I discovered yesterday on my way home from the Wise Traditions seminar that I had unknowingly received a bon voyage blast of radiation from a body scanner on my way out of town via Tampa International Airport.
A radiation expert that I was chatting up in the van on the way to Dallas airport yesterday clued me in.
Apparently, some TSA agents are now flat out lying to airline passengers about the machines they operate.
I never got the memo.
I have to admit that I haven’t been keeping up with the roll-out of body scanner machines across the United States over the past year. Â I knew some of the larger hubs had them but had not read or heard anywhere in my local community that Tampa International now has them too.
So, on my way through security last Thursday I wasn’t anticipating anything different at the security check.
As I dutifully removed my shoes, I first sensed something was very wrong when I saw the big security box that people were walking through after stepping inside and placing their feet on the appropriate spots and putting their hands in the air.
I figured that must be a body scanner so I told the TSA agent when it was my turn that I wanted a pat-down instead.
“We don’t do pat-downs here”, he said.
“This machine here doesn’t have any radiation – if it did, I wouldn’t be standing so close“, he assured me.
Skeptical and taken aback but the TSA agent’s answer, I went ahead and proceeded through the big box to be checked.
Big mistake. Â Big HUGE mistake.
So, after the conference on the way home, the radiation expert I was talking to in the shuttle told me that the big box that I had stepped into was indeed a body scanner and that I had received a not so small dose of radiation as a thank you for my lemming-like behavior.
Sure enough, when I arrived at Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport, I talked to the baggage check-in agent and he told me that yes, Dallas has body scanners and that you can, of course, choose a pat-down if you like.
When I arrived at my terminal’s security point, the machine used was the exact same box like the one I walked through in Tampa International. Â The people went inside and stood exactly as I had and put their hands in the air the same way.
When it was my turn to be checked, I requested a pat-down.
“Of course, that is your choice”, said the TSA agent.
She proceeded to give me a manual pat-down, which I have to say was no big deal at all. Â At no time, did I feel uncomfortable or violated in any way.
So, what happened at TIA and why in the world did that TSA agent so unlawfully mislead me? Â Why did I receive such a completely different answer at Tampa International Airport and at Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport?
My thought is that the TSA agent believed 100% what he was telling me. Â I did not sense or see any body language that indicated that he knew he was lying. Â I think the man was told an untruth from his superior or someone else at TSA and is simply passing on the lies to airline passengers.
The important takeaway of this post is BEWARE. Â Be prepared for lies from TSA when you travel and when in doubt, insist on a pat-down.
I am now on the hunt for some black algae which will apparently release that radiation from my body. Â Any tips?
UPDATE: The program TSA Precheck is now available for those travelers who wish to avoid x-ray body scanners and avoid long security lines.
I too refused the scanner on the way to the conference in the Denver airport. The guy I said no to tried to talk me into it telling me that there wasn’t any radiation, it was more like a sonogram and if I refused they would pat me down. He said this threatningly as though to intimidate me into compliance. I said I didn’t care how much they felt me up, I wasn’t going through the machine. The woman who gave me the pat down was really nice, we joked around and it really wasn’t a big deal.
The scary thing is that my husband prefers the scanner. He has hip implants so it is easier for him to go through the scanner now. He is convinced it is safe.
If everyone refuses the machine they will have to come up with something different becuase they won’t be able to pat down all passengers.
We traveled last week and I opted for the pat down after being randomly selected from the other line. The lady rolled her eyes and said “It’s no different than watching tv for a couple of hours – it’s really safe.” She was trying to get me to change my mind. I just said, “I understand. We don’t watch tv either.” She rolled her eyes again but I finally did get the pat down instead.
Modifilan is also excellent for radiation. So sorry to hear this happened to you!
I had a TSA agent lie to me as well in Salt Lake City in May of this year. She said to empty my pockets and continue on through for a pocket check. When I asked if that’s all it was, she said “Yes, it’s just a pocket check. Now keep moving.” After i stepped into the machine, I realized it was really a body scanner. I asked the other TSA agent in front of me and he confirmed it. i said I didn’t want to get scanned. He did give me the option of stepping out, but there was a line collecting behind me and I wasn’t sure if the TSA would make a big deal of it so I opted to get scanned. I don’t intend to let it happen again though.
That’s so disturbing! I see a future lawsuit…..
While flying recently I came across a body scanner and I chose to have a pat down instead. I however was not treated with the respect that you got. I was ordered to sit in a chair and wait for a female officer to do that pat down. The way they placed the chair where I waited I think was deliberately made in order to humiliate the person who declined the scanner. I waited for about 5 minutes while I watched mothers with young children going through the magnitron (old style) with no waiting. After asking how long I would have to wait I was told I was waiting for a female to search me. Finally she showed up and did the search which I was fine with. The women who did the pat down was very pleasant , but the one that made me sit in the “dunce” chair was not. I will continue to decline the scanners despite that treatment. While the dose of radiation is small it goes all over your body and is actually a large exposure to your skin. I believe there will be an increase in skin cancer from the use of these machines and I don’t think they make anyone safer.
I doubt this site will allow me to post a url, but I would recommend that anyone concerned about this backscatter technology search for EPIC and their FOIA on the backscatter machines. You will find documents from both NIST and Johns Hopkins that state unequivocally that there exists radiation overshoot due to a lack of shielding. Both organizations warned the TSA that being too close to those machines for too long may expose a person to excessive amounts of radiation.
SAME experience flying in and out of Dallas. What I got was a sign that read if I denied the scanner I would receive a complete and thorough pat down, which I am ashamed to say intimidated me. I am so disgusted with myself for not preparing for this ahead of time, but it is yet another thing on the list of uninformed decisions we are battling every day. It was lovely chatting with you at the conference Sarah. Blessings!
Seriously! I just posted this on my personal page: Just heard an airport security tell a pregnant mama the scan wouldn’t affect her baby.
Dr. Mercola says spirulina, see his article:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/09/spirulina-reversed-radiation-damage-in-chernobyl-children-in-just-20-days.aspx?e_cid=20111109_DNL_art_1