I’m glad I don’t fly much

So today supposedly a bunch of people are going to refuse the airport scans and request the pat-downs.  I think it’s pretty stupid.  I don’t feel sorry one bit for the people getting patted down a little too much.  It serves them right.  I feel more sorry for the TSA people that have to pat down the idiots. 

First, if privacy is what they are worried about they may have a point.  The only images of the scanners I have seen have been online.  I am not sure how valid they are, or if they are photoshop jobs.  You may be able to see a little bit of an outline of some boobs or a penis, but who cares.  Aren’t we all adults here?

Second, if health reasons are what they are worried about they really shouldn’t.  There are two technologies being used in the new scanners.  Millimeter wave, and Backscatter X-ray.  There is no heath concerns with Millimeter wave scanners.  They use radio frequency radiation that is non-ionizing and cannot cause cell damage leading to cancer.  The Backscatter X-ray scanners on the other hand uses ionizing radiation which can cause cell damage and lead to cancer.  The thing is there is similar naturally occurring ionizing radiation all around us.  In 42 minutes of ordinary living, or 2 minutes in a plane flight, you would be exposed to the same amount of radiation.  So the amount of radiation you are getting from the scan is almost nothing.

You deserve to be felt up if you refuse to go through the scanners.  I don’t agree with the extra “security theater” the TSA is putting on though.  I think the new body scanners are a waste of money.  I don’t think the TSA has ever caught anybody trying to blow up a plane.  All this extra “security theater” is just telling the terrorists that they are winning.  The TSA always seems to be a step behind.  I can think of so many attacks that could happen that really couldn’t be stopped.  What would happen if someone set off a bomb waiting in the security line?  Then what would we do?  You really can’t stop anybody that is willing to kill themselves to cause terror.

I think the TSA should be doing stuff that can actually make us safer.  Taking off our shoes, throwing away our fingernail clippers, and putting our liquids in plastic baggies really doesn’t make us much safer.  Wouldn’t the money spent on these scanners be put to better use on educating TSA agents, and coming up with strategies that actually make us safer, and maybe less inconvenienced?