New, more intrusive airport screening security

[Ram]

TSA ( Transportation and Secutity Administration) Begins Piloting of New CastScope Security System at Airport Checkpoints TSA will be piloting the new CastScope screening system at four airports over the next several weeks. In an effort to improve the screening of passengers with prosthetic devices, casts, and support braces, TSA awarded a prototype contract to Spectrum San Diego, Inc. The TSA has reviewed CastScope for feasibility, effectiveness, safety, and civil liberty concerns. The CastScope pilot began on April 25, 2007, at San Jose International Airport, (SJC). TSA will also pilot the technology at Tampa International Airport (TPA), Nashville International Airport (BNA), and Reagan National Airport (DCA) in May and June 2007. In the pilot phase, passengers with prosthetics, cast, or a brace will participate on a voluntary basis. This new system enables TSA to screen simultaneously and more thoroughly for threats, and is sensitive to passengers with special needs. http://www.tsa.gov/approach/tech/castscope.shtm --------------- Essentially, its a near-naked photo of yourself, with only your faces blurred. How many of you will be comfortable walking through that device?

[Online]

i dont care - fine with me.

[THX_1138]

if you have it, flaunt it. i ll be hitting the gym more rigorously ahead of my next flight.

[Lurker]

Wouldnt bother me but I do find all these extra security measures nothing but plain hassle. And in the past 7-8 years that these measures have come into place they have not really stopped any bad elements at these Security points, have they? It is nothing but handy for creating paranoia.

[Mr. Wicket]

The CastScope pilot began on April 25' date= 2007, at San Jose International Airport, (SJC). TSA will also pilot the technology at Tampa International Airport (TPA), Nashville International Airport (BNA), and Reagan National Airport (DCA) in May and June 2007.

Intrusive - perhaps. New - not that much.

[Guest dada_rocks]

I fully endorse it.. usa has successfully kept the rogure elements from enacting any drama since 9/11 so they must be doing sthg right.. Yes we indians may not appreciate it but americans do value lives of their own at least..

[Lurker]

I fully endorse it.. usa has successfully kept the rogure elements from enacting any drama since 9/11 so they must be doing sthg right.. Yes we indians may not appreciate it but americans do value lives of their own at least..

How has USA successfully kept the rogue elements? At the hands of TSA? You do realize that these TSA folks are ill-qualified to prevent a bad situation anyways. They are not cops, they are not soldiers, they are simply an outsourcing agency that does the job for a Government. And seriously in the past 7 years how many of these measures have resulted in actual capturing of any nefarious element? Even 1 or 2?? What it has done is made life of travellers miserable, elderly being caught for "random" checks, racial profiling being rampant etc etc. One can not even carry water inside, what kind of logic is that? People can not carry their shaving cream, toothpaste on board. So they have to pack it in a seperate luggage, and when you bring an extra luggage you have to pay 15$ for it! Daylight robbery if ever there was one.

[Guest dada_rocks]

You are looking at TSA in isolation i am looking at whole machinery of law and order.... May be these methods are deterrant to the clowns who otherwise wud have tried to sneak in..

[Ram]

This isnt just about what a difference this new system could make to the security. Its also about the possibilities of it being abused. The makers of that thing say no image can be stored, copied or moved into another location and the person who actually sees these images, will be sitting in an different room that is located in an entirely different location. But, still, that doesnt completely eliminate the prospect of it being misused to intrude into people's privacy.

[fineleg]

Sounds very intrusive. Where are the Consumer Union/Consumer Rights people? Are they not opposing this? Are there any articles on reaction from folks opposing this?

[Lurker]

You are looking at TSA in isolation i am looking at whole machinery of law and order.... May be these methods are deterrant to the clowns who otherwise wud have tried to sneak in..

I am specifically speaking of Airport Security. See most Indians, if not all, will have no problems with all these measures anyway. As a race we do not care much about privacy(for good or bad). It is the local populace that is going to have tons of issues, indeed they are having a lot. One of the first places where this was tried was at Sky Harbor, Phoenix Airport. And even there was huge furore even though that belt is a typical Republican stronghold. Of course the fact remains that since the security have become tougher not one sample have been caught at the Airport so why are we increasing the measures?? A byproduct is that people simply dont consider flying worth the hassle now. I myself will vouch that I prefer to drive, specially if its a 5-6 hours drive, instead of flying for an hour, getting stuck in Security for another, paying for my food in the sky..Who the hell wants that??

[Guest dada_rocks]

Again u ignored the point I made due to these measures clowns don't dare to sneak in.. Clowns are ot iditos after all they do very detailed research and take risk only when they find some lacunae somewhere.. I say due to those measures all ground have been covered and terrorists know this and hence are not taking this route.... I invariably get special attention due to my looks due to my age but I ain't complaining..

[punjabi_khota]

How has USA successfully kept the rogue elements? At the hands of TSA? You do realize that these TSA folks are ill-qualified to prevent a bad situation anyways. They are not cops, they are not soldiers, they are simply an outsourcing agency that does the job for a Government. And seriously in the past 7 years how many of these measures have resulted in actual capturing of any nefarious element? Even 1 or 2?? What it has done is made life of travellers miserable, elderly being caught for "random" checks, racial profiling being rampant etc etc. One can not even carry water inside, what kind of logic is that? People can not carry their shaving cream, toothpaste on board. So they have to pack it in a seperate luggage, and when you bring an extra luggage you have to pay 15$ for it! Daylight robbery if ever there was one.

