more than i wanted to know...or others to know...

so a year or so ago i went to nevada to visit my grandparents. on the way home i went through security at the las vegas airport and had to go through this big machine that puffed air at me from all angles. little did i know that this technology essentially took a 'naked' picture of me, allowing airport security to see through my layers of clothes to determine if i was carying any hazardous materials. there was an article about these scanners in slate magazine today, and it was interesting to find out exactly what these things are.

as weird and slightly uncomfortable as it may seem, i dont think there's any reason to raise a stink about this. if i had a choice between a quick scan or a strip search, i'd go with the scan any day. and it's not like everyone in line gets to see the picture, broadcasted on big screens for all to see. anything that makes security smoother and less of a hassle for me is ok in my book. frankly i've gotten annoyed with the hyped up 'everyone's a threat', '30z conatiners of liquid toiletries only' (in a ziploc baggie no less), 'x-ray everyone's shoes' mess that flying has become. it's like airports have aged just as i have- there was a point in time where we could be reckless and have fun... but now we're older and must use better judgement. only i think the airports are being a bit too paranoid.