I discovered yesterday on my way home from the Wise Traditions seminar that I had unknowingly received a bon voyage blast of radiation from a body scanner on my way out of town via Tampa International Airport.
A radiation expert that I was chatting up in the van on the way to Dallas airport yesterday clued me in.
Apparently, some TSA agents are now flat out lying to airline passengers about the machines they operate.
I never got the memo.
I have to admit that I haven’t been keeping up with the roll-out of body scanner machines across the United States over the past year. I knew some of the larger hubs had them but had not read or heard anywhere in my local community that Tampa International now has them too.
So, on my way through security last Thursday I wasn’t anticipating anything different at the security check.
As I dutifully removed my shoes, I first sensed something was very wrong when I saw the big security box that people were walking through after stepping inside and placing their feet on the appropriate spots and putting their hands in the air.
I figured that must be a body scanner so I told the TSA agent when it was my turn that I wanted a pat-down instead.
“We don’t do pat-downs here”, he said.
“This machine here doesn’t have any radiation – if it did, I wouldn’t be standing so close“, he assured me.
Skeptical and taken aback but the TSA agent’s answer, I went ahead and proceeded through the big box to be checked.
Big mistake. Big HUGE mistake.
So, after the conference on the way home, the radiation expert I was talking to in the shuttle told me that the big box that I had stepped into was indeed a body scanner and that I had received a not so small dose of radiation as a thank you for my lemming-like behavior.
Sure enough, when I arrived at Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport, I talked to the baggage check-in agent and he told me that yes, Dallas has body scanners and that you can, of course, choose a pat-down if you like.
When I arrived at my terminal’s security point, the machine used was the exact same box like the one I walked through in Tampa International. The people went inside and stood exactly as I had and put their hands in the air the same way.
When it was my turn to be checked, I requested a pat-down.
“Of course, that is your choice”, said the TSA agent.
She proceeded to give me a manual pat-down, which I have to say was no big deal at all. At no time, did I feel uncomfortable or violated in any way.
So, what happened at TIA and why in the world did that TSA agent so unlawfully mislead me? Why did I receive such a completely different answer at Tampa International Airport and at Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport?
My thought is that the TSA agent believed 100% what he was telling me. I did not sense or see any body language that indicated that he knew he was lying. I think the man was told an untruth from his superior or someone else at TSA and is simply passing on the lies to airline passengers.
The important takeaway of this post is BEWARE. Be prepared for lies from TSA when you travel and when in doubt, insist on a pat-down.
I am now on the hunt for some black algae which will apparently release that radiation from my body. Any tips?
UPDATE: The program TSA Precheck is now available for those travelers who wish to avoid x-ray body scanners and avoid long security lines.
What do they do for a 4 month old baby if you refuse the scan? I don’t want any of my children going through the MACHINE!
I’ve heard that Selenium and chlorella help with radiation. Do a search on naturalnews.com.
Tampa to Dallas is only a (very long) day’s drive. If I can drive somewhere in a day, I’m not interested in the radiation or the pat down, thank!
Sarah were you there when Jenny was telling us how she and her family bought a fuel friendly car and aren’t planning on flying again unless it’s to an overseas location? Pretty sad that it has come to this.
Until I read your post I hadn’t even thought about all the radiation those security officials are getting all day every day, how scary for them! Although maybe they’re clueless like the guy you spoke to.
What do you know about how much radiation we are exposed to just from flying on the plane?
Besides all that it was a great weekend and I loved seeing you and everyone! 🙂
Kelly
We have Radiation homeopathy drops we bought from an ND when my husband had 6 CT scans in 2 months. We bought ours at http://www.herbalhealer.com.
yep–the TSA tend to lie like dogs at the airports. No offense to dogs. Our family simply does not fly because of this–we drove from VA to TX and back just to avoid the TSA.
We used Zeolite to help get rid of radiation. We actually used Zeoforce, which is Healthforce Nutritional’s brand of powdered zeolite.
And this is why my family has planned to drive to visit my parents for Thanksgiving (even with a 3 year old from OH to FL- god save my sanity). I can’t handle subjecting them to this craziness anymore, especially as much as we travel, since we just got out of the military and our family is still pretty scattered.
“@HealthyHomeEcon: Snookered by the Airport Body Scanner – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/UUn5aCw9” I always get the pat down!
This is why I avoid major airports LOL We flew out of St. Pete/Clearwater airport recently and they only had one of the new body scanner machines and one of the old style metal detector ones, I just got in the line for the old style one and nobody said anything to me. I don’t know what I would have done if they tried to make me go through the radiation scanner… I didn’t really want my toddler subjected to a patdown OR radiation, so I’m glad I had the option to go through the old style one (for now, at least…) I hate the fact that there is one MORE thing to stress me out about flying.