Full Body Scan Refused by Pilot

By Terry Green
Oct 20 2010

It has been reported by CBS from Memphis today that a pilot from Tennessee refused a full body scan as he was tired of the manhandling done by the security agents.

He says he is waiting to see whether he will lose his job because of the incident.

Michael Roberts who is a pilot at ExpressJet Airlines was chosen on Friday at the Memphis international airport for the X-Ray scan. He said that he had also refused to pat down and after doing so he went home.

He said that he wants to go to work daily and does not want to be harassed without a reason. The spokesman for Transportation Safety Administration Jon Allen said that a person was sent back because he refused to follow the federal rules but he did not name anyone citing privacy issues.

According to Robert the TSA program is a make-work one and it in no way makes travel any safer. He said that he felt that he did not want a federal security agent manhandle him every time he goes to work. He was telling this in commercial appeal.

CBS had reported earlier this week that though full body scanners were not installed at the city airports but there are definite plans to have them at John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty International airports.

In case passengers do not want to go through a full body scan they can opt to pat down and be searched with a metal detector.

The spokesman from TSA Ann Davis said that scanners help in completing the security requirements quickly and much less intrusive compared to pat downs and metal detectors.