Over the top US style full body scanners in smaller airports now?

[Warks]

Recently travelled to Townsville and Darwin and both airports have full body scanning just like US international airports. This whole process is stupidly slow and seemingly unnecessary especially at a domestic level. We don't have to remove shoes, we don't have to ditch our liquids so why this level of paranoid scanning? The good thing that comes with this system is you don't have to remove laptops from bags for the X-ray scanning but that's it.
I assume this brave new world is coming soon to the major hubs. As if security theatre wasn't slow enough already now it's going to be so much worse. I noticed that a lot of people going through the scanners were also selected for a pat down in Darwin (not me). It looks like some sort of deal the previous government did that I hope gets overturned.
But maybe I'm just complaining for no reason. It was just odd to see this sort of thing in relatively quiet airports. Hope it's just a test run and gets dumped - unless they can speed it up, which I doubt.

 

[RB]

Recently travelled to Townsville and Darwin and both airports have full body scanning just like US international airports. This whole process is stupidly slow and seemingly unnecessary especially at a domestic level. We don't have to remove shoes, we don't have to ditch our liquids so why this level of paranoid scanning? The good thing that comes with this system is you don't have to remove laptops from bags for the X-ray scanning but that's it.
I assume this brave new world is coming soon to the major hubs. As if security theatre wasn't slow enough already now it's going to be so much worse. I noticed that a lot of people going through the scanners were also selected for a pat down in Darwin (not me). It looks like some sort of deal the previous government did that I hope gets overturned.
But maybe I'm just complaining for no reason. It was just odd to see this sort of thing in relatively quiet airports. Hope it's just a test run and gets dumped - unless they can speed it up, which I doubt.

I also recently travelled through Townsville & really enjoyed the change to the laptop rules. I didn't notice anything about the body scanning. What was it that was "slow & seemingly unnecessary"?

 

[Daver6]

You also don't need to remove belts IIRC.

While each scan might be a bit slower than walking through a metal detector, I think on the whole it's faster. How many times do people go through a metal detector multiple times because they forgot to remove a belt or something. That just slows down the entire process.

 

[Warks]

Maybe it was teething but the staff were very officious and treated everyone like children. For some reason if you wore a jumper that was okay but tied around your waist wasn't etc. Could have glasses on your face but not in your hand. The scanner itself is pretty damn slow, being active, unlike the metal detector. Stand there with your arms akimbo while it takes its time scanning... It's all theatre anyway as they say. I did prefer the X-ray machines though. Bigger trays and not having to separate it all out.

 

[justinbrett]

We’ve had the scanners in NTL for a while now and I’d say overall its made security quicker.

 

[Pushka]

They've been in Adelaide for a while but if you want to avoid - don't go through the priority queue . The staff are quite officious though. And I always get pinged for multiple hot spots and always on my right hip. Five weeks ago the operator said she'd never seen so many hot spots (they get that info) so she patted down pretty much everywhere. Wanted me to turn out pockets as they were particular hot spots - except - they were fake pockets.

 

[Franky]

They've been in Adelaide for a while but if you want to avoid - don't go through the priority queue . The staff are quite officious though. And I always get pinged for multiple hot spots and always on my right hip. Five weeks ago the operator said she'd never seen so many hot spots (they get that info) so she patted down pretty much everywhere. Wanted me to turn out pockets as they were particular hot spots - except - they were fake pockets.

Similar problems here, with the old machines my 2 knee replacements always rang a bell, but they are no longer looking for magnetic stuff, and my left shoulder is always a hot spot, which now gets a massage whether I like it or not...

 

[wandering_fred]

Those of us with replaced joints have no love lost for metal detector checks...
Slows down the wandering
Fred

 

[BrockF]

I find them incredibly slow as rather than a queue of people just walking through, it is one at a time, wait while the hot spots are checked out, take the belt off, check to make sure nothing is hidden under the watch…..
The one at Hamilton Island you have to turn yourself around 180 degrees! I didn’t see anybody get the “right speed” to turn around and everybody had to repeat it a few times with only a “turn faster“ or “turn slower“ for guidance. A big step backwards for efficiency!

 

[AIRwin]

The one at Hamilton Island you have to turn yourself around 180 degrees! I didn’t see anybody get the “right speed” to turn around and everybody had to repeat it a few times with only a “turn faster“ or “turn slower“ for guidance.

I'd like to watch that as a bystander and get dizzy...

 

[justinbrett]

Either way you’re still waiting for your bags at the end of it. Seems like a moot point.

They’re more widespread than OP suggests, and in larger airports like BNE it’s a constant flow of (match fit) pax and I really cant see how they’re any slower.

 

[Berlin]

They’re more widespread than OP suggests, and in larger airports like BNE it’s a constant flow of (match fit) pax and I really cant see how they’re any slower.

Agreed- I’m actually almost surprised these days if they do NOT have those full body scans. And I find them faster and more practical in any case so nothing about them that is “over the top”.

But maybe up in the provinces, people haven’t learnt how to use them properly yet…

 

[Denali]

My husband bought new boots, replacing the steel toe ones, to avoid airport hassles and yep, Darwin he had to remove his boots for extra security and I got the full body scan where something was detected on my elbow area. I was wearing a tee that exposed my elbow and have no surgical bits in my elbow so who knows why it did that.

 

[Pushka]

Agreed- I’m actually almost surprised these days if they do NOT have those full body scans. And I find them faster and more practical in any case so nothing about them that is “over the top”.

But maybe up in the provinces, people haven’t learnt how to use them properly yet…

Spot on. The time wasting is more about the staffing of them and the need to be important. Which is a similar reason why Adelaide is fixated with umbrellas.

 

[justinbrett]

My back pocket and/or fly usually get flagged, I get a quick touch up and I’m on my way. Even getting flagged I usually beat my bags.

 

[Denali]

My back pocket and/or fly usually get flagged, I get a quick touch up and I’m on my way. Even getting flagged I usually beat my bags.

Buns of steel?

 

[JohnK]

Similar problems here, with the old machines my 2 knee replacements always rang a bell, but they are no longer looking for magnetic stuff, and my left shoulder is always a hot spot, which now gets a massage whether I like it or not...

Same with me it's happened at a few airports now. My right shoulder and middle of the back come up as a hotspot.

 

[openseat]

I'm constantly getting the pocket and sometimes sock hotspot. It's very annoying. Also the different rules regarding belts, laptops, tablets, shoes, etc at every port in Australia. Often find myself counting to ten to keep calm.

 

[jakeseven7]

I'm constantly getting the pocket and sometimes sock hotspot. It's very annoying. Also the different rules regarding belts, laptops, tablets, shoes, etc at every port in Australia. Often find myself counting to ten to keep calm.

Don’t forget lethal umbrellas at LST

 

[Franky]

I'm constantly getting the pocket and sometimes sock hotspot. It's very annoying. Also the different rules regarding belts, laptops, tablets, shoes, etc at every port in Australia. Often find myself counting to ten to keep calm.

Not often, always…