'Naked' airport screening? (Safe or modest)

This headline certainly caught my attention:

Quote:

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Screening technology raises privacy concerns

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The interesting part is that recently, there have been headlines "How safe are we?" "Screening process do not work." After reading headlines like that, only to be followed with privacy concerns, that is just plain nonsense.

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/scp_v3/vie ... 49799&src=

Or, these other headlines:

TSA says shoe X-rays can detect bombs
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/terror_plot_security

Veteran travelers find it hard to carry on
http://www.usatoday.com/money/biztravel ... m?csp=N009

TSA defends x-rays of travelers' shoes
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060815/ap_ ... ecurity_35

These headlines, after headlines in recent days of, x-rays can't detect bombs or airport screening is not strict enough.....

I don't understand the whole "X-rays can't detect bombs" thing. Who said they did? Shoes go through the machine separately because the TSA agents look to see if there is anything inside the shoes. It's not that the machien detects it, it's that the agent viewing looks for it. I thought that was common sense.....but hey....any way for the media to stir the pot, right?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Phil D.

I don't understand the whole "X-rays can't detect bombs" thing. Who said they did? Shoes go through the machine separately because the TSA agents look to see if there is anything inside the shoes. It's not that the machine detects it, it's that the agent viewing looks for it. I thought that was common sense.....but hey....any way for the media to stir the pot, right?

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The TSA never disputed that the X-Ray machines don't detect bombs. The Screening Officers detect items based on the X-Rays and certain indicators.

Medical X-Rays don't detect cancer, the doctor determines cancer based on an X-Ray and they have been wrong often.

Medical and Security Screening are getting better, usually at the same time since the companies making the machines are usually the same.

The news will jump on what they proceed a negative and ride it for all they can. They can be wrong and will just post it in a retraction on page 38.