3 ms·

it's going to be a bummer to finally be forced through one. Earlier this year, Terminal 5 at Heathrow wouldn't let me opt out of the scanner. Kinda felt like

by seiji 11y ago

it's going to be a bummer to finally be forced through one. Earlier this year, Terminal 5 at Heathrow wouldn't let me opt out of the scanner. Kinda felt like a personal violation, but the duty guards just said I was uneducated for having any concerns outside of their training.

cgearhart 11y ago
I frequently have conversations with the TSA about their machines. They have been trained to discuss the differences between backscatter x-ray & MMW technology to allay concerns about the health risks associated with the former, especially in airports that only use the latter. They're typically very surprised to find that I'm very clear on the differences, and that my objection rides on the privacy implications rather than health concerns. Call me old fashioned, but we shouldn't let it become normal for the government to scan your body as a precondition to travel.
schoen 11y ago
The Heathrow staff were wrong: the UK has changed its policy to allow travelers to opt-out (which was originally not allowed at all). Their training must not have been updated. Whenever I travel to a country that uses body scanners, I carry a printed copy of the airport's FAQ page (if available) and the government FAQ page or law that says that passengers are allowed to opt out. Then I know that I can show this to the people operating the checkpoints or to their supervisors if necessary. So far it was only necessary once (in the Netherlands, where body scanners are used routinely and some checkpoint staff aren't trained well about the opt-out option). But I still have a printout of the UK one and remember very clearly when the policy changed (prior to the change, I took the train through the Chunnel to Brussels instead of flying out of Heathrow). Maybe I can set up a web page that has links to the policy and law documents so that people can find them more easily. There are already some pages that try to track which airports have body scanners, but I don't think I've seen one that tracks "what to show checkpoint staff to convince them that their country allows opt-outs".

by seiji 11y ago

cgearhart 11y ago

I frequently have conversations with the TSA about their machines. They have been trained to discuss the differences between backscatter x-ray & MMW technology to allay concerns about the health risks associated with the former, especially in airports that only use the latter. They're typically very surprised to find that I'm very clear on the differences, and that my objection rides on the privacy implications rather than health concerns. Call me old fashioned, but we shouldn't let it become normal for the government to scan your body as a precondition to travel.

schoen 11y ago

The Heathrow staff were wrong: the UK has changed its policy to allow travelers to opt-out (which was originally not allowed at all). Their training must not have been updated. Whenever I travel to a country that uses body scanners, I carry a printed copy of the airport's FAQ page (if available) and the government FAQ page or law that says that passengers are allowed to opt out. Then I know that I can show this to the people operating the checkpoints or to their supervisors if necessary. So far it was only necessary once (in the Netherlands, where body scanners are used routinely and some checkpoint staff aren't trained well about the opt-out option). But I still have a printout of the UK one and remember very clearly when the policy changed (prior to the change, I took the train through the Chunnel to Brussels instead of flying out of Heathrow). Maybe I can set up a web page that has links to the policy and law documents so that people can find them more easily. There are already some pages that try to track which airports have body scanners, but I don't think I've seen one that tracks "what to show checkpoint staff to convince them that their country allows opt-outs".