<p>NOTE: This is meant to be an informative thread, not a debate.</p>
<p>Does anybody know if there is an alternative to being scanned if you’re selected at the airport? I am very uncomfortable with how revealing the scanners are, partly due to religious reasons. I heard that as an alternative you can be taken to a separate room and patted down. Is this true?</p>
<p>Any information would be appreciated :)</p>
<p>I always opt out of the scan. If you let them know that is what you are choosing, they will have you step aside and wait for a same-sex TSA agent. They then can take you to a private area if you need more thorough screening, but usually, they just do a public pat down and then test their gloves for residue while you wait just beyond the end of the conveyor belt. It takes about 10 extra minutes. No problem!!</p>
<p>I refuse to go through scanners. They pat me down, have never been taken to to a separate room.</p>
<p>Yes…you can request a pat down instead.</p>
<p>According to NBC news, the TSA will remove all airport scanners by June 1st. The TSA states that the company that makes them could not provide a way to prevent the images from being saved.</p>
<p>My whole family opt out of scanner every time. We always get patted down. We do not trust the safety of those scanners.</p>
<p>
good to know 
if they’re gone by then, it shouldn’t affect me at all anyways.</p>
<p>thanks for the replies!</p>
<p>Just the back scatter x-ray machines are being removed.</p>
<p>The more commonly used “millimeter wave scanners” are remaining.</p>
<p>I always opt out of the scanners. I am always asked if I am okay with the pat-down in public or if I want a private room. I have never opted for the private room, so can’t say really anything about that.</p>
<p>At my home airport, there is one agent who always tells me that “TSA says these machines are as safe as talking on a cell phone.” I always say, “Show me just one study.” he always says, “They are on the TSA website.” I don’t think so.</p>
<p>From the TSA website:</p>
<p>[AIT:</a> Safety | Transportation Security Administration](<a href=“http://www.tsa.gov/ait-safety]AIT:”>http://www.tsa.gov/ait-safety)</p>
<p>And from the Archives of Internal Medicine:</p>
<p><a href=“http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=227603[/url]”>http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=227603</a></p>
<p>dadinator: Thanks for the links, but so far as I can tell, there are no studies. Just a lot of conjecture, possibly by people/organizations that receive some sort of funding/otherwise profit from the companies that manufacture these devices.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>This is funny, because back when the machines were being installed, they swore up and down that the images weren’t saved. Now it appears that they’ve been saved all along.</p>
<p>I have always opted for pay down instead of scanners. I will walk thru a metal detector but do not trust safety claims. I am always offered the option of public or private screening and its always same gender. It mostly takes time finding an available same gender screener for the pay down but have not had issues with it. Takes a max of an extra 10 minutes and often less.</p>
<p>
so close :(</p>
<p>oh well. a private pat down seems fair.</p>
<p>Xray is Xray and the dosages accumulate. If you are 85 this might not matter to you but I would not want my 10 year old being subjected to them.</p>
<p>The back scatter machines use less radiation than you will be exposed to on your flight. The others dont use ionizing radiation at all.
[Are</a> full-body airport scanners safe? - Harvard Health Publications](<a href=“http://www.health.harvard.edu/family-health-guide/updates/are-full-body-airport-scanners-safe]Are”>http://www.health.harvard.edu/family-health-guide/updates/are-full-body-airport-scanners-safe)</p>
<p>Now if you just find the whole thing creepy and prefer a pat-down, that’s a fine choice as well.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Yes, but the radiation on the flight is diffuse whereas the radiation from the scanner is directed at your skin.</p>
<p>Do I know this is harmful? No. But similarly, I don’t know that it’s not harmful. Given the long list of things that used to be regarded as perfectly safe that turned out to be quite harmful (cocaine and tobacco come immediately to mind), I am not inclined to trust people who say, “don’t worry, it’s fine,” without any real science (meaning experiments) to back them up.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Especially when they have a large financial interest in convincing you that they’re safe.</p>
<p>Yea, at least with a patdown, I know the risks I’m choosing to assume. None of them have been horrible & I’ve had them regularly ever since they brought in the full body scanners (as well as a few times when I was randomly selected for extra attention).</p>
<p>I have encouraged my H & kids to also opt for the patdown.</p>
<p>I read through this thread a few days ago and am bumping up because I learned the TSA has opened a page for people to provide their opinions of the efficacy and value of full-body scanners… All of you who opt for pat downs because of privacy or health issues/concerns can now weigh in why you do so.</p>
<p>Here is the page with the full rule document. You can post your opinion by clicking on the “Comment Now” button at the top right.
[Regulations.gov[/url</a>]</p>
<p>Here’s a link to comments submitted to date:
[url=<a href=“Regulations.gov”>Regulations.gov]Regulations.gov[/url</a>]</p>
<p>And, here’s the article on The Verge that gave me this information . Nota bene, there are actual image scans as illustrations.</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/21/4249418/tsa-nude-full-body-scanner-public-comment]Now”>Now is your chance to tell the TSA what you think of 'nude' full-body scanners - The Verge]Now</a> is your chance to tell the TSA what you think of ‘nude’ full-body scanners | The Verge](<a href=“Regulations.gov”>Regulations.gov)</p>