Submitted via IRC for Fnord666
LA to become the first city to use body scanners in rail transit systems
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority just announced its plans to become the first city to use portable body scanners in its subway and light-rail systems to help detect the presence of explosive devices.
"We're dealing with persistent threats to our transportation systems in our country," TSA administrator David Pekoske in a statement. "Our job is to ensure security in the transportation systems so that a terrorist incident does not happen on our watch."
The portable scanners will begin rolling out in a few months, the executive director of security for the LA Metro Alex Wiggins said yesterday. According to the AP, the scanners will be able to conduct full-body scans from 30 feet away and are capable of scanning more than 2,000 passengers per hour.
[...] The city is one of several in which the TSA has piloted these new body scanners, although LA will be the first to fully adopt them. The agency has also worked with public transit officials from San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit, New Jersey's transit system, as well as Amtrak stations at New York's Penn Station and DC's Union Station. Wiggins assured passengers that screenings in the LA Metro would be well-marked and that those choosing to opt out could do so by leaving the station.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 17 2018, @01:51AM
Pretty much. Other countries can keep terrorists from messing with planes without making people take off their shoes and get sexually assaulted.
The whole point of this is to keep people scared and keep money flowing to the military-industrial complex. It has absolutely nothing to do with actual safety otherwise there'd be nationwide gun control regulations to keep known dangerous people from getting their hands on any weapons.