TSA workers are blaming body scanners for cancer; D.C. public interest group calls for independent reviews

by McLean Robbins on

Workers for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) from locations around the country are reporting higher-than-usual rates of cancer, strokes and heart disease amongst employees who work on or near new full-body scanners.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, D.C. recently obtained information under the Freedom of Information Act that shows TSA employees at Boston’s Logan International Airport reported a suspected “cancer cluster” to their supervisors, only to have the higher-ups downplay the problem and refuse their request for dosimeters, badges that monitor radiation exposure and are routinely used in other industries where workers come in contact with X-rays and other potentially harmful forms of radiation, states Seattle Weekly.

EPIC has filed a lawsuit to suspend the deployment of body scanners at US airports, pending an independent review.

TSA’s official statement is that they have “implemented stringent safety protocols to ensure that technology used at airports to screen people and property is safe for all passengers, as well as the TSA workforce.”

Still, existing studies cannot confirm or deny that the full body scanners are safe. Are frequent travelers also at risk?

“We’ve said to TSA, ‘If there’s all this info that you have that can show people than they’re not at risk, that the levels are that low, why not share that information?’ It has given employees the idea that if they’re not given the information, there must be something to hide,” said Milly Rodriguez, an occupational health and safety specialist for the American Federation of Government Employees.

Reports from Johns Hopkins University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology–both of which were “publicly characterized” by TSA, according to EPIC–found that the radiation from the scanners could exceed the “general public dose limit.”

Still, proving a direct correlation between radiation emitted from the scanners and cancer or disease in any working population is difficult.

“[Cancer clusters] are very difficult to show,” Rodriguez told Seattle Weekly yesterday. “There are so many things that can cause cancer in a group of workers. They live in same community, so it could be something there. They’re all in similar age groups. It’s just so difficult to isolate the cause.”


[Image via Flickr user Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com]

Vibrators “okay,” according to TSA

by McLean Robbins on

According to an article that ran in the San Francisco Chronicle over the weekend, your special friend is a-okay to pack in your carry-on luggage.

“The Transportation Safety Administration, whose job it is to consider fully such matters, has decreed that vibrators are OK. The TSA says whips, chains, leashes, restraints and manacles are OK, too.” the article states.

That’s the crux of it. But the article goes on to discuss the issue of whether or not you should carry your vibrator onto the plane. Are you a nervous traveler already? Prone to looking shifty in line? Yep, you’re going to get flagged. And when you’re flagged, you’re inspected.

Our favorite quote?

“They sell vibrators at Walgreens,” said Good Vibrations salesman Mike Korcek. “You can’t get more mainstream than that. Remember, vibrators have been around longer than airplanes.”

Size Matters

Be careful of the above statements being taken at face value. While vibrating devices themselves are allowed, they are still subject to the same stipulations as other carry-on luggage. This applies to objects that are “club-like,” which the article refers to as “anatomically correct cylinders of roughly a foot or so in length.”

Nico Melendez, a TSA spokesperson, reminds us of the prohibition against carrying on items such as “billy clubs, black jacks, brass knuckles, nunchakus and martial arts weapons.”

Generally speaking, you’re safe with anything under seven inches in length.

Thank you, Chronicle, for this gem. “In other words, according to the TSA, size matters.”

Travel Tips

Don’t want to get caught? Follow these tips:

  • Remove the batteries. It will prevent your travel companion from going off unexpectedly and in inopportune places – like the security line and overhead bin.
  • Make sure all liquids and gels are 3-1-1 compliant. You may want to transfer that KY into an unmarked container as well.
  • Handcuffs are legally allowed, but you may want to check them … or opt for a less conspicuous silk or cotton variety.
  • Whips and leather floggers are legal. Do not back down, says Carol Queen, owner of the Good Vibrations website. She suggests that a simple “that’s my whip” should suffice.
  • Be careful where you are traveling – foreign countries may have different restrictions.In Saudi Arabia, the article notes, alcohol, weapons, pork and pornography are not permitted.

We leave you on this note from the Chronicle: “Sometimes after a hard flight,” said Queen, “what a woman really needs to do is go to the hotel and plug in.”

[Flickr via charlesfettinger]

The “TSA Pokey Pokey”

by McLean Robbins on



What’s the best way to ensure you annoy the crap out of your friendly TSA agent the next time you head through an airport security line? Sing new song “The TSA Pokey Pokey,” just released by reason.tv. You’ll laugh (or cringe) at this parody video, made from the same guy who brought the popular DC Metro song.

Lyrics, for your enjoyment:


You put your shoes in this
you put your bag in that
you put your personal items
in a tiny plastic bag
I do the pokey pokey
and I touch you all around
That’s what it’s all about!

Hi, I’m from the TSA. The only government agency that can check the status of both your flight and suppository. Not familiar with TSA security regulations? Well come on!

