The skyrocketing of airline passenger traffic usually associated with the holiday season may face another source of delay and controversy this year. Recent changes that have been implemented to airport security and screening procedures have put the individual rights of the passenger into question. Such reform is necessary to ensure the safety of all airline passengers regardless of any sources of contention that have come about.
The new airport security procedures were implemented by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in response to the security threat that occurred last Christmas. A Nigerian man allegedly tried to blow up a Detroit-bound plane with explosives hidden in his underwear.
The effective response to this event was first instated and utilized on Nov. 1. Full-body X-ray scanners were installed throughout the United States by the TSA and 385 are currently in use at 68 U.S. airports, according to the Los Angeles Times. Passengers who decline passing through the new machine have the option to a full-body pat down by security officers instead.
The major reason why people chose to avoid the full-body scanner seems to be fear of excessive radiation and the possibly cumulative effects for frequent fliers and pilots. In fact, pilot unions at American Airlines and U.S. Airways have advised its more than 14,000 members to avoid the scanners afraid that the cumulative effects can lead to health problems down the road, a fact taken from an article published in the NY Daily News.
These concerns regarding the adverse health effects that may result from radiation exposure are blatant overreactions from the overly concerned and ill informed. The TSA denies any adverse health effects as a result of the scanner and assures passengers and pilots alike that radiation levels are about a thousandth of what is received from a routine chest X-ray.
The other option of an “enhanced” pat down takes approximately four minutes and requires bodily contact that can be perceived as excessive.
In one instance, 27-year-old Eliz Roser from Portland, Oregon said a female security agent violated her during a pat-down procedure after declining the X-ray machine.
There have been other instances such as this since the new security measures were instated and some have even escalated to the point where disgruntled passengers have used force against TSA agents in retaliation.
For a salary that starts at $12.85 an hour, TSA officers must deal with the irritation of others, stifle any awkwardness they feel about touching strangers and be on alert for possible threats.
People who travel on airlines have no need to feel abused or taken advantage of as they still have specific rights guaranteed to them. Passengers have the right to a private screening or have another person present at the private screening if they so choose.
Those who believe they were subjected to improper procedure have numerous opportunities to share their experiences and prevent such instances from occurring again. The new web site www.reporttsaabuse.com was created to help identify and prosecute the gropers.
The important fact to note is that the pat-down procedure is not mandatory whatsoever as an individual can spend mere seconds passing through the hassle-free scanner instead. As for the issue of privacy regarding TSA procedure, any person who has been in or used a locker room, gym or gone to the doctor has had to face a similar reality. Any individual must be willing to deal with things in life they are not completely comfortable with but are nonetheless necessary in the grand scheme of things.
