A few Friday stories of interest:

SHOES

In an attempt to put an end to the frustration of trying to get cleared for a flight at the airport and make the trip through security a little smoother, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is looking to revive an old idea which would handle checking footwear.

Since 2001, the TSA has pushed to have passengers remove their shoes after Richard Reid tried to ignite explosives in his boots on a flight heading to the United States.  By 2006, show removal was mandatory after another failed attempt to blow up planes with liquid explosives.

With close to a dozen companies developing shoe scanning machines, the TSA has stated that it is in the process of buying 100 of these innovative pieces of technology by 2011.  - hiphopwired.com

REFUSAL

Two Muslim women in the United Kingdom refused a full-body scan at an airport, becoming the first fliers to do so, the Daily Mail reports.

The women were traveling together to Islamabad when they were selected at random by security officials to be screened with the full-body scanner.

According to the London newspaper, one of the women refused to pass through because of religious objections, while the other cited medical reasons. - nydailynews.com

BINS

Before I could wipe the stunned look off my face, Mr. Wu hoisted my compact but fairly heavy suitcase stuffed with shoes, books and too many clothes, and gingerly stowed it above my seat. Thanks Larry! Then he proceeded to do the same for other harried passengers as they boarded.

It’s not standard Virgin America procedure but Mr. Wu said it helps speed up the boarding and deplaning process. “I get my workout for the day and people are happy,” he said. He can generally fit more bags in the overhead bins by skillfully flipping them sideways or piling them on top of one another, like a game of Tetris.  And he can help ensure passengers don’t bilk the system by placing their bag at the front of the plane when they are seated farther back. - NYT

Update on March 4, 2010 by Brad

USA Today on the shoe scanners…

Update on March 4, 2010 by Brad

Take time to read the whole story, even if you’re skeptical…

“The biggest challenge is that we are trying to find a needle in a haystack because the fraction of criminals in the population is very small,” Cavusoglu said. “What we say is that it’s not enough to have a screening system, but if the screening system and profiler complement one another, we have a better shot at finding the needle.”

Although previous studies explore the effectiveness of profiling, Raghunathan says this is the first major study that examines how profiling can work with screening devices to create a system that balances the needs of airlines with that of customers. The UT Dallas professors began looking for a security system that provides the benefits of catching attackers while effectively outweighing the costs – in money, time, inconvenience, privacy, and liberties. - entire story at Pegasus News

Even the Roman pontiff is speaking out against the latest prop in security theater:

Pope Benedict XVI has spoken out against airport body scanners, insisting that “human dignity must be preserved.”

Although the pontiff did not use the words “body scanner” during the audience with airport workers, it was clear what he meant as he said: “It is above all essential to protect and value the human person in their integrity.”

Acknowledging that airports were in the forefront of the terrorist threat and suffering economically, he added: “Even in this situation, one must never forget that respecting the primacy of the human person and attention to his or her needs does not make the service less efficient nor penalize economic management.” - National Post

Update on February 23, 2010 by Brad

by Matt, telegraph.co.uk

European airports will keep restrictions on liquids carried onto aircraft for another three years because the rollout of scanning technology is behind schedule, EU nations have agreed.

The 27 European Union nations have reached agreement to maintain the restrictions on carry-on liquids until April 2013, a European Council document showed Wednesday.

Under the agreement “all airports must have the capacity to screen those products by April 29, 2013.” - AFP via Vancouver Sun

Never fear; the US will help the Euros develop another equally irritating jump-through hoop by 2013. 

USA Today reports that roving bands of swab-wielding TSA agents will make “random” explosive residue checks of carry-on luggage at and around checkpoints and gates. Pack neatly so as not to inconvenience our public servants.

Update on February 17, 2010 by Brad

Apparently the prime target for swabbing will be your grubby little hands:

Security experts consulted by CNN said swabbing hands is a good move, and privacy advocates said they support the new swabbing protocols, provided the agency tests only for security-related objects and does not discriminate when it selects people to be tested.

