I was hoping it only applied to stewardesses, myself.
What if they only had nurses maning these machines? Granted, you would probably be a pretty bad nurse if your only job option is airport security. But still, there would be the layer of professionalism.
Sort of.
I dunno. Ideas?
I thought I remembered hearing about this a few months ago. Isn’t the system supposed to project onto some kind of ‘paperdoll’ that is generic, instead of actually showing the physical, er, attributes, of those folks walking through it?
THough I have to agree with this sentiment:
If I get a job there I’ll be sure to hook everyone up. ‘What, this laptop here? Its hooked up for, er, security purposes only. Why do I have the external hard drive set up too? Well…security requires loads of, um, disk space. Look…the security of the homeland is serious business. We must all be prepared to make some sacrifices! Now move along!’
-XT
There are a couple of photos in the link, which, if they are representative, look photographic and quite clear.
(this is from memory mind you…and its a few months old). My understanding was that, yes, the machine could basically see right through your clothing. Yes, it showed some highly graphic details of folks walking through it. However, again my understanding was that they would use software to project the images of other objects (the kind of stuff they are actually looking for, like guns or maybe drugs) onto a generic paperdoll…and that THIS is what the rent-a-cops behind the screens would be seeing.
All of the above could be compeletly wrong of course and maybe the rent-a-cops are in for a nice show (they won’t be too happy seeing ME go through I have no doubts). In which case I’m willing to give up my IT business and sign up. We all need to do our part in the defense of this nation! 
-XT
Will people be allowed to wear metallic mesh underwear (or something like that, but more comfortable)?
I guess that would make the private areas not visible, but most probably the airport security won’t like it.
Dude, have you seen most of us recently? I don’t like looking at myself nude and I’m comparatively thin and elasticy.
::shudder::
For lack of a better way of putting it, you are NOT entitled to right to privacy if that is part of the contract. If the airlines (or the government) determines that it is a necessity that you be searched as a condition of air travel, you have a choice: take it or leave it. If that is the method of search and you have advance warning you can make the informed decision about whether or not you wish to fly.
The only objection I would have is if the X-rays caused any sort of physiological damage. Other than that it’s just the price of doing business.
Naturally. That doesn’t mean it ain’t annoying.
Honestly, unless the screeners are back there touching themselves or giggling- I don’t care.
And I agree that this is less intrusive then being patted down or wanded.
All it will take is for a few of us (including me) to fly, and those machines will be scrapped real quick! All the swimsuit models in the world passing through the machine wouldn’t erase the glory/horror of seeing me nekkid. 
I’m so going to stuff a raw chicken neck down my underwear if I ever have to walk through one of those things.
My primary concern is about possible health consequences. I would like to see some studies done proving there is absolutely no risk to repeated exposure.
My concern is being mobbed. If people were to see my studliness exposed, it’d be a madhouse. People would be stampeding just to get a piece of the ole wolf.
Anyone who thinks this is Woo-Hoo should stop on the street and look at the people passing by for 2 minutes. You don’t want to see Joe and Jane Average in the buff-having worked in a hospital, it’s not pretty.
Way ahead of you.
Having authored a comic 'zine around that subject (naked flight crews) precisely around late summer of 2001, one of my irrational peeves about the creation of TSA and the whole security-for-show hysteria was that they were ruining my joke. And it was such a promising one, too… :o
I pity the poor bastards should I decide to fly anytime after implementation. It’s to the point know that I fantasize that I’m someone else when I make love.
About time, I’d say. If we’d started doing this 225 years or so ago, we might have averted September 11.
It does raise some thorny questions about minors traveling.