TSA testing out less invasive full-body scanner

Good news for those of us uncomfortable with airport security getting to know us so intimately, so quickly

Published February 1, 2011 2:02PM (EST)

Not enthusiastic about having your junk zapped up on a computer monitor at the airport?

The Transportation Security Administration -- otherwise known as the dude who took you to second before your flight to O’Hare -- is investigating alternatives to the controversial “full-body scan” that left many travelers feeling violated this holiday season.

The TSA designed the scan to improve airport security by more thoroughly vetting certain passengers. It can visualize a traveler’s physical contours and point out potential security hazards such as bombs and explosives. While the scan doesn’t show the subject’s face, many Americans still felt uncomfortable with the procedure. The TSA currently uses 500 of these full-body scanners across 78 airports in the U.S.

The new system, which the TSA is testing out at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, will let travelers see everything TSA screeners see from the scan. More important, perhaps, it will render a more “generic” image. (Which, presumably, means less genitalia.)


By Peter Finocchiaro

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Air Travel Transportation Security Administration