomber and the panty bomber didn’t board in the US. Therefore, this wouldn’t stop them.
However, I respect and support your desire to “feel safe” from explosives. So I’m sure you’ll be happy to bend over while I grease up my hand, to make sure you’re not body packing, as has been attempted. Remember: If you won’t take my fist up your ass, you hate America and freedom.
Have you ever been subjected to a cavity search to ride a plane? I didn’t think so. Do you believe that because they boarded outside the US, extremists within the US will never try to board with explosives?
Honestly as much as I appreciate someone going against the grain and standing up for what may be an overreach of the government, you’re a god damn fool if you think that terrorists will never attempt to down a plane from within the United States. Do you realize the world we live in? Body scanners probably aren’t going far enough. Since I appreciate my life and living and I know I will have to board airplanes, I don’t mind someone seeing my monochromatic human form or a brief dose of radiation which may or may not (probable) have any long-term affects. We are not Isreal and due to political correctness we will never use selective profiling, thus we need other solutions including body scanning to deter would-be bad guys and at least make their pursuits more difficult.
Good luck with your law suit
You’re missing the point, Arthur.
Those body scanners don’t detect explosives inside your body. A terrorist could use this flaw. Therefore, if you really want perfect security, you should be willing to get a cavity search every time you fly. Until every passenger gets one, you’re not safe from bombs.
Realistically, no type of scanner based off of current tech (besides a full body MRI) will stop a determined person from smuggling a weapon/explosive. And as someone earlier mentioned, even if we do stop all items at the Security Check, there are still plenty of weapons that can be stolen from Merchants/Airport Staff.
Our best option is to use the least invasive/widest net scan. A.K.A. Metal Detectors. And then have trained personnel throughout the Airport/Plane who can handle any given situation.
In Israel, I think all they have is metal detectors. They use profiling to pick out the potential terrorists.
Should we?
Yes, Israel just uses metal detectors and leaving Ben Gurion, while being a fairly hellacious experience (I didn’t fare too well in my interview, having been to Egypt), made me feel MUCH safer than the TSA. You don’t have to take off your shoes either.
You’re a moron. Anybody can get a knife past security. It’s called going to an airport restaurant.
Every post-security restaurant I’ve been to uses plastic knives, just sayin’
kyle (below) – you’re kidding, right? I guess you’ve never been to one of the business lounges. There are PLENTY of ways to get weapons after security – the very definition is anything that can be used to do bodily harm. Stop eating at McDonald’s and start paying attention, sheep.
Who honestly cares?
All we need is increased cockpit security and increased citizen awareness (both already done) to stop another 9/11. Neither of which violates anyone’s privacy.
Even if the TSA was effective (doubt it), I would still be 100% against them for the sole reason that they are privacy-violating goons.
Can’t wait till we ride planes naked. for our security.
Thanks man, now they’re going to strip search us before they allow us on a plane.
See http://lowestoftchronicle.com/issues/issue2/philsmithIII.html …
In July, I had participated in the 150th Anniversary of the First Battle of Bull Run in VA, and had to fly home due to a family emergency. I walked through the metal detectors and set it off. The TSA agents wanted to do the “enhanced pat-down” on me, and I asked why I couldn’t just take out my hair pins and try going through again. They said that I should have taken off all metal before walking through the scanner, and I couldn’t go through it again. It was strange, because the two men who went through the metal detector before me set it off, and were allowed to take their belts off and walk through again. The pat-down molestation left me in tears, but thank God I did not go through the naked body scanner–I found out a few days later that I was pregnant, and that would have been possibly detrimental to my child. I had a lengthy discussion of my rights with the TSA agent and the supervisor. I told the agent who was molesting me that I knew she did not want to do this, because she knew it was a violation of my rights as an American citizen. I still have chills about it. I wanted to visit my grandparents in FL this winter, but couldn’t bring myself to do it and go through that again.
Re #2: Not lately — they’ve had the non-pornoscopes blocked off when I’ve flown (6 times in the last month).
Not that I don’t agree 110% that the scanners are useless etc.; just don’t want the know-nothings to be able to point to an inaccuracy and thus dismiss the entire point…
@Phs3. Yes, in some airports they try and block off scanners. But your ‘safety’ is exchanged for convenience when long lines back up and they put people through metal detectors, as I witnessed on business trip recently. In another airport I was at, Orlando, they run both at the same time and you can usually avoid the scanners if you plan appropriately.
@Jeff: You meant metal detectors are blocked off in some airports…..
Dan, I’ve never had to go through both the metal detector AND body scanner. AND I will never go through a body scanner again. The last time, at Chicago O’Hare, I found it absolutely an invasion of my body space. I was wearing a track suit, no jewelry, no watch, no belt and of course no shoes and they made me not only go through the scanner but I got a nice invasive pat down as well. NOPE never ever again. They can pat me down but I will not have both! TSA are uneducated people working in a minimum wage job…they have no right to touch me they way they did and see me naked on the screen. Invasion of my rights as a human!
Yes. It’s either/or, not both, at every checkpoint I’ve been through.
seems you are correct
The only time I’ve experience the scanner it was a 2 stage process for me.
Well in any case, it would be a very minor change for the TSA to implement a 2 stage process. Metal detection (very quick, little radiation risk) followed by the Xray scanner.
Except that a dense wood box would work just as well as this experiment. Your 2-stage process is now rendered worthless.
Reblogged this on Egill and commented:
Hah! I lolled!