Full body X-rays at Airport Security

[kabz]

From www.techtv.com, a full body xray machine that uses back-scattered xrays to take a near photograph of what's underneath your clothes.

Full Story is here (http://www.techtv.com/cybercrime/privacy/story/0,23008,3349475,00.html)

Website with pics of what YOU could look like :
here (http://www.rapiscan.com/)

This is here today and being tested at Miami, though passengers can opt out and be patted down in the traditional way.


From techtv ...

Full-body X-ray beats a 'pat down'

A full-body X-ray machine can examine every person who comes through an airport checkpoint as an alternative to a pat down.

Recently, US Customs began testing the full-body system in roughly 10 airports across the country. Given recent events, officials are considering rolling out these X-ray machines in all airports, for all passengers.

Peter Williamson works for Rapiscan, one of a few companies working on full body X-ray. He says inquiries into rollouts of the technology have increased dramatically since September 11.

Your image in their hands

The images generated by the X-ray machine are not photo quality but they are good enough to tell gender. Security officials can download and save X-ray images, raising the possibility of misuse.

For Jay Stanley with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), that raises privacy issues. "We think this is an extremely intrusive technology," he said. "Passengers when they fly have a right to expect that they will not be seen naked."

[Rabbit]

During my recent successful treatment for Lumphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system), one of the item discussed with my doctor was the higher level of radiation exposure we pilots are subjected to flying at high altitudes. And by the way it is worse for long haul than short haul. My point is that we pilots are already subjected to more than enough radiation and we should not allow ourselves to be subjected to any more. I would suggest frequent flyers could be in the same situation.

There, I for one will prefer the pat down where required and not the machine.

Have a nice day

[flapsforty]

Rabbit, you definitely have a point with the radiation levels for people who fly long haul. JAR now requires companies to keep score of how much radiation aircrews are exposed to; most companies I believe use a calculation model for this.

This X-ray machine would have a benefit immediately apparent to most crew memebers in our comp though.
Last week yet again a so-called "bolletjes slikker" (cocain-mule, peson who swallows up to 90 condoms full of cocain and transports these in his/her gut across borders) died on one of our aircraft.
The condoms become loosened or break and the mule dies a terrible death. It is a traumatic experience for both passengers and crew members who are forced to experience the death throws up close.
These deaths are a regular occurence on certain routes, and x-raying pax would seem an effective way of keeping these mules off our aircraft.

[flyblue]

On my last flight a pilot had one of those radiation-meter gizmos. ..

SCARY :eek:

I sure wouldn't put any more radiation on top of what we get!

[JPJ]

Routine X-raying of third world passengers, monitoring for Tuberculosis, is revealing a large number of cocaine swallowers at one very large airport. Average quantity swallowed is 500 grams, and the authorities estimate that to be worth around UKP 32,000 on the street. The going rate is around seven years prison, followed by deportation.

One Caribbean flight accounts for over half of all drugs seized!

[flapsforty]

7 years prison?
Dutch authorities claim lack of cell space. Swallowers are rutinely let go.
Frustrating for the police, frustrating for the crews that "import" them.
The Dutch public is now asking the authorities why the swallowers can not be accomodated 2 to a prisoncell, as this would in most cases still be far superior accomodation to what the mules are used to at home.
Being let lose in the streets of Amsterdam isn't exactly deterring these traffickers. :rolleyes:
A hefty prison sentence might.

[JPJ]

I don't know what you call a hefty sentence, Flaps, but I saw a chap a couple of weeks ago who had been a major Cocaine importer. He is serving 18 years, and has had all of his considerable assets confiscated.

[Rabbit]

For the casual pax I see no problem, but for the frequent flyer and crew there is a distinct problem as you will be getting a dose of radiation before you even get started.

My specialist doctor in discussions with me on this topic having just completed successful treatment for lymphoma. Considering the continuing dosage level that flogging around the world in my 4 holer is giving me, I should seriously consider getting out of aviation. Therefore, after serious discussion with the war office I will be doing just that next year. One more year, resigned from training and just enjoy line flying for one year.

Although he didn't say it was the cause, he did say it MAY have contributed, the primary cause being unknown but items like stress are usually considered as most likely.

