Sunday 19th May 2013
Back scatter rap: what the TSA is and isn't telling passengers
The New York Times reported this summer that the 244 back-scatter X-ray scanners in use at 36 airports in the US do expose travelers to radiation.
There seems to be little consensus of information about these machines and their possible risks amongst TSA agents in various locations around the country where the machines are in use. In a single month of travel, Travel Mole's US Editor was given three different, conflicting explanations from TSA screeners on radiation issues and the controversial machines when she asked for a pat-down instead of the scan.
In Richmond, Virginia, she was told that the machine was "radiation-free" (it is not). In Albuquerque, New Mexico, she was informed that the TSA is discontinuing the machines (they are not) and at JFK, this week, she was told that the TSA is getting rid of these machines and getting better back-scatter machines with less radiation (they are not).
In theory, passengers who are wary of either the radiation or the invasion of privacy can opt for a pat-down but they still have to explain why they want one to often disgruntled, overworked and ill-informed TSA agents and they will still have to listen to a multiplicity of conflicting information from agents about the machines, their risks and the reasons for using them.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Related Stories
MOST READ
Two erupting volcanoes get in the way of air traffic
An airline first: $1.99 for coffee and tea
Virgin Galactic sells tickets for first space flight
Everest climbers attacked by Sherpa guides
Family cruise turns tragic as young couple falls into sea
MOST COMMENTED
Mole Poll
First hotel with electric-car charger debuts in California...Good move?YES
60 %Waste of Time
40 %
Thank you for your vote
LATEST MOLES' GALLERIES
UPCOMING EVENTS
- 20 May 2013
PTM 2013 - Peru Travel Mart
Lima, Peru - 21 May 2013
IMEX
Frankfurt, Germany - 29 May 2013
ATA's 38th Annual World Congress
Southwest Cameroon, Cameroon - 03 June 2013
ILTM Asia - International Luxury Travel Market Asia
Shanghai, China
- 05 June 2013
TTM 2013 - Thailand Travel Mart
Bangkok, Thailand - 08 June 2013
International Pow Wow 2013
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States - 11 June 2013
AIBTM - Incentives, Business Travel & Meetings Expo
Chicago, United States - 24 June 2013
HITEC 2013
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Sponsored features
Interested in advertising or
sponsoring in TravelMole.com?
You can book now your advertisement for via our online booking service or find out more.
Post your comment
Your Comments
NOTE: Comments are subject to admin approval before being posted.
Glad to see that others have observed the same experiences I have had at airports. I was advised not to go through these machines by a doctor. I had 3 very negative experiences in the course of simply opting for a pat-down instead of the X-ray machines. 1) TSA folks said they were too busy to do it so I might be waiting a long while; It was like a threat. I tried waiting but eventually had to go through the machine in order to make my flight. 2 & 3) I was grilled in surprising detail and in a challenging manner for opting out. In one case, they did a most thorough pat down and I was treated like some type of suspect for opting out. In the other case, I was pretty much forced to go through the machine, with the same threat of waiting indefinitely if I didn't go through it. I was assured it was safe; they said "we work in front of these machines the whole time and we're fine." Ask them a decade from now. I did not find that convincing. X-rays are X-rays. And X-rays create cumulative damage. We get enough of them already. We don't need to create more danger and damage to one's health; many people have already had CAT scans or other major X-ray exposures. I would like to choose my own level of X-ray exposure. I appreciate the opt-out, especially when they can really provide it as an actual option.
By Andrea Gold, Sunday, October 7, 2012
TSA agents sit only inches away from machines that are on almost continuously with no apparent monitor (radiation badges), while medical x-ray technologists, who are usually much further away and exposed a great deal less, have very strict monitoring. Backscatter has by its very nature a large exposure of fairly low energy x-rays. Of course, it's the low energy that do the most damage since they tend to interact with the body more. It's interesting that Albuquerque is the headquarters of the American Society of Radiologic Technologists.
By Dillon Pyron, Sunday, October 7, 2012