Airport Screening Airport screening has become a controversial topic among Americans because of the new technology of being able to thoroughly screen people and reveal more than past machines have been able too. Airport securities personal are able to see through passenger’s clothes to ensure that no illegal items are being brought on board.
A lot of people feel that the virtual nude scanners are an invasion of privacy that the airport security personal can see nude pictures of all the people that walk through it. People are arguing that this is a violation of our rights to privacy. X-rays produce the airport machines’ graphic images.This means that every time a person walks through these machines, he or she is exposed to radiation. According to Health Physics Society the amount is only 0. 01 millirem which is not enough to cause any problems.
However, that is for the people who only fly every once in a while, what about the people that fly constantly and are using airports for weekly travel. Are these amounts dangerous then? The companies who make these scanners say that the amount of x-rays that they put out are not enough to be dangerous but other scientist say that after long constant exposure they can be harmful.For the people that travel a lot this has caused some concern. Another controversial aspect of screening is the question, do they actually work? These scanners may detect for metal and produce a virtual naked image of the individual, on the other hand, these machines do not have the capability to detect anything inside the body; anything that is not superficial the scanners will not be able to detect.
According to wired. com, Peter Kant, executive vice president of Los Angeles-based Rapiscan Systems stated “None of the body scanners used by TSA are capable of doing that.They’re not designed to do that nor is it a requirement. ” The machines are not made to scan more than superficial surface of the human body.
Peter also stated “It’s not a possibility of the technology. ” So the technology does not even exist. Many people have questioned whether the machines are really preventing terrorists at that point? Alternative options for airport screens are a frisk procedure by an airport personal and the use of a hand held scan by metal detector wand. The employees of the airport are both happy and not happy. Those that are happy say it is because it makes their job easier to keep the people safe.
However, on the other hand it can make their jobs harder due to people complaining and putting up a fuss about the machines, some workers reported that they are nervous about working with the machines all day because of the radiation. Reports say that the machines are perfectly safe and there is nothing to worry about, nevertheless, it is still making some employees uneasy. The costs of these machines are not cheap either, the airports pay for a lot of it but some funding comes from the government to ensure that the airports are secure. If the government is aiding these machines it means that your tax dollars are paying for them.Some advantages of from using these machines are obvious, increased security to prevent from possible terrorist attacks. After the attack of 9/11 there has not been an airport or plane attack since, there have been attempts but these machines and the airport personal have stopped them.
So in that sense you could say that they do work and to many American’s safety matters. 71 percent of travelers who have flown at least twice in the past year "say any potential loss of personal privacy from the full-body scans and pat-downs is worth it as a means of preventing acts of terrorism. " (Newsroom America)I feel that the machines are a necessity to keep our airports safe, I do feel like it is a bit invasive on what these machines can actually see but we have not had a major security threat on the planes. I would rather have the machines then not have them because they further offer security in an unpredictable world. Works Cited Dougherty, Jon E.
Poll: Most Americans OK with Airport Screening. Newsroom America, 24 Nov. 2010. Web. 24 Jan.
2012. Kravets, David. Airport ‘Nude’ Body Scanners: Are They Effective?. N.
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" HPS. Health Physics Society, 27 Aug. 2011. Web. 24 Jan. 2012.
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