I suppose it was just a matter of time, eh? The next step may well be to forget the scan (and the modesty) altogether and drop your drawers.
A security scanner at London Heathrow doesn’t just spot weapons or other contraband. Its X-rays see through clothing, producing a “naked” image of passengers. The device is inside a curtained area where passengers, chosen at random, assume several poses to register their image. Those who demur are given hand searches. “It was really horrible,” one woman passenger told the London Sunday Times. “It doesn’t leave much to the imagination because you’re virtually naked, but I guess it’s less intrusive than being hand searched.” A man said he was “shocked” at what he saw and felt “embarrassed.” Security officials say the scanner is far more effective than conventional metal detectors, but the U.S. Transportation Security Administration has refused to deploy it until it can be modified to preserve some modesty.
Want to fly? Hey, no problem; just make certain that your wearing clean shorts and have no modesty issues, OK? Otherwise, you may find yourself singled out for the digital body cavity search. Yes, that’s right, Mr. Murdoch…bend over, spread your cheeks, and cough…now where was your destination again??
