Sydney airport to trial full-body scan

[bernard smith]

A voluntary trial of body scanners began at the international terminal today and will run for three weeks. The ProVision ATD unit takes 7 seconds per person, using MMW (millimeter wave) technology.

Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said that, if trials (at Sydney and Melbourne) are successful and people choose not to go through the scanners once fully deployed, "then there is the full pat-down system available."
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news...801-1i76d.html

Does this potentially signal the end of wanding?

[matthew mcdonald]

I had this done to me exiting Calgary a couple of years ago and it is a good system.

[Jon Sant]

Looks like a good system, I wondered how long before we got them here.

[Mario Facchini]

Lets hope the process for these scanners are not as nerve wracking for some passengers as it is in the USA. My 16 yr old sister in law was put though the scanners twice in 2 different airports and both times patted down by security staff.

For a 16 yr old girl, that can be very confronting.

[Owen H]

Just for interest:

http://www.digitaljournal.com/articl...#ixzz1RC43P3PX

So far there has been surprisingly little research into their safety, especially for crew who are already categorised as occupationally exposed radiation workers. The equivalent of a chest x-ray might not be much for yoru odd passenger, but to those who are already highly exposed, these scanners are concerning.

[Robert S]

Experienced these twice in the US... a total pain. The excitible TSA personel get in a tizz over anything - in one direction my plain 80's era digital watch, in the other direction an empty plastic bag I'd unthinkingly left in my pocket. The latter earnt me a thorough feeling up of my entire right leg.

I'm also not convinced about health safety of these devices... and for the record, there was no realistic alternative short of making a huge fuss.