Wrong dude. You can carry all these items on board in a carry on luggage, but they have be in 3-oz packs or less. I have done it so many times in past one year, just use the transparent bag. I have never been racial profiled or anything anyways, at the airport atleast.

[Lurker]

Wrong dude. You can carry all these items on board in a carry on luggage, but they have be in 3-oz packs or less. I have done it so many times in past one year, just use the transparent bag. I have never been racial profiled or anything anyways, at the airport atleast.

What wrong?? You can carry the smallest pack, and you have to specifically buy these seperately. I have seen no-one buy this miniature items for anything other than Airline travel. That is simply a hassle that should be avoided.

[Lurker]

Again u ignored the point I made due to these measures clowns don't dare to sneak in.. Clowns are ot iditos after all they do very detailed research and take risk only when they find some lacunae somewhere..

I have specifically answered that argument already. Since the 2001 there has been no incident at the Airports yet the Security measures keep going up. So not sure why you think I have ignored it. And yes it is only United States it seems that has the problems. Sample this: a) Thumb printing for any immigrant. b) Passing laws(Patriot Act) that allows Govt to read your emails, online history, communications, phone tapping etc etc. And to top all of these the buggers shall then go and attack another countries with a - We are fighting them there so we do not have to fight them here! Indeed. We are not fighting here, everything from privacy to civil rights go for a toss. xx

[Chaos]

its cool as long as it's a "good looking chick" checking it out :--D

[fineleg]

I invariably get special attention due to my looks due to my age but I ain't complaining..

?

[sandtest]

The real reason for Gel/Liguid like items not allowed in large quantity inside cabin baggage is fully justified. Such items chemical composition is impossible to determine through even most advanced Level-3 X-rays. An L-3 x-ray can give a very clear image of what's inside....determining the chemical composition is NOT POSSIBLE. So if an International Aiport allows such items then they have to open physically each and every bag to see it; if at all they want to ensure that no dangerous chemical psses through it inside the Aircraft cabin. This physical checking takes a lot of time and resources, not to mention delay in Ground clearance and flight despatch. So only practical way for Airport security is to limit the quantity of liguid like items in Hand/Cabin baggage so that even if a dangerous chemical sneaks through it, it won't be in enough quantity to remain dangerous. These liquid/gel items in large quantity are allowed in Main luggage which is transported seperately so what's the problem?

[sandtest]

In fact, I feel, for USA where, I believe security is more tight -- Full Body image analysing is actually better and hassle free both for staff and passenger. Through my limited experience at Aiport Infra development, I can safely say that security also don't like to touch and physically "feel" the body of every passenger. Problem is say a passenger forgets to remove a belt or some metal like pin, coin remains in his pocket, the priliminray passenger X-Ray raises-alarm. Poor security guy has to check body of passenger in that case....Particularly Women are taken at a different enclosed room and checked. With Full Body image availability, this will become unnecessary excercise and operator sitting at desk can easily decide and let go. Except Burqa Brigade for obvious reasons, I don't think any sane person will have any problem with that, In fact it looks more convenient.

[CC1981]

The real reason for Gel/Liguid like items not allowed in large quantity inside cabin baggage is fully justified. Such items chemical composition is impossible to determine through even most advanced Level-3 X-rays. An L-3 x-ray can give a very clear image of what's inside....determining the chemical composition is NOT POSSIBLE. So if an International Aiport allows such items then they have to open physically each and every bag to see it; if at all they want to ensure that no dangerous chemical psses through it inside the Aircraft cabin. This physical checking takes a lot of time and resources, not to mention delay in Ground clearance and flight despatch.

Lurker still has a point. When the threat level has remained stagnant, it doesnt make sense to further tighten security - doing so is excessive and crossing the fine line between security and intrusivenes/control mechanisms. Besides, if someone wanted to blow up an airline, its fairly easy to do so. Just buy some deep soled caterpillar type boots, hollow out the sole and fit it with plastic explosives and carry the fuse in pre-assembly benign form in hand baggage (which is IMPOSSIBLE to identify and search through as you said). Later on, on plane, you put together the whole thing and blow it up- easily done and has already been attmpted once ( thankfully, foiled because the guy was dumb enough to try and set his shoe off in full public, instead of going to the toilet). My issue with this isnt the hassle - i don't care for an extra 5 minutes spent in checkin due to this latest gyzmo. My issue is with the health aspect of it. What are the long term side effects of this contraption and how thoroughly is that tested ? I'd like to see an NGO report on it, as FDA are notoriosly biassed in covering the sinister effects of such technologies due to governmental and lobbyist pressure. I don't think it is unjustified for a person who travels, say, 10-15 times a year for years on end as to what are the health effects of such deep body scans. And i am sure you realize that there are hundreds of thousands of corporate/business folks who travel 5-10 times a week every week for year on end. Thats a remarkable number of exposures - if you did some simple math, thats 500-1000 exposures per year for many and dozens of thousands of exposures in their lifetime. And if this contraption does have a negetive side-effect after so many exposure through one's life, surely, it is rathre OTT and its health negetives will definitely outweigh the perceived additional security, particulalry when security threats have not escalated and the measures taken immediately after 9/11 seem to have been adequate deterrence.