Ever since 9/11, millions of America’s travelers have been funneled through long lines at airport TSA security check points.

As a nation, we’re painfully aware that this is now an unavoidable part of travel.  However, this hasn’t been without a certain amount of squawking from travelers adjusting to this intrusion into their personal privacy.

Today, in an effort to provide an express line at TSA security check points, our government is testing a program in selected airports that will offer up  a “pre-screening [of] individuals who volunteer information about themselves prior to flying”.

TSA: Volunteer Personal Travel Information for Shorter Security Line

What do you think of this idea?  Would you be willing to provide more personal travel information in exchange for access to an express lane through airport security?

Here’s the press release:

WASHINGTON – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) today announced that it began testing a limited, voluntary passenger pre-screening initiative with a small known traveler population at four U.S. airports. The TSA PreCheck initiative implements a key component of the agency’s intelligence-driven, risk-based approach to security. This pilot program will help assess measures designed to enhance security by placing more focus on pre-screening individuals who volunteer information about themselves prior to flying in order to potentially expedite the travel experience.

“As TSA moves further away from a one-size-fits-all approach, our ultimate goal is to provide the most effective security in the most efficient way possible,” said TSA Administrator John S. Pistole. “By learning more about travelers through information they voluntarily provide, and combining that information with our other layers of security, we can focus more resources on higher-risk and unknown passengers. This new screening system holds great potential to strengthen security while significantly enhancing the travel experience whenever possible for passengers.”

During this pilot, TSA will use pre-screening capabilities to make intelligence-based risk assessments on passengers who voluntarily participate in the TSA PreCheck program and are flying domestically from one of the four pilot sites: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County, Dallas/Fort Worth International and Miami International airports. Eligible participants include certain frequent flyers from American Airlines and Delta Air Lines as well as members of the Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP’s) Trusted Traveler programs, including Global Entry, SENTRI, and NEXUS, who are U.S. citizens and are flying on participating airlines. If successful, TSA plans to expand the pilot to include additional airlines, as well as other airports that participate in CBP’s Global Entry program, once operationally ready.

Eligible passengers may be referred to a lane where they will experience expedited screening. TSA will always incorporate random and unpredictable security measures throughout the airport and no individual will be guaranteed expedited screening. TSA’s multi-layered approach to security also includes behavior detection officers, explosives-detection systems, canine teams, and federal air marshals, among other measures both seen and unseen.

As part of the agency’s risk-based security initiative, TSA is in the process of testing several other new screening initiatives, including a program designed to provide positive ID verification for airline pilots and the use of expanded behavior detection techniques, in addition to the recent changes in screening procedures for children.

Only through its partnership with American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and CBP is TSA able to operationalize this pre-screening pilot initiative in an effort to further strengthen aviation security.

###

I’m not certain what they plan to ask, but we’d certainly be willing to tell them where we’re going/why we’re going in exchange for an express lane at the airport.  You?

This software, when it encounters a potential threat, produces a nude avatar rather than a graphic nude depiction of every individual.  Furthermore, if there is no threat, a simple blank green screen is produced that proclaims “OK”.

If the initial tests are successful, then all the privacy concerns go out the door and those TSA security screeners peeking at our genitals   behind closed doors can stop the intrusion.

The software will be tested at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS) starting yesterday, February 1, and at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in the very near future.

This appears to be a far more logical solution to everyone’s privacy concerns.

What do you think?

As it turns out there are two types of scans being used in our airports: the Millimeter Wave, and the Backscatter.  According to the TSA Blog, the screeners are not able to see faces, and are locked away in a private rooms so that no one else might see these scans.

The TSA also wants to assure people that these scans are not saved, and do not contain the genital revealing clarity that some websites have been claiming.  However, here is a video claiming quite the opposite.

For me, I guess this is the price we pay to have safe travel in the United States.  Furthermore, if some man/woman is getting their jollies by viewing my scan, well…what choice do we have?  Right?

I suppose the protesting public will tighten the ways these scans are used, but the simple truth of the matter, at least right now, if you want to fly, you must potentially have your goodies checked out.

Here is a CBS “60 Minutes” video that speaks about these scanners.  Fast forward to 9 minutes to see the part specifically on the body scans.