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Flying Pasties hide your privates from full body scanners
We've covered the issue of full body scanners in airports pretty extensively here at Gadling. More and more airports are implementing the security devices and more people are crying foul as they fear that their right to privacy is being disregarded. Now, a creative company has introduced a product to protect travelers' privacy, modesty and genitalia. Flying Pasties (some images potentially NSFW) are rubber pads that you place over your nether regions so that anyone reviewing your image on a full body scanner doesn't see anything that you wouldn't want to expose without first being taken out for dinner.Flying Pasties aren't stickers or paper cut-outs. They're 2mm thick pieces of rubber that adhere to your skin to cover your breasts and genitalia. According to the manufacturer, when your image appears on the full body scanner monitors, areas of skin covered by the Flying Pasties will not be visible to the security agent.
The pasties come in sets for women including two breast pasties and one bottom and one bottom piece for males. They are emblazoned with text such as "Private" and "Only my husband sees me naked." The company does offer the option to customize the message your pasties.
Flying Pasties sets for women retail for $24.99, but the company is offering an introductory rate of $16.99. Male bottoms are $9.99 and a set for a man and woman is currently $19.99 instead of $29.99.
Would you wear rubber pasties to hide your naughty bits? Have you been exposed by a full body scanner? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Erica Jul 21st 2010 12:47PM
I asked for the pat-down instead at BOS. The screeners were polite and the pat-down was no problem (but a little more slow than the x-ray would have been).
Ivo Jul 21st 2010 12:56PM
I applaud the full body scanner. Maybe this will make an end to the ridiculous prudishness of moslims, chrrristians and Americans.
verdegrrl Jul 21st 2010 2:26PM
But to what end? It doesn't add to security one tiny bit, yet it chips away at your rights. How long before you'll have to submit to a full cavity search by rude thugs with at best a GED? Do you know they want to expand these constitution-free search zones to other public places? How long before we hear, "Papers Komrad!" when venturing out of your house?
The undie-bomber was using powder - with at best a 50% chance that it would have shown up on a scan thanks to low density. Now they just stuff explosives into body cavities or under the skin - go google that one up - I'm not kidding.
The scan takes longer than a pat-down, and often triggers a secondary which involves a patdown anyway.
Then you have the pervs (with limited background screening for criminal activity and ineffective screening for recording devices each time they enter the booth) in the private booths looking at kids, etc. In some airports, people have noted an unusual selection process that seems to favour sending the most attractive through the scanner. Notices mentioning the right to opt out, are often hidden or turned around.
TSA hiring requirements are a GED OR a year of working in "security" (read: mall ninja - cop). Turn-over massive. They place hiring ads on pizza boxes. Sexual and security scandals that should have been caught with background checks are fairly common. You can imagine the power trips some of those folks take. The agency continues to add people, even as they earn the nickname, "Thousands Standing Around", while lines stretch longer and long while they make up new rules that they say are super-secret so they can't disclose them.
These machines in many cases implement technology that in other fields requires a licensed radiologist to operate, proper shielding, and regular calibration and testing for leakage - none of which applies to the scanners.
At best 50% of freight gets scanned/x-rayed, and airport employees as well as supplies destined for within the airport are rarely fully inspected. Talk about loopholes.
So why have these boondoggles? Because former Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff now represents the company making these devices - at $150,000 a pop. He's been lobbying hard not only to infiltrate airports with the useless technology, but is now pitching it to other forms of public transport such as trains, etc.
All it does is create longer lines at checkpoints, increasing the chances a bomber will see that as a likely target.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/22/business/22road.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Nick Jul 21st 2010 3:21PM
Agreed. Personally, I'm not terribly concerned about appearing naked for legitimate purposes, however the current airport screening process is far from being efficient or fool-proof. What makes the situation even worse is the dumb and tactless individuals employed by the TSA. These folks have minimal formal education and are not sufficiently trained in any way - either technologically, socially or anatomically!! I can only imagine what goes on in the small room where they watch the naked pictures. And by the way i'm also not satisfied by the vague arguments they make about the full body scanner being safe for the body. Most frequent fliers do not yet realize the risk of chronic exposures accumulated over a period of time.. sperm cells are especially sensitive to these kind of exposures. Who will take the liability if people start showing symptoms 10 or 20 years down the line..?
Stephen Jul 22nd 2010 11:34AM
I went traveling and when in security I was asked to do a full body scan, It was a new machine at my local airport and it was very cool and a great safety feature.
Laura Jul 22nd 2010 9:05PM
Wow...it appears the TSA is now hiring people to spam travel blogs with positive comments about the scanners. Excellent!
Stephen Jul 22nd 2010 10:19PM
Oh yeah, Like the TSA has the time to hire people to do so. I was just saying that those scanners are really cool after being in one, I am just in awe of the technology, it does make me a little uneasy about what they can see but to me anyways I think its a good safety idea, Terrorists are always trying to get around security today.
Stephen Jul 22nd 2010 10:28PM
I wonder what TSA person will say when they see one of these Pasties on your body, they will probably be like, Uh ma'am/sir, can you please remove those?
Are these little stickers even legal? I know I would not want to try. They will probably arrest you. LOL
Michelle Aug 18th 2010 3:56PM
I LOVE those! What a smart idea. I wonder if they are uncomfortable or are they light enough that you don't notice them?
Michelle
@eskygiude
Tammy Sep 4th 2010 12:53PM
I want something to cover my entire body! Hiding only my private areas isn't enough. Nobody has any business looking at me naked. The message I would put on the pasties is "FU you perverts!"