FREQUENT flyer Tony Choo remembers when passengers first had to remove their jackets when passing through airport security.
Then it was belts and soon shoes had to come off too. Choo was among those who feared that losing one’s trousers was the next step.
It happened to the Kuala Lumpur businessman, wife Violet and daughter Christine at Manchester
airport yesterday.
“While we did not have to undress, we had to undergo a virtual strip under the newest security measure at the airport,” said Choo in an email to Malay Mail.
“We find scant comfort that an X-ray machine produced ‘naked’ images of us.”
Choo said the full body scanner would reveal a clear outline of passengers’ genitalia, as well as any false limbs, breast enlargements or body piercings.
Reports in English media that said the machine, which resembles a large filing cabinet, is being trialled at Manchester Airport to enable security staff to instantly spot any hidden weapons or
explosives.
Choo wrote that he and several passengers refused to undergo the virtual strip at Terminal 2 and
chose a traditional “pat down” search instead.
“My family and I felt uncomfortable about using the new technology but we were told that the scan’s black and white image will be seen by one officer in a remote location before it is deleted,” he said.
“The newspaper reports said scans taken clearly show the naked outline of the passengers’ bodies, which some passengers may find intrusive.
“Most women do not like the traditional ‘pat down’ search because they find it too intrusive,” he said, noting that travellers were told that the images are not erotic or pornographic and that they cannot be stored or captured in any way.
Choo, however, said travellers had to support security measures at airports “no matter how inconvenient or intrusive”.
Last week, it was revealed that air travellers could face even tougher security measures after it was revealed that al-Qaeda may be planning a terror campaign with suicide bombers carrying explosives
inside their bodies.
The body bomb threat was revealed after the tactic was used in an assassination attempt on a Saudi prince.
Although the bid failed, it sent shockwaves through the world’s airline industry and US and French anti-terrorism experts urged increased security to safeguard against such future attacks.