TSA Body Scanners at Fort Lauderdale Airport Targeted by Broward Commission

By Matthew Hendley Mon., Dec. 12 2011 at 12:06 PM

TSA

Images from the "backscatter" machine.

The Broward Commission may request that the Transportation Security Administration go back to the old-school ~~gropings~~ pat-downs of passengers at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and ditch the use of body scanners.

The item -- which was delayed from the last meeting -- would be a direction to the aviation director to send the request to the TSA asking that it not use the body scanners "until further studies can be done that will demonstrate that they are safe to the traveling public."

According to the oh-so-loathed TSA, the "backscatter unit" that takes those nudie pics of you at airport security are perfectly safe already.

The way the TSA compares it, "One backscatter technology scan produces the same exposure as two minutes of flying on an airplane."

In fact, the TSA's website hosts a boatload of documents proving the machines are safe.

Still, most people aren't the biggest fans of the TSA.

Commissioner Kristin Jacobs attached a Sun-Sentinel article to the agenda about the three old ladies who complained about how they were searched by the TSA.

None of the women went through the machine, so it's not clear how the article is relevant, but it's there.

The TSA doesn't have to follow the request of the county, though, so we'll see how that all works out.

Tags:

Backscatter, Broward, Broward Commission, Florida, Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport, TSA

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think for yourself

sorry you are not qualified to flip burgers...but you can work for us at the TSA and you can operate untested x ray body scanners and violate civil rights and human dignity!

think for yourself

yeah we know people in hospitals that work in radiology have to go to school for that and do internships and silly stuff like that! but, the TSA is a government bureaucratic bully and common sense and the law do not apply to us!p.s. do not as employees exposed to these creepy dangerous devices all day long question us if they are safe to be around!

Wimpie

The Commission should put up signs in THEIR airport that read:"WE QUESTION THE SAFETY OF THE BODY SCANNERS AT THIS AIRPORT. THEY GENERATE X-RAYS AND X-RAYS ARE KNOWN TO CAUSE CANCER. WE RECOMMEND OPTING OUT UNTIL MORE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE CANCER RISK"

Wimpie

Here's what a prominent Doctor has to say:http://downwithtyranny.blogspo...Here's a more accurate picture for your article:http://img690.imageshack.us/im...

Just as supposedly every passenger is at some risk of terrorist attack, if every passenger were also subject to a backscatter screening, then the actual risk of deaths by cancer means the machines are "deadlier than the terrorists." (-Bruce Schneier)