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Friday 18 April 2008 10:26 AM
From this week, passengers flying through Los Angeles or JFK Airport in New York will be subjected to a computerised bodyscan which uses "millimetre-waves" to produce a computerised image of a passenger's naked body.The technique is extremely controversial and passengers can request a pat-down in airport security if they wish. The new body scanners aim to scan the body and ensure that no guns or banned items are hidden on a person's body. The images are apparently very revealing showing all the intimate curves a person has and as its computer generated, its expected that they will replace metal detectors in a matter of time. The use of the "millimetre-wave" technology has been used in the UK for some time with seaports using them to scan lorries and look for immigrants and illegal stowaways. The monochrome images do not bear any resemblence to a photograph but crucially alllow security staff to see if a person is carrying any item hidden on their body. Each scanner costs £75,000 ($150,000 US dollars) and can only be installed at international airports in seven countries. In a poll by Los Angeles Times newspaper, passengers were not impressed with the new device and one even said "its embarassing and extremely violating". At Flying Abroad we cannot see any harm in it. Its a more reliable security mechanism, its not possible to identify individuals from the general images, pictures are not stored and at the end of the day, we all have bodies!
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