Government Suggests Possible Changes in Controversial Airport Security Methods

With the public outcry over intrusive body searches at airports reaching a fever pitch, the White House is looking for ways to satisfy fliers without compromising security.

Transportation Security Administration chief John Pistole, who finds himself at the center of the controversy over full-body scans and pat-downs, said Monday that the government would carefully scrutinize whether the new methods cross the line into invasion of privacy.

Making the rounds of the morning TV talk shows, Pistole said that while there be no immediate changes, “we’re going to look at how can we do the most effective screening in the least invasive way.”

Controversial TSA screenings at airports around the country have brought up a spate of ethical dilemmas, and have led the way to countless videos of questionable incidents, like the one documented below. 

Currently, the TSA uses full-body scans at 70 of the nation’s 450 major airports. Those who object to being X-rayed can opt to undergo pat-downs, which include a same-sex screener putting their hands on a passenger’s groin and breast area.

These new procedures have been lambasted by the public, pilots, lawmakers and civil liberties groups, with a “National Opt-Out Day” suggested for this Wednesday, the busiest travel day of the year. Passengers are being urged to forgo the scans, which would cause huge delays if more people submit to pat-downs.

The administration instituted the new procedures as a result of the alleged attempt by a Nigerian man last Christmas Day to bomb a Detroit-bound plane with explosives hidden in his underwear.

Meanwhile, another group is complaining about all the hoopla surrounding the new security methods: the TSOs, or Transportation Security Officers, who say they’ve been harassed and harangued by passengers unhappy with having to endure the scans and pat-downs.The debate that has been raging over the TSA's new security measures have also come under the microscope for comedians and humorists. Below, Saturday Night Live lampoons the new airport screenings.

Previous Story:

This is shaping up to be the Thanksgiving holiday from hell, at least as far as 1.6 million expected air travelers are concerned.

The controversial new security measures instituted by the Transportation Security Administration have become the bane of passengers, pilots and the groups like the American Civil Liberties Union.

President Obama says that while the full-body scans and full-body pat-downs are intrusive, they are necessary to ensure the security of fliers until better methods come along.

TSA John Pistole echoed the president’s view Sunday, making it clear that the policies would remain in place in spite of the public uproar. Later, he issued a statement that the TSA is "constantly evaluating and adapting" to make security as minimally invasive as possible.

Critics argue that at best, the scans and pat-downs are invasions of privacy and at worst, amount to sexual molestation, especially when a screener is touching around the groin and breast areas.

There are also worries that the low-dose radiation from scans, which also reveal semi-naked images of passengers, can be harmful over time.

When asked about the controversy, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton didn’t give a full-throated endorsement to the enhanced security measures, arguing that the TSA should “keep trying to get it better and less intrusive and more precise.”

On Capitol Hill, Texas Congressman Ron Paul has gone as far as to introduce the “American Traveler Dignity Act,” which basically says federal employees shouldn’t be immune from laws that prevent people from being groped at or having naked images taken of them.

Meanwhile, Florida Republican Congressman John Mica, who will become the new chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in January, plans to renew his call to privatize airport security, claiming private firms perform statistically better than federal workers.

The government and airport officials are also dreading “National Opt-Out Day” this Wednesday, when air travelers are urged to forgo the body scans in lieu of pat-downs, which could slow everything down to a crawl at terminals on the busiest travel day of the year.

Provided by ABC News Radio © 2010
                   
Image used with permission by Getty Images