The process itself was quick and painless.While I waited in the chamber, she chatted me up about the nature of my visit, keeping one eye fixed for the signal from whoever was inspecting my naked image that I was cleared to go.
A colleague who followed after me emerged from the chamber shaking her head like a cat with wet whiskers. "I never went through that before," she said.
She'll get used to it.
On the other hand, I happen to know that this young woman is hoping to start a family.What happens then? Obviously she cannot safely be X-rayed. But how do TSA agents know whether a young woman who claims to be two months pregnant know whether to believe her? Will they be handing out pregnancy test kits? (If claiming pregnancy means you get to skip the X-ray, doesn't this just mean the next terrorist, instead of an underpants bomber, will be a comely young bra-or-panty bomber?
And how safe are these X-rays anyway? For my part, I'm already paranoid enough about exposure to free radicals (not to be confused with my editor) up in the stratosphere caused by the higher ambient radiation at that altitude. Now, I have to worry about getting zapped by what has to be a pretty powerful dose of radiation at zero elevation just to get on board. Sometime I'd like to see the actuarial stats on dying of "terminal" cancer versus from a terrorist attack on a plane.
Ironically, what is supposed to make us safer may actually be upping our risk of illness or death.
Plus, although it's been a while, I haven't forgotten my high school Orwell. This security stuff is really getting out of hand, and it's not just about airport X-rays.
Going the Brits, who are installing video surveillence cameras all over London, one better, the Chinese are installing cameras virtually everywhere to monitor the populace. This week the New York Times reports, under the subhead, "Explosion in surveillance helps China fight crime and also control dissent," that by the end of the year there will be 60,000 cameras in "restive" Urumqi, 479,000 video cameras in Beijing, 500 cameras in Chongding, and an incredible 1 million cameras installed in Guangdong. I wonder, can mass Whole Body Back-Scatter X-rays be far behind?
Anyway, the least Homeland Security could do is let us see our pictures. Maybe next time I'll work up the courage to ask.
BETSY ROSS is the pen name of a Philadelphia-area businesswoman/writer and sometime contributor to ThisCantBeHappening!, the new independent, collectively-owned, journalist-run online newspaper. To find the work of collective members John Grant, Dave Lindorff, Linn Washington and Charles Young, and occasionally Betsy Ross and other writers, please go to: ThisCantBeHappening!
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
1
1
1
