At the Airport, Waves of the Future
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Becky Akers's June 22 Close to Home commentary, "Get Ready to Strip at Reagan National," was rather disturbing, but I think I have a partial solution to the problem she highlighted: Each passenger who is scanned with millimeter-wave technology should receive, if the person wishes to have it, a similar picture of the official who looks at the image of the passenger; the passenger would also get a similar picture of the head of the Transportation Security Administration.
Just a fair-is-fair suggestion. I know that this idea needs work, but I think this is a good start toward our great national goal: a civilized society. Maybe someday we'll get there.
TIMOTHY CLAIR
Columbia
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Becky Akers was wrong in equating with pornography the images generated by the new millimeter-wave scanners at airports. These images allow us to see threatening items hidden on a person and could in no way find their way into an adult magazine.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) works to protect passenger privacy, which explains why the security officers viewing the scanner images are located away from where the scanning occurs. Additionally, the machines are unable to print, transmit or save images.
There is no requirement that a passenger pass through the millimeter-wave scanner and no expectation that the technology will replace metal detectors in the near future. It is odd that news of TSA failures in covert tests regularly makes headlines, yet, as we deploy technology that will undoubtedly improve those test results, we are vilified as stomping on the rights of the very passengers we aim to protect.
NICO MELENDEZ
