Airport body scanner and pregnancy - Page 4

[L&K'smommie]

Ugh.  I'm really disheartened by hearing all this.  I'm flying next month and will be flying out of an airport with these scanners...I hope they still have the old ones too.  I'm flying with my 20 month old alone and had planned not to go through the new machines...but now when forced with the machine or the new pat-down...I don't know.  This whole thing makes me want to puke.  My dh all ready told me that if they go to far with the pat down to take pictures, take down names, etc.  Ugh...I just don't know now.  And I have no option but to fly with where I live...it would take more than a week of driving to get anywhere in the continental US.

And I wholeheartedly agree with Mamachef and I love your quote!

[Lady Lilya]

I've been thinking about this.  There has been so much in the media about it the last 2 weeks or so.  And I am glad to have an idea what to expect in advance.

We are flying next month with our 3yo. He isn't very verbal.  I've heard complaints that the TSA workers were asking small children, even babies, security questions.  My child will not understand or be able to answer.

For the new machines, the person has to stand in a variety of positions when instructed.  Yeah right!  First of all, I can't imagine him walking into the machine alone.  So how is he going to stop in the right place and follow the instructions?

For the pat down, I can imagine DS freaking out if a stranger is handling him.  It could become a very traumatic experience, based on how the TSA workers react.  

If there are the old machines, we figure DH will carry him through.  And then if the pat downs appear to be not very thorough, I will probably choose that.  

[Geist]

I wouldn't go through them NOT pregnant and absolutely refuse to go through them pregnant. There simply hasn't been enough research or studies done to prove that their safe. Remember, in the 50s they did X-Rays on all pregnant women to make sure their pelvises were big enough to give birth and then later found out that this increased the chances of getting cancer, so even if it's called "safe" at the time, doesn't mean it actually is.

I feel for my sister, though. She and her 1 year old are going to be heading out here to help me when my second child is born. She is absolutely dreading the idea of having to fly and is terrified they'll take her daughter away from her ( http://www.mybottlesup.com/2009/10/tsa-agents-took-my-son/) or feel her up or something like that. She's thinking of taking the train even though it'd be at least 40 hours compared with 6 or 7 flying.

[Lady Lilya]

http://lewrockwell.com/orig3/monahan1.html

Written by a guy about what happened when his pregnant wife got groped at the airport.

[noahs.mom06]

Originally Posted by Geist 

I wouldn't go through them NOT pregnant and absolutely refuse to go through them pregnant. There simply hasn't been enough research or studies done to prove that their safe. Remember, in the 50s they did X-Rays on all pregnant women to make sure their pelvises were big enough to give birth and then later found out that this increased the chances of getting cancer, so even if it's called "safe" at the time, doesn't mean it actually is.

I feel for my sister, though. She and her 1 year old are going to be heading out here to help me when my second child is born. She is absolutely dreading the idea of having to fly and is terrified they'll take her daughter away from her ( http://www.mybottlesup.com/2009/10/tsa-agents-took-my-son/) or feel her up or something like that. She's thinking of taking the train even though it'd be at least 40 hours compared with 6 or 7 flying.

They gave my MIL an x-ray in 1979 to find out if DH was breech and would fit through their pelvis!

I won't go through one of these scanners, and I wouldn't let my kids go through one, and I've told DH I don't want him to go through one, either! I'm wondering how things will change for us... since DD is "immune compromised", the TSA supervisor practically holds our hands through security. I wonder if it will be different now. We are actually driving to Boston (from CO) next month for her check-up, to avoid flying...
 

[macandcheese]

Originally Posted by Lady Lilya 

http://lewrockwell.com/orig3/monahan1.html

Written by a guy about what happened when his pregnant wife got groped at the airport.

That makes me sick.

[~Adorkable~]

Originally Posted by Lady Lilya 

http://lewrockwell.com/orig3/monahan1.html

Written by a guy about what happened when his pregnant wife got groped at the airport.

messed up sad story, did you notice BTW that this was from 2002, right after 9/11. does not change how wrong the whole thing is, just interesting how times have not changed and the same fights are here still and again

[TrishWSU]

Originally Posted by amaayeh 

This is exactly what I have been reading about online and exactly how I feel about it.  I simply won't fly if they try to subject me or my children to that.  It is UNACCEPTABLE and we are the ONLY country in the world to allow such behavior.  Ridiculous and does NOTHING for our safety.

You get searched like this every time you go through the Baghdad International Airport, after you get your bags screened and searched 4 times. The US isn't the only country to do it.

Personally, I wouldn't go through the scanner while pregnant.
 

[OrangeMoon]

Just found this on my poor husbands facebook. As sad as it is funny:

http://gallery.pictopia.com/pensacola/e/?photo_name=DP-11190308-AR-L-AR&thumbnail_url=http%3A%2F%2Fcmsimg.pensacolanewsjournal.com%2Fapps%2Fpbcsi.dll%2Fbilde%3FSite%3DDP%26Date%3D20101119%26Category%3DOPINION%26ArtNo%3D11190308%26Ref%3DAR&title=Editorial%3A+Dignity+for+security%3F

My husband has said post grope that he would have gone through the x-ray than been felt up like that :-(

[Geist]

Originally Posted by OrangeMoon 

Just found this on my poor husbands facebook. As sad as it is funny:

http://gallery.pictopia.com/pensacola/e/?photo_name=DP-11190308-AR-L-AR&thumbnail_url=http%3A%2F%2Fcmsimg.pensacolanewsjournal.com%2Fapps%2Fpbcsi.dll%2Fbilde%3FSite%3DDP%26Date%3D20101119%26Category%3DOPINION%26ArtNo%3D11190308%26Ref%3DAR&title=Editorial%3A+Dignity+for+security%3F

My husband has said post grope that he would have gone through the x-ray than been felt up like that :-(

That's basically the goal: Here's a quote from a TSA worker (I had read another article about this last week but I can't find it this time.

