Travelers still
getting used to removing
their shoes in public
and pouring shampoo into
tiny bottles may soon
have to adjust to
something new in the
airport security line
— giant machines that
that scan their bodies
for anything a terrorist
might use to cause harm
during a flight.
High-tech, full-body
scanning machines are
already in use at a
handful of airports, but
they may become more
common as security
officials around the
world respond to the
attempted attack on an
airliner on Christmas
Day. The Netherlands
announced Wednesday that
the scanners would be
used for all flights
heading from
Amsterdam's
airport to the United
States, and an official
in
Nigeria
later said that country
planned to buy full-body
scanners too.
What exactly are
these machines, and how
do they work? What are
the drawbacks to using
these types of scans?
Here are some
questions and answers
about the devices.
___
Q: How do these
full-body scanners work?
A: The two main types
of scanners are
"millimeter wave" and
"backscatter" machines.
Millimeter wave units
send radio waves over a
person and produce a
three-dimensional image
by measuring the energy
reflected back.
Backscatter machines use
low-level X-rays to
create a
two-dimensional image of
the body.
___
Q: What sorts of
things can they find?
A: The machines are
designed to uncover what
a physical pat-down
could turn up but a
metal detector
wouldn't find. That
includes plastic or
chemical explosives and
nonmetallic weapons in a
pocket or strapped to
someone's body.
The machines would
also find guns, knives
and other metallic
objects that would set
off a metal detector.
___
Q: What can they not
find?
A: Generally, the
machines can't find
items stashed in a
body cavity.
So the scanners wouldn't
stop at least one common
smuggling method used by
drug traffickers.
___
Q: How common are
they at airports?
A: Because of fears
that the scans infringe
on travelers' dignity by
revealing bodily
contours, European
officials have generally
limited the machines to
tests in airports or
train stations.
In U.S. airports, the
Transportation Security
Administration
has begun expanding the
use of full-body
scanning machines,
although passengers can
opt for a physical
pat-down instead. The
TSA has 40 in place,
just bought 150 and
plans to buy 300 more.
Six of the
machines are being
used instead of a
metal detector at
airports in
Albuquerque,
N.M.;
Las Vegas;
Miami;
San Francisco;
Salt Lake City;
and Tulsa, Okla. The
other 34 are used
for secondary
screening of people
who set off a metal
detector in
Atlanta;
Dallas/Fort Worth;
Denver;
Detroit;
Indianapolis;
Jacksonville and
Tampa, Fla.;
Los Angeles;
Phoenix;
Raleigh-Durham,
N.C.; Richmond, Va.;
and two airports in
the Washington area:
Baltimore/Washington
and Reagan National.
___
Q: Is
there a way
to make the
scans less
revealing?
A:
The
technology
has
evolved
to
reduce
the
clarity
of
identifying
details.
The
systems
blur
faces,
or they
produce
body
images
that
look
like
chalk
outlines.
Amsterdam's
airport
is
moving
ahead
with
full-body
scanners
after
trying
new
software
that
projects
a
stylized
image
—
rather
than
an
actual
picture
—
onto
a
computer
screen.
It
highlights
the
area
of
the
body
where
objects
are
concealed
in
pockets
or
under
the
clothing.
The TSA says it uses logistical methods to safeguard privacy. Full-body images are viewed in a walled-off location not visible to the public. The security officer assisting the passenger cannot view the image, and the officer who views the image doesn't see the passenger. If the officer viewing the image sees something of concern, he notifies the agent who is with the passenger to do further screening.
The machines can't store or print images, and the TSA says officers who view the images are not allowed to take cameras or cell phones into the screening rooms.
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Q: How long does it take to be scanned?
A: The machines are getting faster but still can take up to 15 seconds to scan a traveler, which could make the process slower than using metal detectors.
TSA officials note that in some instances, these machines can be faster. For instance, people with medical devices that typically set off metal detectors wouldn't have to make multiple passes through the machine or be pulled aside for additional screening.
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Q: Do security officials hope to use the full-body scanners on every person getting on a flight?
A: At the moment, that's probably not realistic — in the U.S. alone, there are 730 checkpoints with 2,100 security lanes at the nation's 450 airports, and there are thousands more lanes at airports around the world. Cost may be an issue — the machines can be $130,000 to $200,000 each.
Taking Amsterdam, where the machines are already in place, as an example: The airport's 15 scanners won't be enough to screen every U.S.-bound passenger, so pat-down searches will still be used. It remains to be seen whether that strategy will be copied at other airports.
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Q: Do the scanners pose health risks, especially for frequent travelers?
A: The TSA says the technology is harmless.
Millimeter wave energy is common in the world, and the TSA says the scanners produce far less energy than a cell phone. The X-rays in backscatter machines are weak; TSA says the radiation is equivalent to what a person gets in two minutes of flying on an airplane.
If someone fears the technology, the TSA offers a physical pat-down.
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