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Cancer Cluster Possibly Found Among TSA Workers
OverTheGeicoE writes "TSA employees at Logan International Airport believe they have identified a cancer cluster in their ranks, according to documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and released by the Electronic Privacy Information Center. They have requested dosimetry to counter 'TSA's improperly non-monitored radiation threat.' So far, at least, they have not received it. The documents also reveal a paper from Johns Hopkins that essentially questions whether it is even safe to stand near an operating scanner, let alone inside one. Also, the National Institute of Standards and Technology says that the Dept. of Homeland Security 'mischaracterized' their work by telling USA Today that NIST affirmed the safety of the scanners when in fact NIST does not do product safety testing and never tested a scanner for safety."
I suppose it's time to get comfortable with the idea of intimate relations with TSA screeners. It wouldn't be so bad but for the lack of choice in who does the screening, the lack of cuddling afterwards and total absence of a commitment. It just makes the whole ordeal seem so tawdry.
Two of my imaginary friends reproduced once
It is a well known fact that applying skeptical empiricism sharply increases the risk of terrorist attacks.
Only through obedience and faith can we hope to preserve our way of life against authoritarian fanaticism.
No, it's a group of people born in late June or the first two-thirds of July.
Living increases the risk of dying.
Yea, I've flown about once a week for about 5 months now, and I've been through a scanner exactly once, and opted out for a frisk 3 times.
Most airports have them, and they're on, but just standing in the security line and observing what's going on you can reduce your risk of getting put through one pretty considerably.
I did get randomly picked by the metal detector for explosives testing though, and my luggage had explosive residue all over them. I just had my wife, whom had made it through, take all of my luggage and just leave my shoes because I was already late for the plane and didn't want a positive explosives test holding me up more.
I was pretty floored that I could stand there yelling at my wife through the plastic holding cell to take all of our luggage because I had explosive residue on mine while surrounded by TSA agents, and not one even blinked.
We have hundreds of millions of dollars being spent on these scanners and security, and having public outcry, and potentially giving people cancer, and in the end the TSA expects you to point kindly point out the baggage that you're carrying explosives in to them so that they can go find the explosives. Yea, can't think of anything that could go wrong there! Trust the terrorists to tell them where their bomb is via a simple question!
A couple of inches of lead on the inside of the scanner would fix all known problems with the machines.
No sig today...