Are planned airport scanners just a scam?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The explosive device smuggled in the clothing of the Detroit bomb suspect would not have been detected by body-scanners set to be introduced in British airports, an expert on the technology warned last night.

...

The Independent on Sunday has also heard authoritative claims that officials at the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Home Office have already tested the scanners and were not persuaded that they would work comprehensively against terrorist threats to aviation.

...

Ben Wallace, the Conservative MP, who was formerly involved in a project by a leading British defence research firm to develop the scanners for airport use, said trials had shown that such low-density materials went undetected.

Tests by scientists in the team at Qinetiq, which Mr Wallace advised before he became an MP in 2005, showed the millimetre-wave scanners picked up shrapnel and heavy wax and metal, but plastic, chemicals and liquids were missed.

If a material is low density, such as powder, liquid or thin plastic – as well as the passenger's clothing – the millimetre waves pass through and the object is not shown on screen. High- density material such as metal knives, guns and dense plastic such as C4 explosive reflect the millimetre waves and leave an image of the object.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-...am-1856175.html

[Amby 490]

are these scanners the xray type ones or the ones that you stand in and they blow quick shots of air at you? or something different?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

are these scanners the xray type ones or the ones that you stand in and they blow quick shots of air at you? or something different?

These use "millimetre-wave technology ... revealing a naked image of a passenger."

[SuperDuper! 230]

Nowadays, technology changes overnight. They will simply upgrade these backscatter devices so that the explosive material reacts and changes color or something on the screen. Itz a cat and mouse game. The terrorists do one attack, show their hand, and we respond with countermeasures. THAT is how the game is played, and the evil doers will be VANQUISHED.

[ScottThuy 140]

funny that Chertoff was a strong supporter of us buying these machines and implementing them and now he is a paid consultant by the same company (he just had to add this info in his statements on TV this morning)....

hmmmm....probably went something like this:

Hey Chertoff... get the govt to buy these machines that are insufficient and we will give you a big $ consultant position when you are no longer the secretary of DHS...

[AlHayatZween 2]

These use "millimetre-wave technology ... revealing a naked image of a passenger."

naked as in nude-y boobies and coochie fritos?

or naked as in an x-ray type of image?

[ScottThuy 140]

naked as in nude-y boobies and coochie fritos?

or naked as in an x-ray type of image?

naked in the sense that the operator can see an image of the genitals etc... software has been added to create a virtual "fig leaf" to cover the 'private' areas... but this can be overridden by the operaor if the system identifies an issue in those areas that needs to be observed by the operator... for example a package hidden in the underwear.... would be covered by the virtual fig laf but in theory the software would also red flag that as an area needing further attention..

[AlHayatZween 2]

naked in the sense that the operator can see an image of the genitals etc... software has been added to create a virtual "fig leaf" to cover the 'private' areas... but this can be overridden by the operaor if the system identifies an issue in those areas that needs to be observed by the operator... for example a package hidden in the underwear.... would be covered by the virtual fig laf but in theory the software would also red flag that as an area needing further attention..

interesting... a virtual fig leaf !

[SuperDuper! 230]

interesting... a virtual fig leaf !

you sound disappointed. And yes, that is what they call it.

[AlHayatZween 2]

you sound disappointed. And yes, that is what they call it.

Naww... honestly, i don't care what they decide to do about the scanners... as long as the rest of us can still get to where we are going.

[Kevin and 10]

It will only be a matter of time before these things are used in .GOV buildings, including public schools. If I had kids, I wouldn't want them being scanned by these things day after day. Who know what kind of side effects there might be.

[NickD 203]

Did hear on the news this morning that any country known to support terrorists will be hand patted inspected. They listed a wide range of middle east and African countries.

We were hand patted inspected when going to the Milwaukee Music Festival last 4th of July. Men had to get in one line, the women in another, men were inspected by a man, women by a woman. The women line with my wife in it went much faster, women don't wear very much clothes when it is hot outside. I wanted to get in the womens line as well as would rather be felt by a woman than a man, but no way. Just wondered if gay guys applied for that job. But the guy doing it did look embarrassed.

[mawilson 2,133]

How about full body searches for people with names like Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab?

Yeah, yeah, we've heard it all before - profiling doesn't work, terrorists will adapt and use

western names, except... it does and they haven't.

[ScottThuy 140]

Did hear on the news this morning that any country known to support terrorists will be hand patted inspected. They listed a wide range of middle east and African countries.

We were hand patted inspected when going to the Milwaukee Music Festival last 4th of July. Men had to get in one line, the women in another, men were inspected by a man, women by a woman. The women line with my wife in it went much faster, women don't wear very much clothes when it is hot outside. I wanted to get in the womens line as well as would rather be felt by a woman than a man, but no way. Just wondered if gay guys applied for that job. But the guy doing it did look embarrassed.

they also noted that the pat down and full body would be random searches.. not everyone..