BANGOR, Maine — Almost four years after new advanced imaging technology scanners were introduced nationally at larger airports, Bangor International Airport has joined the club.
“This is really the world’s best available technology to screen a passenger for any metallic or nonmetallic items that may be concealed under clothing,” said Ann Davis, the Transportation Security Administration’s Northeast Region public affairs manager. “It’s safe, efficient, and it points out the necessity for passengers to divest themselves of everything that’s not paper or tissues.”
The new machine, which costs around $140,000, has been in limited use for only a week, but the reaction has been almost universally positive from passengers flying to and from Bangor, according to Tony Caruso Jr., BIA’s assistant airport director.
“We’re excited that this unit is finally here in Bangor and up and running,” he said. “Passengers realize they have a choice if they prefer to still go through the traditional magnetometer, but the majority of folks traveling through so far seem to prefer the new scanner.”
Caruso and other BIA officials had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new ProVision ATD scanner.
“So far, it seems to have streamlined the security process a lot and increased our efficiency,” Caruso said, noting that carry-on bags still have to be scanned or searched the traditional way.
The new 4-foot-wide, 9-foot-tall scanner uses electromagnetic waves so there is no danger of radiation exposure, according to Davis. She said there are also no personal privacy issues related to body types or too-graphic images which dogged previous scanner systems. That’s because the screen images of the scanned passengers are nondescript humanoid outlines or silhouettes with yellow icons representing potential items of concern.
“The TSA has worked very hard to address personal privacy concerns of travelers,” said Davis. “This system utilizes a computer-generated, generic avatar of a human form that’s identical for every person.”
The positive reaction from BIA patrons seems to fall in line with that of passengers nationwide.
“Passengers largely are very excited about the machines because they’re quick, efficient and less intrusive, particularly for people who have had things like hip and knee replacements, which do not show up on these scans,” Davis said. “Most passengers, given a choice, prefer the new scanning option to the rate of about 90 percent.”
The scanner, which requires three TSA personnel to run, is due to go from limited to full-time use within the next week.
“We’ll have a fully trained staff to have it running 24 hours a day within a week,” Caruso said.
Davis said Bangor’s is one of about 500 scanners being deployed at U.S. airports this year, with another 500 scheduled to go into use in 2013.
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, who has been calling for technology to enhance traveler privacy, welcomed the BIA upgrade.
“I am pleased that the Bangor International Airport now has a safe scanning alternative that does not use X-rays that emit potentially harmful radiation,” Collins said in a press release.
These generic machines should have been the norm, not the replacement. This should speed up the security process and create less passenger stress.
Nah. Just shackle everyone before they get on the plane and unshackle ’em when they get off. Simple, quick, and democratic.
I’ve worked that flight before – McChord AFB to Havana. All passengers wore orange jumpsuits and ankle chains. Not a pleasant flight.
ConAir!
Nope – DOJ charter. I think even ConAir was a little afraid of this group – I know I was…..
Reminds me of a USAir flight from Philadelphia to the west coast last month. The pilot was on the PA, issuing orders to us like a warden. The attendants were mostly rude and rather sloppy looking.
Oh, and that reminds me. If they’re going to make us go through all this nonsense before we get on a 6-hour flight, the least the airlines could do is have the crew dress, look, and act professionally. I’m tired of attendants wearing aprons and lanyards who look like they’re working on Dress Down Friday with the attitude to match that of a surly teenager.
These machines should be used as secondary scanners as they were promoted as. NOT as a primary scanning solution.
Even with the addition of the machine, a white 91 year old grandmother will be targeted for a cavity search while some 24 year old dude with a turban sails on through.
yes, thanks to liberals in charge. makes alot of sense.
Is it really the liberals who have us so terrified? Who is the one who is telling us that THE TERRORISTS will stop at nothing and will even plant bombs on little children and old people?
It’s the government in general that’s doing this. It’s not dems or repubs at that point-they are all the same when it comes to this charade.
The TSA was developed during the Bush administration and thust has received the majority of its funding from a conservative government.
I don’t like these machines at all and don’t believe what they tell us about the radiation. If you go through twice a day could that cause you harm? I think I’ll drive instead.
Daniel .. Toronto, Canada
http://dandmb50.wordpress.com/
Or Dan you can request a pat down.
Three times now I have. Twice at SFO and once at LAX. One man even said he doesn’t blame me for choosing to opt out of the scanner.
Now I’ll do it at BGR too, I guess.
Thank you for staying home dandmb50. with an attitude like yours, we don’t want you on a plane!
Is it really wrong to question the safety of these devices?
It’s not as if the government has NEVER been wrong with regards to the safety of something.
