If picked for Full Body Scan...

[harvyk]

50% felt up rate here (although it's a sample size of 2).

 

[aaflyer]

I have probably been through these (and the old backscatter ones) over a hundred times.

Only 2-3 times ever have I been pulled aside for further screening (in the USA). Typically left a tissue in my pocket or the like.

Holding my passport in my hands is acceptable too so I just hold it above my head.

Only been through the one in Australia once, and was incident free. I have no problems with them. If they really do show my bits to someone (they say they don't but who knows) I don't really care.

 

[harvyk]

I have probably been through these (and the old backscatter ones) over a hundred times.

Only 2-3 times ever have I been pulled aside for further screening (in the USA). Typically left a tissue in my pocket or the like.

Holding my passport in my hands is acceptable too so I just hold it above my head.

Only been through the one in Australia once, and was incident free. I have no problems with them. If they really do show my bits to someone (they say they don't but who knows) I don't really care.

I'd always guessed that the novelty factor of seeing someones blurry naked body would have ended by about person number 3. Personally I never saw it as anything different than my doctor seeing that part of me.

 

[russellferrier]

Only had one go and that was BNE on the way to Africa. I too left tissues in my pocket and was made to remove them and start again. Bit silly and intrusive I thought...until I went through secururity at Freetown, Sierra Leone on the way home.
Multiple full body, full contact pat downs The first one "seemed" legit but he ordered me to place my passport and wallet on an unattended table, face forward, hold my arms out and close my eyes while he did the grope down. Got a bit stroppy when I kept my eyes open and firmly focused on my passport and wallet.

Got through that okay but had two or three more full body pat downs after that, at least one of which I swear was done by someone who just happened to be passing by and decided to tick this off his personal bucket list!

Body scan now seems tame and innocent( still useless though in the scheme of things).

 

[NFF]

Do belts have to be removed as well ?

 

[dougieboy]

All passengers leaving JFK go thru this process causing a massive line up, this happened to us in February this year returning on the QF107/QF16 to Brissy. I don't mind the process, they just need to have more than one as it detracts from the quick check in after a long taxi ride from Downtown Manhattan. And not enough seating areas to put your shoes back on.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I have probably been through these (and the old backscatter ones) over a hundred times.

Only 2-3 times ever have I been pulled aside for further screening (in the USA). Typically left a tissue in my pocket or the like.

Holding my passport in my hands is acceptable too so I just hold it above my head.

Only been through the one in Australia once, and was incident free. I have no problems with them. If they really do show my bits to someone (they say they don't but who knows) I don't really care.

This has been my experience.

The body scanners are looking for inconsistencies - plastic explosives etc. So it (correctly) doesn't discriminate between metal and non-mental. A tissue shows the scanner is working.

I got caught as well by a tissue one time. Since removing everything since then not a problem.

If anyone is concerned about their personal belongings - you can lock your bag.

 

[Himeno]

The main issue I have with them is if you are selected for them, you are forced to go through it or you don't fly (with limited exceptions). A complete reversal of what was promised during the public consultation before they were rolled out and completely ignoring what both House and Senate committees said in their reports and every single public comment about them.

I contacted DIT about them a few months ago. They tried to fob me off and only cut/paste text from their website on the topic. After making it clear to them that I was not to be treated like a fool, they told me to go ask the airports. SYD replied, MEL didn't.

Thus far, since their roll out in Australia, I've been lucky enough to avoid them (even yesterday in SYD when it wasn't in use and I was the only one in a batch of 5 to be sent through the WTMD). A few weeks ago in MEL, the scanner was having issues and everyone was sent through the WTMD until the MMW was fixed.
If they select you, you just say "I am medically unable to assume and hold the required position".

I have no issues with the ETD swabs. That's doing something useful. MMW isn't.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

what's wrong/the issue with having a scan? is there a health risk?

 

[trippin_the_rift]

what's wrong/the issue with having a scan? is there a health risk?

The big risk is the unknown. Who knows what effect these scans will have on you and the greater population 20 years from now!!

Paging my good friend @medhead

 

[rioter]

This has been my experience.

The body scanners are looking for inconsistencies - plastic explosives etc. So it (correctly) doesn't discriminate between metal and non-mental. A tissue shows the scanner is working.

I got caught as well by a tissue one time. Since removing everything since then not a problem.

If anyone is concerned about their personal belongings - you can lock your bag.

Hearing all these stories about tissues, folded clothes etc getting picked up is amazing.
I have a set of 6 piercings in my arm which have never been picked up by a scanner or a patdown. Wonder what else they can't detect.

 

[medhead]

what's wrong/the issue with having a scan? is there a health risk?

The big risk is the unknown. Who knows what effect these scans will have on you and the greater population 20 years from now!!

Paging my good friend @medhead

I'm saying nothing more than the scanners in Australia do not use ionising radiation. There is no known mechanism for rf radiation to cause permanent tissue changes at the very low levels used in the Australian scanners.

 

[Pushka]

I think security is pretty much a feel good exercise rather than a detection one. MrP constantly travels with Bluetac. And across the world that has never been questioned.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

so I don't get what the problem is then?

i think the scanners are easy and quick. my 80 year old mom got the hang of them in 2 seconds.

people have a choice not to fly if they don't like the security at airports.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I think security is pretty much a feel good exercise rather than a detection one. MrP constantly travels with Bluetac. And across the world that has never been questioned.

blutac stuck to his body?

 

[opusman]

I think fear of the scanners is largely a neo-Luddite reaction.

The LAG rules are far more inconvenient than the new scanners are.

 

[harvyk]

I think fear of the scanners is largely a neo-Luddite reaction.

The fear of the scanners comes partly from a fear of people been seen "naked", since the original scanners produced a ghostly image which had enough detail to see appendages underneath clothes and that's what the media focused on. The other part of the fear is the fact that up until now, most devices which had the ability to see though things didn't exactly do us much good.

AFAIK these current crop of machines produce a stick figure outline and simply highlight anything unusual (thus the reason why tissues in pockets are picked up) and emit such low levels of radiation that you'll be exposed to more radiation due to your airplane flight than you would by the machines. That said, once people's minds are made up about things, it's often very difficult to get them to change.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

indeed it is a little stick figure! with a square or rectangle outlining the area 'of interest' if the scan picks up something.

On a side note, have to say the TSA was great on our recent trip. Little old aged mother didn't have to remove outer jacket, belt or shoes. the policy applies to seniors 75+ and certainly made it a lot easier.

 

[Pushka]

Blutac in his carry on. Which passes through general screening.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Blutac in his carry on. Which passes through general screening.

seems to be ok then... thought that was in reference to a scanning machine not identifying it on his person.

in baggage what would be the problem? it's not a prohibited substance.