Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Whole Body Imaging Use Grows At Airports
One year after testing
whole body imaging at New York's Staten Island Ferry and weeks after a pilot program in the busy Phoenix airport, the US Transportation Security Administration is ready to start getting a closer look at consumers traveling.
For consumers who have been "patted down" or "frisked" while traveling, the new machine may seem like an alternative to an undignified position some travelers undergo because of their undergarments, medical devices or similarly benign issues. We wholeheartedly endorse national security and understand the need for stringent measures, but more than one consumer has shared with us that being frisked in the middle of a crowded public facility is unpleasant at best and often embarrassing.
Hand-held metal detectors are often used in such cases, but a nervous twitch can cause the machine to come in contact with a traveler's 's body. And while many consumers seem resigned to shuck off their shoes and travel through the airport in stockinged or (heaven help us) bare feet, removing jackets, belts and other clothing is often time-consuming at best.
"I like belts with big buckles," one consumer recently told me. "I can't wear them to the airport though because I have to take off my coat, my shoes, my belt and put my computer in a tray. I used to be able to just undo the buckle and show them the back, but now I have to take it off, and it's not worth the hassle."
Whole body imaging is supposed to replace the need for a pat-down although other measures will still be in force. Many travel and privacy advocates say a whole body image invades a consumer's privacy, but federal officials counter with a statistic that 90% of travelers subjected to the process in Phoenix preferred it to a "pat down" or similar measures.
The TSA also says that they will not maintain or store records of any captured images, but that doesn't address the point that the consumer is, well, exposed, for a time to strangers.
The image on the left is representative of what the TSA says its officers will see. With paperless bordering passes and other biometrics processes quickly being tested throughout the nation, we want to believe that this image isn't stored, but we also wanted to believe that doctors wouldn't read a celebrity's medical file and IRS employees wouldn't snoop through the taxes of the rich and famous.
Without more explanation of what safeguards are in place to protect a consumer's privacy, whole body imaging is a promising idea we can't yet support. Once we learn that images will never be associated with personally identifyig information and that no mechanism exists to save the image, we would be more willing to endorse and embrace this idea.
There clearly isn't enough time for that public reassurance, however, because the government has announced that travelers moving through Los Angeles' LAX or New York's JFK airports will soon be subjected to whole body imaging or being frisked if they set off a detector.
Apparently willing to base taxpayer dollars and consumer acceptance on a limited one airport test, the TSA has also reportedly ordered 30 more machines for use in other airports this year.
Labels: airport, privacy, TSA
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Traveling Consumers Should Expect Thanksgiving Crush
Travelers using airplanes to go over rivers and through woods during next week's Thanksgiving holiday may be in for
full flights during the holiday.
The American Transport Association, an industry group run by the airlines, expects flights to
average 90% full during the period -- an increase over this year's already-crowded 80%. Serious delays have crippled carriers like JetBlue and US Airways over the last several years, and both spent an enormous amount of time and resources overcoming the perception of standing passengers. Doing so during the busiest travel time of the year could be devastating for a carrier.
Our hints:
-- Check with your airline now. Today. Make sure you know the flight, hold a seat assignment and when you need to check luggage. If you live in a major city with more than one airport, make sure you know which airport you are flying from. Yes, it happens.
-- Try to check-in for your flight from home on the day of travel. This is sometimes possible even if you're checking bags. If you can get away with carry-on only, do that, but make sure you know the airline and
TSA's rules for carry-on luggage. Keep that 3-1-1 rule in mind!
-- The TSA also offers
security line checkpoint waiting time on the web. See if you can view that on a web-enabled phone. Information will be power.
-- Get to the airport early. Even if you're a frequent traveler who knows all the tricks and tips, you'll be traveling with thousands or tens of thousands who don't. At a minimum, double your travel time.
-- Keep up your good spirits. There will likely be traffic delays. There could be weather delays. Either will have a ripple effect throughout the system. Roll with the punches, and don't stress too much.
-- Coming home may be even trickier. Some people are leaving early and some are leaving late to get to their destination, but just about everyone you can think of is coming home in the same tiny window. Remember that for your trip home.
90% load factors are huge. That means there won't be space for multiple carry on bags, there will be long delays and lines just to board and checked bags will take that much longer to get to the carousel. The large number also means that your options may be much more limited if you miss your flight so be sure to allow plenty of time for parking and traffic to the airport.
Labels: airline, airport
Monday, August 20, 2007
If The Skies Aren't Friendly, San Francisco Lines May Be
Security lines are a necessary evil at airports. Comedian Bill Maher has a great schtick on flying without them, but no one wants to do that.
While everyone gets frustrated in a long line, frequent travelers -- the kind of passenger who take 20, 50 or even 100 flights a year -- often find themselves spending plenty of time on the other side of the detectors. Many have their own favorite lines and times, but one family with twins in strollers can change the day.
Registered traveler programs might be one answer. For about $100, passengers can opt to have a background investigation done and enter shorter lines. One such program,
Clear by Verified Identity Pass is due to open at San Francisco's busy airport in September. Here's betting that the gateway to Silicon Valley (if you don't count San Jose...) will see more than its share of travelers sign up, which begs the question transportation officials have asked about their highways for years.
What happens when the express lanes slow down?Labels: airport, safety, San Francisco
