US Customs Service X-Ray Alternative

[Andy Hull <hull@mail.sep.bnl.gov>]

Apropos of last month's thread on this topic, the following exceprts from
an article in the New York Times News of the Week Review for January 24th
may be of interest:

NO TAKERS FOR THE X-RAY OPTION

It seemed to officials of the United States Customs Serine like a good
idea, no doubt.  When Customs inspectors became suspicious that someone was
trying to smuggle drugs or other contraband into the country, they would
offer a choice: a conventional strip-search of an X-ray.

For  innocent travelers, an X-ray could be less degrading that a
strip-search by a stranger in uniform.  And for Customs inspectors, it
would be easier to discover drugs, cash or other illicit goods hidden
between travelers' clothing or even inside their bodies.

But as sometimes happens with good ideas, the reality did not match the
hope.  The Customs Service began offering foreign visitors and returning
Americans the X-ray option last October at two major airports, John F.
Kennedy in New York City and Miami International in Florida. In the first
three months of the experiment, nine people at  Kennedy and eight in Miami
were offered the choice of an X-ray. None accepted.......So Mr. Kelly
(Commissioner of the Customs Service) and his agency are now gearing up for
round two of the X-ray experiment. Contractors have installed new body scan
machines in Miami and at Kennedy that produce images of anything between a
traveler's clothing and skin. This scan exposes people to far less
radiation than a traditional X-ray, which penetrates body organs....
By Alan Finder


Andy Hull
BNL
Upton NY 11973


************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html