It’s a “very good idea,” said security expert Tony Fainberg. TSA screeners currently swab luggage handles and parts of bags that are likely be contaminated by human hands, he said, and swabbing a person’s hands increases the chances of finding explosive materials. “Looking at the hands means you will probably get a better dose,” he said. - CNN

Update on February 18, 2010 by Brad

TSA official presser:

TSA Expands Use of Explosive Trace Detection Technology at Airports Nationwide

Press Release

February 17, 2010

WASHINGTON - The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced today that it is expanding the random use of Explosive Trace Detection (ETD) technology at airports nationwide as an additional layer of security.

“Explosive Trace Detection technology is a critical tool in our ability to stay ahead of evolving threats to aviation security,” said TSA Acting Administrator Gale Rossides. “Expanding the use of this technology at checkpoints and at departure gates greatly enhances security to keep the traveling public safe.”

Since the Christmas Day failed attack TSA has increased its random use of ETD technology within security checkpoints to screen passengers’ hands and carry-on luggage. In addition, TSA piloted the use of ETD technology in both the checkpoint queue and boarding areas for two weeks at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Orlando International Airport, and Pitt-Greenville and Coastal Carolina Regional Airports in North Carolina.

Passengers can now expect to see the increased random use of ETD technology in areas where TSA currently conducts screening such as the security checkpoint, as well as in the checkpoint queue, and boarding areas. Officers may swab a piece of luggage or passengers’ hands, then use ETD technology to test for explosives. The swab is placed inside the ETD unit which analyzes the content for the presence of potential explosive residue. To ensure the health of travelers, screening swabs are disposed of after each use. Since it will be used on a random basis, passengers should not expect to see the same thing at every airport or each time they travel.

To date, the Department has awarded $15 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for 400 fixed ETD units. Additionally, President Obama’s fiscal year 2011 budget prioritizes key investments in aviation security, including $39 million to purchase approximately 800 portable ETD machines.

 

Invasion of the body scanners:

Body scanners that look under airline passengers’ clothing for hidden weapons could be in nearly half the nation’s airport checkpoints by late 2011, according to an Obama administration plan announced Monday.

The $215 million proposal to acquire 500 scanners next year, combined with the 450 to be bought this year, marks the largest addition of airport-security equipment since immediately after the 9/11 attacks. There are only 40 body scanners in a total of 19 airports now. - USA TODAY

And, chillingly, a USA Today/Gallup poll says 78% of respondents are “OK with TSA full-body scanners.”

As we embark on the era of no scan/no fly:

Pregnant women and children should not be subject to scanning, even though the radiation dose from body scanners is “extremely small,” said the Inter-Agency Committee on Radiation Safety report, which is restricted to the agencies concerned and not meant for public circulation. The group includes the European Commission, International Atomic Energy Agency, Nuclear Energy Agency and the World Health Organization.

A more accurate assessment about the health risks of the screening won’t be possible until governments decide whether all passengers will be systematically scanned or randomly selected, the report said. Governments must justify the additional risk posed to passengers, and should consider “other techniques to achieve the same end without the use of ionizing radiation.” - Bloomberg 

Stangely enough, I know a scientist who works with one of the groups mentioned above. This person mentioned this very issue just two days ago when I asked them about a recent trip and whether they had been body scanned. I see a future workplace safety issue here. Lawyers take note.

Update on February 5, 2010 by Brad

(NOT ME)Rodale:

In an American College of Radiology release, Mayo Clinic neuroradiologist Peter Kalina, MD, voices concerns over machine maintenance and record keeping, particularly if developing countries adopt the security practice. “As a traveler, I don’t know who’s checked that machine or equipment. Can I be sure there won’t be a larger dose of radiation coming from it?” Dr. Kalina asks.

New security rules took effect today at two major British airports that require selected passengers to undergo full body scans. If they refuse, they will not be allowed to board a flight. - AOL

Daily Mail: 

Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 5 will see the scanners implemented in the next few weeks.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: ‘We understand the concerns expressed about privacy in relation to the deployment of body scanners, which is why we have drawn up a code of practice for their use.

‘This will ensure operators are separated from the passengers being screened, and these anonymous images are destroyed after scanning is complete.’

And the case of “scan everybody” advocates will be bolstered by this unsettling possibility: breast implants of death.