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We See London, We See France But Tulsa Sees Your Underpants

February 20, 2009 at 2:19 PM | by juliana | 2 Comments

TSA's controversial full-body screeners have landed at the Tulsa International Airport with passengers already testing the pricey machines (each one costs $170,000) to largely positive reviews. From USA Today:

The 35-year reign of airport metal detectors began its slow descent this week in Tulsa, where for the first time some passengers are skipping metal detectors. People are instead being screened in a 9-foot-high portal with glass shields that rotate to produce vivid pictures of what is underneath passengers' clothing.

Yet the machines did not stir as much "privacy rights" concern as we would think.

Only two of the 1,039 passengers screened at the three-lane checkpoint declined to go through the body scanner nicknamed "The Peeper." And folks with metallic hips or knees loved the beep-free experience. Plus, a TSA screener put all our privacy fears to rest with this eloquent statement: "I look at them as a thing that could have something on it." Um...ok.

However, what was a big concern was that the machines seemed to take a little bit longer than the old-school metal detectors. And that's what makes us stop and think: how much would you let a TSA scanner see if it meant saving you sometime in the security line? We're fairly certain some TSA staffers have already seen our underwear peeking out from our jeans and many a bra strap has been on display as we hurried through the metal detector. So if TSA wants to check out our humps and bumps, fine. But please do not slow us down. For the love of God, do not slow us down.

More body scanners will be testing in the next couple weeks at the following airports: San Francisco, Miami, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and Albuquerque.

Related Stories:
· "This Isn't Theater, This Is War" [Jaunted]
· Tulsa passengers try out TSA's full-body scanners [USA Today]

[Photo: Buffalo News]

2 Comments

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Return to » We See London, We See France But Tulsa Sees Your Underpants

  1. nightnurse2006

    Jaunted Member

    full body scanner

    NO,NO,NO,NO,NO...... This will not only NOT make flying safer, but it will be misused.. How long before the first scanned celebrity image shows up on the web. Remember, the TSA doesn't hire the best and brightest and does not pay enough to encourage ethical behavior. It is no more safer to fly now than it was 10 years ago, only more inconvenient. Stop being sheep, people.
    February 21, 2009 at 6:21 PM
    #Permalink

  1. Chinkerfly

    Jaunted Member

    I feel so violated!

    I mentioned this already via Twitter, but it was only after reading this article that I realized I had been sent through one of these scanners! It's no wonder only 2 of 1,039 people objected to being scanned if no one told them what the machine was doing. Seriously, at the time I just thought it was some sort of newfangled metal detector.
    February 23, 2009 at 1:31 AM
    #Permalink

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