Info Thursday
Airport Insider

What the airports are currently doing for security measures is wrong, and if people choose not to travel by plane because of it, I don't blame them. However, some of us either don't have that option or would rather not give up traveling. For those people like myself, my friend encouraged me to give a suggestion that I gave her. Travel from low security airports who don't have the body scanners. But it is important to note that the TSA in any airport can still subject you to an an advanced pat down, so we still need to fight this entire idea in any way we can. Sadly, it may also become increasingly more difficult to avoid airports with body scanners with the recently passed spending bill that funded more body scanners. Here's a list of airports with body scanners. However, this is an older list (from November) and could change at a moment's notice, so it would probably be best to contact the airport to know for certain.

This doesn't necessarily mean the list will change for the worst, though. I've been led to believe that San Diego Airport, which is on the list, either no longer has body scanners or doesn't have them in every terminal. Specifically, the TSA at the terminal for Southwest Airlines told me they didn't have body scanners, though I was unclear if they simply meant at that checkpoint or in the entire airport. I was pulled aside for additional screening because I had forgotten to remove my toiletries from my bag. But all they did was test my hands for explosives by rubbing them with a cloth an putting that cloth through a machine. This was a minor hassle but far less invasive and far more practical than either body scanners or pat downs, and I would be in full support of airports doing this instead.

Sacramento Airport is already not on the list and did not have any scanners that I saw when I was traveling, nor did I see anyone pat down at either airport.

Unfortunately, the first anti-body scanner bill introduced by Representative Ron Paul unfortunately died in committee. But there are stirrings of a new similar bill. Hopefully, something will go through. I will also note this is the perfect issue to cross party lines as both Republicans and Democrats seem to dislike being felt up or goggled at in the nude. However, there do seem rather more Republicans speaking up... I would like the Democrats to step it up. I hate having to choose, but this issue is currently more important to me than health care because health care in the US has always been crummy, but travel hasn't always been this ridiculous and devoid of dignity.