Looks like Europe has a clue, Michael Grabell:
>The European Commission, which enforces common policies of the EU’s 27 member countries, adopted the rule “in order not to risk jeopardizing citizens’ health and safety.”
That’s a smart move. What’s really stunning to me is this bit from TSA spokesman Mike McCarthy:
>“Since January 2010, advanced imaging technology has detected more than 300 dangerous or illegal items on passengers in U.S. airports nationwide.”
Given the amount of people being scanned, 300 seems like an incredibly small number to me — almost like TSA is over stating the threat. Given that 50% of the scanners installed at U.S. airports are expected to cause cancer in a small percentage of people that pass through them, well, 300 seems very small.
I do like what the UK does, as Grabell points out:
>The United Kingdom uses them but only for secondary screening, such as when a passenger triggers the metal detector or raises suspicion.
That seems like a much more reasonable security protocol.