TSA Testing New, More Invasive Pat-Downs For Those Who Refuse Scans

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is testing a new "enhanced patdown" technique at Boston's Logan Airport and Las Vegas' McCarran Airport. According to The Boston Herald, the new technique involves screeners sliding their hands over nearly every inch of a passenger's body and, unlike existing techniques that require screeners to use the backs of their hands on sensitive areas, screeners use their palms for the entire search. The new procedure, in general, is described as being more aggressive and invasive than the current one.

The TSA claims the new patdowns are necessary to maintain its "layers of security" approach. Spokeswoman Ann Davis told the Herald, "Patdowns are designed to address potentially dangerous items, like improvised explosive devices and their components, concealed on the body." The patdowns are conducted by screeners who are the same gender as the individual passenger, and passengers may request that the patdown be done in private. Patdowns would be used mainly when a passenger refuses a full-body scan or sets off a metal detector.

Still, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) calls the new procedures part of a "seemingly constant erosion of privacy."

Indeed, these patdowns are just the latest in a series of incursions into passenger privacy made by the TSA in the name of safety. The most egregious, perhaps until now, is the growing use of full-body scanners, or "millimeter wave" scanners, which produce fairly detailed images of passengers' naked bodies. Controversy over those machines was reignited earlier this month when the U.S. Marshals revealed they had stored some 30,000 images on a single machine in use at a Florida courthouse. The TSA, which operates separately from the Marshals, had always maintained the devices could not store images. However, the machines can store images and must be able to, per TSA policy. The capability is simply turned off when in use at airports.

Source: SmarterTravel.com

 

'New'

there's nothing new about patdowns

people been doing this for centuries to make sure you weren't carrying a weapon

 

I rather have a pat down than a radiation scan.

 

Good point!