X-ray scanners removed from LAX
LOS ANGELES, CA (BDCi) – Major airports are switching out the controversial X-ray body scanners for newer, less invasive machines known as millimeter wave scanners.
These new scanners, designed to quickly and automatically detect potential threats, will display a generic cartoon body instead of the detailed scan of a person’s body.
The device searches for anomalies that show up as yellow boxes on the cartoon body image, shown to the left.
LAX, Boston Logan, Chicago O’Hare, Orlando and JFK have already swapped out the X-ray machines.
Many people complained about the X-ray scanners, insisting that they invade privacy and cause radiation cancer, but the TSA says the recent switch is based solely on decreasing checkpoint wait times.
The new machines have been found to have a high rate of false alarms, ranging between 23% and 54%.
The false-alarm rate for X-ray scanners is estimated to be around 5%.
By: Diego Díaz Source: KTLA Photo: Google 23 October 2012
6:05 a.m. P.D.T.