London: Terror threat seems to have forced
Britain to introduce for the first time at Manchester Airport
a body scanner which produces "naked" images of passengers.
Apart from instantly spotting any hidden weapons or
explosives, the X-ray machine, which is being trialled, will
show up any false limbs, piercings, and a clear outline of the
passengers` body parts, `The Daily Telegraph` reported.
Electromagnetic waves are beamed on to passengers
while they stand in a booth, and a virtual three-dimensional
"naked" image is created from the reflected energy created by
the 80,000-pound scanner.
The scanner, made by the firm RapiScan Systems, makes
the check-in process much quicker for passengers, who will not
have to remove their coats, shoes or belts.
But the black and white image will only be seen by
one officer in a remote location before it is deleted, Sarah
Barrett, the Head of Customer Experience at the airport, was
quoted as saying.
"Most of our customers do not like the traditional
`pat down` search, they find it too intrusive, but they still
want to be kept safe. This scanner completely takes away the
hassle of needing to undress. The images are not erotic or
pornographic and they can`t be stored in anyway," she said.
Moreover, frequent fliers do not need to worry about
radiation from the low-level X-rays, she said, and a dental
X-ray transmits 20,000 times more radiation. "Passengers can
go through this machine 5,000 times a year without worrying,
it is super safe and the radiation transmitted is tiny."
Bureau Report
