auskiwiflyer
Junior Member
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2011
- Posts
- 43
Today at Sydney I was selected for one of these full body scans.
Having travelled extensively in USA earlier this year I told the guy I wanted to opt out as is perfectly acceptable there. He told me I couldn't. I have an electrical issue with my heart and I also get enough radiation when flying that I don't want to increase my dose every time I go through Sydney which is a lot. The security contractor guy didn't want to know, so I asked for his supervisor.
The supervisor came and was very polite but told me literally I would need to go through it or not fly. I told him I was happy to be strip searched, but he said it wasn't relevant. He repeatedly used the line - "it's 10,000 times less than the emissions from your mobile phone". The point is - I CHOOSE to be irradiated by my mobile phone, and can minimize my exposure by not using it or using hands free. There is no other alternative for a mobile, unlike these scans, where a pat down is a feasible alternative.
I couldn't believe that I was being forced to do something as invasive as this with no warning or no other option but not to fly. He told me to take the no fly option would also involve AFP for the formalities. I told him I was prepared to sacrifice my flight and to call the AFP over.
Seeing how firmly I was standing my ground the supervisor spoke to someone higher and then they spoke to someone higher still (in Canberra apparently). After about 45 minutes, they agreed to let me through with both a pat down & residue tests.
In the whole 45 minutes I was standing next to the machine, not one other person even tried to opt out. My feeling is that most people didn't understand this was any different than walking through the metal detector.
I am appalled that the govt of Australia can totally remove the civil liberties I thought I had by forcing me to undergo such a procedure.
More people need to stand up to this, like I said in my 45 mins beside the machine, not one other person even raised an eyelid.
Having travelled extensively in USA earlier this year I told the guy I wanted to opt out as is perfectly acceptable there. He told me I couldn't. I have an electrical issue with my heart and I also get enough radiation when flying that I don't want to increase my dose every time I go through Sydney which is a lot. The security contractor guy didn't want to know, so I asked for his supervisor.
The supervisor came and was very polite but told me literally I would need to go through it or not fly. I told him I was happy to be strip searched, but he said it wasn't relevant. He repeatedly used the line - "it's 10,000 times less than the emissions from your mobile phone". The point is - I CHOOSE to be irradiated by my mobile phone, and can minimize my exposure by not using it or using hands free. There is no other alternative for a mobile, unlike these scans, where a pat down is a feasible alternative.
I couldn't believe that I was being forced to do something as invasive as this with no warning or no other option but not to fly. He told me to take the no fly option would also involve AFP for the formalities. I told him I was prepared to sacrifice my flight and to call the AFP over.
Seeing how firmly I was standing my ground the supervisor spoke to someone higher and then they spoke to someone higher still (in Canberra apparently). After about 45 minutes, they agreed to let me through with both a pat down & residue tests.
In the whole 45 minutes I was standing next to the machine, not one other person even tried to opt out. My feeling is that most people didn't understand this was any different than walking through the metal detector.
I am appalled that the govt of Australia can totally remove the civil liberties I thought I had by forcing me to undergo such a procedure.
More people need to stand up to this, like I said in my 45 mins beside the machine, not one other person even raised an eyelid.