So I will call it a day next year, relax and take up the three "F's". Fishing, fossicking and.......

Have a nice day

[flyblue]

More interesting articles can be found on the site www.thelancet.com Just register (it's free) and search for "flight"

This is just the SUMMARY of that particular article:

Radiation-induced acute myeloid leukaemia and other cancers in commercial jet cockpit crew: a population-based cohort study

Maryanne Gundestrup, Hans H Storm



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Danish Cancer Society, Strandboulevarden 49, DK 2100 Copenhagen (M Gundestrup MD, H H Storm MD) and National Clinic of Aviation Medicine, University Hospital Copenhagen (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark (M Gundestrup)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Correspondence to: Dr Hans H Storm (e-mail:[email protected])

Background Cockpit crews receive cosmic radiation during flight operations. The increasing total accumulated dose over the years might be expected to cause increased frequency of radiation-induced cancer. The rate should increase with number of flight hours per year, number of years of flying, and higher flight altitude. If the cumulative radiation exposure during flights is of concern, we would expect an increased cancer risk to be present among those crew members flying jets.

Methods Cockpit-crew medical records (pilots and flight engineers) from 1946 onwards, holding information on the individual, flight hours, aircraft type, and date of commercial certification and decertification, were linked to the population-based Danish Cancer Registry, the central population registry, and the National Death Index.

Findings Altogether 3877 cockpit crew members could be traced for follow-up, accruing 61095 person-years at risk in 3790 men and 661 in 87 women. The total number of cancers observed was 169 whereas 153·1 were expected (standardised incidence ratio 1·1 [95% CI 0·94-1·28]). Significantly increased risks of acute myeloid leukaemia (5·1 [1·03-14·91]), skin cancer, excluding melanoma (3·0 [2·12-4·23]), and total cancer (1·2 [1·00-1·53]) were observed among Danish male jet cockpit crew members flying more than 5000 h. Increased risk of malignant melanoma irrespective of aircraft type was also found among those flying more than 5000 h.

Interpretation Both malignant melanoma and skin cancer were found in excess in cockpit crew members with a long flying history, probably attributable to sun exposure during leisure time at holiday destinations. We cannot confirm previously reported increased risk of brain and rectal cancers in pilots. The study shows that male cockpit crew members in jets flying more than 5000 h have significantly increased frequency of acute myeloid leukaemia.

Lancet 1999; 354: 2029-31


more good news:

Anthony R Mawson


A high rate of breast cancer is present among Finnish female flight attendants after a mean of 13·9 years at work (standard incidence ratio 1·87 [95% CI 1·15*2·23]). The risk is most prominent 15 years after recruitment.1 This increase may be due to melatonin deficiency, resulting from work-associated interruptions in sleep-waking cycles (jetlag). Chronic disturbances in circadian rhythm are thought to lead to many of the health problems reported by shift workers, and because flight attendants commonly work at night and travel across many time zones, they are exposed to chronic interruptions in circadian rhythms.2

[GeofJ]

I know it is off subject but when I was in the Dutch West Indies rumor had it that 7 years was the longest sentence you could get no matter what and that major drug smugglers got only 2 or 3 years tops - that and foreigners supposedly only served 33% of their sentences before being deported - maybe that accounts for the higher crime levels on the Dutch side of St Maarten - the French dont mess around when it comes to prison time or treatment of prisoners

[AdamUK]

This has been going on for at least 2 years at Newark NY with arrivals .

[Chuck Ellsworth]

They do not have a jail cell problem for drug smugglers in Saudi Arabia, they behead them.

....................
:D The hardest thing about flying is knowing when to say no.:D

[vikingwill]

Whilst I don't want to knock security, I would just point out that anyone who says that radiation risk is a function of exposure is technically wrong. Whilst the probability of cellular changes (and malignancies) certainly increases with exposure (exposure = dose x time), radiation is unique amongst toxic agents insofar that there is no virtual safe dose. It just takes one photon / particle to hit a gene that may result in a mutation.

Yes, the dose will be small and the probability low, but it's still Russian roulette albeit with one shot in an unknow number of barrels.

Bottom line: I'll opt for the pat down every time.

Will