"It is a terror tactic by TSA to get you to walk through the more thorough body scanner.  I can’t defend TSA on this one.  I have talked to the TSA officers and it is no more effective than the old pat down procedure.  They tested it out with trainers and each other.  It is purely a terror tactic by TSA."

from: http://www.aetherczar.com/?p=2195

You get searched like this every time you go through the Baghdad International Airport, after you get your bags screened and searched 4 times. The US isn't the only country to do it.

Yes, but the US is the only country that isn't a war-zone or being occupied by a foreign power. We rank 33 on the list of terrorist threats. All threats on airplanes since 9/11 have been neutralized by the passengers who no longer being told to just sit there and do whatever the hijacker/terrorist/dude tells them. This is completely unnecessary and completely violates our human rights.

[puddle]

This video blows my mind.  A former assistant TSA administrator admits that these searches violate the 4th amendment, but says they're going to do it anyway.  (Because it's worth it to keep our children safe.)  Good thing for him that the constitution isn't the law anymore I guess.

As far as the original post, I'm with those who absolutely wouldn't risk the scanners while pregnant.  I've read all the arguments about why it's supposedly safe, but I'm just not okay with myself or my unborn being a guinea pig.

[Geist]

http://gonzalolira.blogspot.com/2010/11/full-body-scan-of-american-corruption.html

This link has a lot of good information about how the two different body scanners work and the radiation/cancer concerns. Scroll down about halfway through the blog post for the safety information. Definitely don't want to go through one pregnant...

[OrangeMoon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-jdDE6bFow&feature=related

Young boy strip searched in public by TSA:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSQTz1bccL4

[gummibears]

A friend told me there was a special report on TV about travel and pregnancy and they said NO scanners when pregnant. I travel via train so I can avoid it, but if I were flying I'd refuse it.

[Banana731]

Originally Posted by elonwy 

I have a friend who is a radiation safety expert (his job is to examine places and equipment to make sure people don't get exposed to bad stuff) and he explained : "The scanners barely penetrate the dead layer of skin.  In this case the only exposure is to a single, rather radio-resistant organ: the skin.  Skin dose limits, by contrast, are 50,000mrem/yr.  Dose per scan is roughly .02mrem." and "The unborn are just fine.  They get to use your skin." I was weirded out by them at first, but after he explained to me how they work I'm indifferent.

http://www.tsa.gov/approach/tech/ait/how_it_works.shtm 

E- Ask your friend why you can see BONE in the backscatter picture, then? 

That's totally creepy!

[Monzie]

I just flew last weekend and there are no new scanners at the Dallas-Ft Worth airport or in Madison, WI.  I was treated to a pat-down in Belize City, though....one of several I've had the pleasure of experiencing in the past couple of years.  Although it is slightly embarrassing and annoying (especially when my impatient husband has to stand there juggling our 3 year old and all our stuff), I have never been "groped" or treated with anything but business-like efficiency.  And I have never been asked to remove any articles of clothing aside from my shoes.

[MamaChef]

Originally Posted by Monzie 

I just flew last weekend and there are no new scanners at the Dallas-Ft Worth airport or in Madison, WI.  I was treated to a pat-down in Belize City, though....one of several I've had the pleasure of experiencing in the past couple of years.  Although it is slightly embarrassing and annoying (especially when my impatient husband has to stand there juggling our 3 year old and all our stuff), I have never been "groped" or treated with anything but business-like efficiency.  And I have never been asked to remove any articles of clothing aside from my shoes.

Just FYI for others

Term A/B/E have no scanners, but all the other ones at DFW do.  I have two friends who have flown out of DFW in the last few days and they did have scanners.

[mamaki]

I'm flying at Christmas and I plan to say no to the body scanner... I guess I'll be getting the wonderful pat down....

I just found this article, has some details about how the TSA is comparing different types of radiation to the new scanners. http://www.zrecommends.com/detail/a-few-words-about-unknown-risks-of-the-tsas-new-airport-scanners/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=ZRecommends

[k9sarchik]

I wouldn't go through the scanners if I was pregnant or not.  They say Ultrasounds are safe, but I've read a study stating otherwise.  They say vaccines are safe, but I've heard from doctors that they are not.  Why would anyone trust our government?  The government doesn't trust you or your children.

"It's magical thinking: If we defend against what the terrorists did last time, we'll somehow defend against what they do one time. Of course this doesn't work. We take away guns and bombs, so the terrorists use box cutters. We take away box cutters and corkscrews, and the terrorists hide explosives in their shoes. We screen shoes, they use liquids. We limit liquids, they sew PETN into their underwear. We implement full-body scanners, and they're going to do something else. This is a stupid game; we should stop playing it."

http://www.schneier.com/essay-303.html

The terrorists are already experimenting with body cavity explosives.  They are already putting them into dogs. So all these scanners and pat downs are 100% useless to the next attack.  So those that go through the scanners and get groped is all for nothing.

[mkat83]

Woman singled out for wearing Glad Rag:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1333432/Humiliated-Female-passenger-subjected-patdown-sanitary-towel-showed-body-scanner.html