You put your arms like this
you spread your legs like that
we send the pictures back
and maybe to the internet
I do the pokey pokey
and I touch you all around
That’s what it’s all about!

and while we check out pictures of your naked body, we’re also checking out the contents of your bag. Hmm, looks like somebody’s about to wage a jihad–against plaque!

Please put your shoes in this
Please go take off your shoes
it seems we can’t communicate
with anything that’s wearing shoes
I do the pokey pokey
and I touch you all around
That’s what it’s all about!

And if you’re not comfortable with the government taking naked pictures of your body, no problem. Here’s how you opt out!

You put your rights in that
your dignity in this
we pat you up and down
cuz you don’t want the naked pics
I do the pokey pokey
and I touch you all around
That’s what it’s all about!

And here at TSA we’re always employing the latest in terrorist profiling procedures. Like these!

we touch your you kid like that
we grope your kid like this
we touch them up and down
cuz they might be terrorists
I do the pokey pokey
and I touch you all around
That’s what it’s all about!

You’re welcome America!

TSA ‘Behavioral Officers’ look for the obvious

by Mike Barish on

Our pals over at AOL Travel are reporting that the TSA has “behavioral indicator officers” who attempt to observe people in security lines to determine if anyone is a security risk. So, if you still think that it’s funny to make bomb jokes while waiting to pass through the x-ray machine, you might want to start working on some new material. The TSA, meanwhile, might want to consider that travel, in general, and airport security, in particular, tend to make even the most docile people uncomfortable. Are the Behavior Detection Officers (that’s the TSA’s official term) keeping us safer or just adding another layer of nuisance to the airport security process?According to the TSA website,

TSA’s BDO-trained security officers are screening travelers for involuntary physical and physiological reactions that people exhibit in response to a fear of being discovered. TSA recognizes that an individual exhibiting some of these behaviors does not automatically mean a person has terrorist or criminal intent. BDOs do, however, help our security officers focus appropriate resources on determining if an individual presents a higher risk or if his/her behavior has a non-threatening origin. Individuals exhibiting specific observable behaviors may be referred for additional screening at the checkpoint to include a handwanding, limited pat down and physical inspection of one’s carry-on baggage. Referrals are based on specific observed behaviors only, not on one’s appearance, race, ethnicity or religion.

You know who exhibits involuntary physical and physiological reactions in response to TSA screenings? A very large segment of the population. Between patting down children, radiating travelers and blatant xenophobia, the TSA hasn’t exactly installed confidence in the general public. So, it’s only natural that completely innocent travelers might exhibit signs of fear while waiting to be screened by poorly trained security agents.

At present, all travelers are presumed guilty until scanned innocent. That makes many people outraged, nervous and downright scared. Will these TSA Behavior Detection Officers be able to differentiate an anxious terrorist and a nervous flier? Seeing as how how the TSA has a history of overstepping its bounds, it’s hard for us to be confident in their profiling skills.

Oh, and there’s that word: profiling. Sure, the TSA statement specifically says that these officers are not looking at anyone’s “appearance, race, ethnicity or religion,” but this still opens the door to sweeping generalizations or assumptions about anyone who simply looks nervous. Some people are so terrified of flying that they start sweating and acting nervously the moment they enter an airport. What happens if you happen to be a dark-skinned, bearded aerophobic? Seems to me that you’ll be singled out and forced to explain to a TSA officer who has singled you out as a risk that you are scared to fly.

What the TSA’s website fails to explain is what types of training these Behavior Detection Officers have received. There are pyschologists who spend their entire careers studying human behaviors and responses to fear. What have these TSA officers been taught? Who taught them?

Terrorists, one would imagine, are psychopaths. People who are detached from reality are more likely to be at peace with their dangerous decisions. A terrorist can act calmly going through security. A nervous flier or a traveler who is offended by be treated like a criminal will exhibit fear. At the end of the day, it seems that the presence of these Behavior Detection Officers will just make more innocent people nervous.

What will these Behavior Detection Officers find? Most likely, a lot of people who are scared to fly, hate the TSA or who just simply have overactive sweat glands.

Travel group promoting Trusted Traveler Program

by Chris Owen on
Should frequent flyers and business travelers get through airports faster than everybody else? Yes! says the U.S. Travel Association who is trying to convince lawmakers that big airport users need special attention.

“Travelers encounter much hassle at our nation’s airports, and it’s time for Congress to act,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. “A one size fits all approach to security is inefficient. If Congress implements a trusted traveler program, we’ll see more Americans traveling – and that will create more American jobs.

Called the Trusted Traveler program, the idea is to have those who go travel extensively go through an extensive background check and basically be certified safe to fly. At the airport, the Trusted Traveler would zip through security and have a minimum of checks.

The “Be Trusted” campaign is a national grassroots campaign advocating Congressional implementation of a trusted traveler program. The campaign will include advertisements in newspapers and airports, social media, events at airports, an advocacy website and toll-free number to connect travelers directly with members of Congress, and an online petition.

Flickr photo by redjar

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