Four UCSF Professors Express Medical Concerns About TSA Full Body Scanners

Perhaps these full body back-scatter scanners will eventually be seen to be as misguided and unsafe as those [http://www.orau.org/ptp/collection/shoefittingfluor/shoe.htm shoe-fitting fluoroscopes] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe-fitting_fluoroscope of the 1930s]...

If the intrusion isn't bad enough, they also aren't proven safe and effective. I typically fly two to four segments per week, with two screenings per week average. If the radiation dose was "just" the advertised less than or equal to the incremental radiation from the flight itself, that's bad enough. The docs think that it might be between one and two orders of magnitude higher on the skin? That's not double, that's between ten and 100 times the advertised dose.

Now I'm positive. I'll take the groin contact over the skin or testicular cancer any day of the week. "We've got an opt out!"

The TSA's #1 priority is to give money to the vendors that lobby the government. Second, to make the government look good. Third, safety/security/going green/whatever.

How's this. Let's all opt out, and when you get groped, make the agent who gropes you really uncomfortable by saying outloud, "Oh yeah baby you like that don't you!"

Okay I shouldn't have said that. That would be totally out of line and rude. But wait, so is getting groped by a complete stranger.

I am a pilot. I hate the TSA. Think I'll start to wear a cup.

Show me the research.

A standard chest X-ray only emits 125 kEv of radiation, which is much more than mentioned in the educator's letter. However over a period of time there could be damage. Then there is also the scatter from other people being scanned. Don't forget the TSA workers they may suffer the most by being exposed all day.