Full body scanning at airports...

[mcgon1979]

I see Dermot Ahern is 100% running headlong into this. Dublin Airport Authority have already tendered for the machines to the sum of 2million.
Absolutely no mention of any health aspects of this new technology. morons...I have spent a long time studying the biological effects of radiation on the human body. Mainly the non-thermal effects of phone mast radiation (electro magnetic radiation) on health. If i was a regular traveller I would not feel secure using this full body scanning on a weekly basis when questions exist on the health aspects of the technology. In fact many airports that use it also offer the choice of a pat down search instead. I'd be choosing that. sent this onto Mr. Ahern as I doubt he has even considered any health aspect of the technology he plans to deploy at our airports. I don't see any other EU leaders running into it. UK and USA thats all. Oh.. and us. we are one of the main war on terror countries so we should do, right?

Dear Sir,

Do you plan to tender for "Backscatter X-ray" or "Millimeter wave
scanner" technology. Both technologies have raised associated health
concerns. I would appeal for an independent assessment of the
technology on health grounds be carried out before any decision is
made on the application of this new technology on our citizens.
It appears as if the decision to use this technology has been taken
without proper consideration. Please can you reassure me (as a regular
traveller) you will conduct independent studies to ensure any machines
we use will comply to European and national guidelines for radiation
exposure.
It's a fact that Millimeter wave scanning can cause bubbles
(abnormalities) in double string DNA strands. Can I have your
assurance that transparent and independent tests will be carried out
on any full body scanning machines we plan to deploy at our airports?

Kindest Regards

McGon1979 M.Sc, B.Sc,

[Dilogoat86]

In my humble opinion all of these scanners and what not are useless anyway. We;ve seen time and time again that people still get through. This type of security is predictable and easily circumventible.

As bad as it may be initially, I would fully support profiling and random checks.

Profiling may offend certain ethnic groups, but I'd rather be slightly offended then dead.

[Dragonheart]

Plus they scan for metal, whos to say that someone isn't hiding a 12" blade made from bone strapped to their chest?

[Dilogoat86]

They don't just scan for metal, they can detect everything from liquids to fibers. They scanning to quite advanced. That's why metal detectors aren't worth a damn anymore. They can tell from the density and other features what type of substance it is and apparently can automatically flag this while there's a trained person looking at the scan too. But there are ways and means to get around all this. If you watch and moniter these things long enough you'll find that gap in security to get through.

I also don't get why blowing up planes is such a big thing for these terrorists. And I think now that the public at large are aware of it since 9-11 they'd be a lot more likely to take a stand if someone tried to take over a plane. Sure that's what happened on 1 or 2 of the flights during the 9-11 attacks.

[Wildhound]

I'm trying to think of the last time a plane leaving an Irish airport was hijacked and used in a terror plot and nothing is really coming to mind.

I find it absolutely ridiculous that flight, the safest form of transport, is subject to increasingly stringent 'security' at airports across the globe without any logical justification. Instances of violence and terrorism on flights are so incredibly rare that it makes aboslutely no sense from an economic perspective to be spending so much, not only on security equipment on personnel, but on the time wasted for regular travellers who have to submit to these checks.

It's absurd even before you bring privacy or practicality into it. Why should the hundreds of millions of genuine travellers be subject to invasion of their rights and privacy for no gain in the hope that the one guy who tries to bomb a plane every five years will be weeded out? Not only do the numbers not add up, but they usually miss these people anyway because if you're determined, you'll always find a way around the security measures.

Ignoring the extreme and once-in-a-lifetime example of the World Trade Center attacks (which probably wouldn't have been prevented by this system), how often does a plane get hijacked or bombed with mass casualties? How do these figures compare proprtionally to all other forms of terror attacks? How do the costs and inconvenience associated in (failing at) preventing them compare proportionally?

Even if they managed to succeed in preventing another plane from ever being attacked, there's just as much damage to be done by taking a rifle into a school or shopping mall, or placing a bomb in a train station. What kind of steps will then be taken to prevent this? Where do you draw the line?

I'd be willing to venture that if Ireland returned to 1970s level airport security, you'd see a negligible increase in the amount of incidents involving passenger aircraft. This is a prime example of the Irish trying to climb into bed with the US and UK and I'm getting sick of it.

[mcgon1979]

couldn't agree more with two points made there Wildhound.

"if you're determined, you'll always find a way around the security measures."
and
"This is a prime example of the Irish trying to climb into bed with the US and UK and I'm getting sick of it."

here here

[colm_mcm]

It has to be remembered that if a trajedy did happen, there would be outcry for years, security would get even tighter and the blame any economic problems the country has from there on would be placed on the heads of those responsible for enforcing airport security.

[Wildhound]

There's a slippery slope between justifying things with that approach and ending up in 1984.