If Regan had been in office in 2001 maybe we wouldn’t even be talking about security and crazy Terrorists. The giant sand box would be a glass factory like it needs to be.
I welcome the improved efficiency.
If it means the plane I’m on wont blow up, I am just fine with scanners, searches, pat downs, whatever. I have nothing to hide.
They are slower to go through, and do not detect explosives. The TSA had machines that were quick, and did detect explosives, however, they choose to not deploy them.
It takes 3 seconds to go through, if you have a belt buckle it will detect it, rather than make you go back through the walk through detector again and again. You can see what they see on the screen.
It takes 1 second to go through a magnetometer. If you fail a scanner scan, you get a pat down.
As long as they keep us terrified, they’ll keep chipping away at our rights.
This doesn’t mean your plane won’t blow up. TSA and the Feds have been one step behind on every attempt ever made in the world and no matter how much money we throw at the problem or how many of our freedoms we give up, that is where we will stay.
Well aren’t you a ray of sunshine? Ha ha
The facts aren’t always pretty. I’ll bet money with anyone willing to take the bet that the next successful attack will be one they never saw coming and will result in another multi-billion dollar fix that won’t be ready for the attack after that.
We’ve gotten too civilized to handle this issue in the ways we we used to handle things.
The new scanners actually take longer to go through than what a metal detector does. How long does it take to walk through the machine vs waiting for the machine to do its thing and analise the results.
The scanners do nothing to improve safety. They do everything to remove privacy, and the constitutional rights of innocent citizens.
There is no privacy invasion. Have you seen the diagrams (male and female). You can’t tell if the woman is 99 or 15..same for the man. What are you talking about…have you been through one yet?
You know. I have never been through one of the scanners. In last year’s travels (about 70k flown miles, and 95 total flights) I always opted out. In 2010’s travels (about 60k flown miles and 60 total flights) I also never went through one. I, again, always opted out.
The images outline images are the user interface that a screener sees. The original image of a fairly detailed nude persona still exist. Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean that it isn’t there.
Keep in mind, that the scanners were installed as a knee jerk reaction to the attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines flight 253. The flight originated in Amsterdam, and the passenger originated in Nigeria. The TSA aren’t in either of those countries.
wirunner, you are correct. There is a detailed image and although the screener can’t immediately see it, it is still in the system.
No privacy invasion? Just because my junk doesn’t show does not mean my privacy isn’t being invaded.
I am being searched by a representative of the government even though I have not been accused of a crime. If it’s okay to do this in the interest of the safety of the society in general, then what’s to stop the government from searching us at any point under the guise of “public safety”?
And how do we really know what the scanners are doing? Sure, we see the “humanoid” figure for ourselves, apparently, but what else is happening with that scanner?
There is an easy way to not have to wait and protect your privacy — Don’t fly
The TSA has been doing private vehicle searches on the roads, as well as searches at bus stations, train stations, and sporting venues. So, not sure what modes of transportation
Not flying is not an option, i frequently need to be in Maine one day, and the next be in WI. Not going through the scanners IS an option. Having illegal searches ceased is also an option. But it seems that the constitution is optional for parts of the government.
Not flying doesn’t fix anything. They have this authority over all forms of transportation and are just getting started.
As long as I have a choice, I’ll ALWAYS opt for seeing the face of the person searching me. I don’t care if the one who’s viewing the scanner can’t see who I am.
Maybe I’m fighting a losing battle, but until the day comes when we’re monitored 24-hours by cameras and scanners to ensure that we don’t commit a crime, I will always opt out.
Wonder how much Chertoff and buddies make on the sale of just one of these radiation emitting monstrosities?
Another reason why this is a charade-if someone DID have explosives and is caught by a detector or scanner, what would happen then? Does a magic bomb-proof capsule come from the ceiling like Maxwell Smart’s Cone of Silence and seal the bomber off from the hundred to thousands of people surrounding him? I would bet that more terror would be caused by someone doing that than by blowing up one plane.
The ONLY way to ensure safety for everyone is to scan EVERYONE 100% of the time in an isolated bomb-proof room.
But, I guess if it makes YOU feel safe, then MY civil rights should go in the toilet along with yours, huh?
All of these scanners are millimeter wave, none are x-ray. If the x-ray units being used at most of the largest airports are so safe why did they stop installing them?
TSA hasn’t allowed independent testing of either system but expects us to believe them when they tell us that the scanners are safe, our naked image is deleted and these things really work.
This agency has a well-documented history of lying and cannot be trusted.
TSA is a colossal failure and their lack of accountability and responsible management permits these abuses to persist. TSA is far too broken to be reformed and must be replaced with something that actually works.
TSA Crimes & Abuses
bit.ly/TravelUndergroundTSAabuses