The TSA has announced that they will begin to remove all body image scanners or aka "backscatter" machines by June.  Unfortunately, they were still in operation at the Memphis airport yesterday when I flew back to Minnesota.  I can tell you from personal experience that this is an incredibly idiotic security system.  I'll get to that later.

The reason they are removing the image scanners is because it basically strip searches you.  It's an x ray machine that sees you naked. You can opt out of it and get an intimate pat down, or in like my case, you can go through it and get an intimate pat down also.  Congress ordered a deadline to make a more privacy friendly software program, and they were not able to re-write the software.

Here's my experience.  I waited in line for a half an hour at the security checkpoint at the airport in Memphis.  Meanwhile, people in the "priority" club lane were able to pass through the standard metal detector.  When our line got backed up, 6 people in front of us were pulled over to the metal detector line.  I started towards that line and I was stopped and directed to the body image scanner.

What's the point of having this machine if you're not using it on everyone?

So I go through the machine.  After a few seconds, I'm pulled to the side.  There's a problem.  Of course these workers won't say anything to me.  After about 30 seconds a guy comes over and gives me a pat down.

So let me get this right?  You see me naked, and then you have to give me a pat down?  What the hell!?

I'm glad that these machines are being removed.  These people have proved through several articles online that they cannot be trusted with the privacy.  At what cost of our freedom is our security?

One time a guy walks in with an underwear bomb and the TSA wastes all of this money on intrusive imaging scanners.  Meanwhile a gunman walks into a school and kills 26 kids and nothing is done to protect our children.

Seems a little wrong, doesn't it?

 

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