[ RadSafe ] Infant goes through airport X-ray machine

[BLHamrick at aol.com]

I suspect a lawyer got involved in the decision.  
 
Barbara L. Hamrick, CHP, and reluctantly admitting, a JD also
 
In a message dated 12/21/2006 8:17:56 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
sandyfl at earthlink.net writes:

Rick  makes a good point. In this event, there should not have been 
this  perception. Granted, these TSA workers are not trained health 
physicists,  but they are trained to tell passengers that they can 
have their  un-exposed film put through the carry-on baggage scanner 
due to the fact  that the dose is so low, that it would not damage the 
film. They also are  aware that personnel working around the X-ray 
unit do not require  personnel monitoring devices. I don't think this 
is an issue of  perception. I think it's a issue of individuals not 
thinking and  over-reacting to any anomaly, which the TSA has 
perfected over the years  (from someone who travels all the time and 
gets to witness their antics up  close and personally)!

Perhaps the Grandmother caused a scene and they  were just reacting. I 
don't know. However, if there is no effective  training program, then 
these individuals who work around radiation  generating machines or 
material, who work amongst the general public, and  can have a 
significant effect on what the public thinks, then there needs  to be 
a re-education of these workers, TSA or other wise. There is enough  
misconception and fear of radiation, and when this type of situation  
occurs, the public becomes even more fearful. This can not continue 
to  happen. Someone out there needs to provide the education and 
whatever it  takes to minimize these occurrences, where idiotic 
actions rule the  day.