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