[Dragonheart]

I think whatever about international travel, they shouldnt be screening so much for domestic flights, even between UK and Ireland. I got an awful land when I flew from Wellington to Christchurch, arrived at the airport 2 hours early. Went up, scanned my print-off in a machine and got my ticket and my baggage ticket, put the bag on the escalator, and walked to where the waiting lounge was. Walked nearly right out into the tunnel and no-one stopped me, checked id, visa, passport, no security scan, nothing. I was over an hour and a half early! All in all the whole process took literally 5 minutes and I didn't talk to one person. For domestics they don't check cause once you came into the country you did all that once and thats enough, but for international obviously they do. It made it so fast it was unreal.
In Ireland you're nearly quicker driving from Cork to Dublin than taking a plane cause of all the security rigmarole and rubbish.

[Mustang]

Have not read all of the above, but airport security is completely OTT as is. The fluid restriction is a complete nonsense and nothing more than a knee jerk reaction to a particular threat. Getting parents to sample their baby's bottle to provide it isn't so poison or explosive - I mean WTF? Toy can't even by a bottle of wine on the highstreet to bring home as a present. The need to remove your shoes (Thank you mister shoe bomber ) / belt/jacket also seems pointless to me and furthermore is only required in certain airports, -so there is a lack of standardisation across the different airports. Also removing your laptop from it's case, It's going to be X-rayed anyway, WTF do I need to remove it from it's case.
Ignoring online checkin for a moment. You arrive at the airport (two hours early -effectively 2 hours of your life that you will never get back). You
-queue to check-in
-queue for security check
-queue to get on the aircraft.

Why do we need three queue's could they not be intigrated into one or none? In a perfect world getting a plane would be like catching a bus or train.

[CJ]

...but airport security is completely OTT as is.

I'm submitting this post from Heathrow airport, I concur!

CJ

[Dragonheart]

The online check in speeds it up a nice bit though when available. I'm going to be spending a good part of 2 days between airports and planes next week and not looking forward to it. Another thing that makes it easier is that they can send our bags all the ways through to Shannon instead of having to take them off at London and rebook them in for the Aer Lingus flights, even though they're different flights, (only qualifies if the airlines have some agreement between them).
I agree with the non-standard between airports though, in UK you remove shoes, in Ireland I don't recall being asked to ever. In German I was searched once outside the terminal and again inside, passport checked, where I was staying, flight details, searched absolutely everything, even took out my cigarettes and sniffed them all. They were undercover cops though, showed me badges though so they were real. Some places are so strict and others seem not to worry to much just to go through the daily grind, I've seen people go under the scanner numerous times and it still beeps, looks like they get a quick rub down and its put down that it must be an item of jewelery or something and they're on their way. I was unlucky enough in Wellington to have a nice little pooch sit down by my bag when I landed, (could have killed him!), and had to go through getting my bag practically emptied, nothing there obviously, only for a senior officer to come over when the handler called him and he said its grand the dog is still in training and has been a bit heavy on the whole sitting down act today. I also saw a woman having to hand over a bottle of 7up she had just bought her little girl to keep her happy, no way would they let her take it on, while I was let on with a too-big bottle of aftershave, forgot it was in my carry-on. So it seems theres not much consistency in it all, some of the rules are absolutely ridiculous and I cant see how putting people through that act everytime is necessary. You don't do it on a ferry? And its still going to a different country.

[Dilogoat86]

I've been asked to remove my choes in Dublin airport on several occasions. And in Glasgow Prestwick.

[Dave]

I went to Israel a few years back, they went through everthing, took my shoes away to check them along with my carry on bag. The security questioned me about where I was, who I stayed with and asked for phone numbers to varify my story and rang my friend with whom I stayed....

After all of the security checks, they served up a dinner on the flight and gave out METAL knives and forks!!

[Myfeckin FTO]

I went to Israel a few years back, they went through everthing, took my shoes away to check them along with my carry on bag. The security questioned me about where I was, who I stayed with and asked for phone numbers to varify my story and rang my friend with whom I stayed....

To be fair - thats what you get for growing that smig on your face. Its very Taliban-esque.

[Mustang]

After all of the security checks, they served up a dinner on the flight and gave out METAL knives and forks!!

Have had a similar experience before myself, and did think it ironic. However you'd be surprised how hard it is to hijack a plane with a miniture butter knife
If visiting the likes of Israel I'd be more than happy to go through additional security -if it keeps the sucicide bombers and all, at bay although they do seem to favour buses.
Security in general is much tighter in the Middle East especially in the cities -Metal detectors on the entrance to shopping centres etc.

[Sebastian]

http://www.machovideo.com/videos.php?ar ... nner_17440


they can see your mr. muscle

[Bernard]

I got this link in an email today and remembered this thread...

http://www.myit-media.de/the_end.html

Perfect if you bring your laptop on board

[StewyD32]