Security or Porn?! Do airport screeners really need to see our nipples, birthmarks and moles? (Poll)

According to the Baltimore Sun:

The homeland security secretary unveiled yesterday a new checkpoint screening system being tested at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and announced other measures to make providing identification at check-in less hectic for travelers.

The $2.1 million pilot program at BWI, called Checkpoint Evolution,travelers’ includes new X-ray machines to better scan carry-ons and “whole body imaging” machines that show potentially hazardous objects that may be concealed under a passenger’s clothing. Some groups such as the ACLU complain the system can violate passengers’ privacy.

The checkpoint makeover also involves more than $300,000 in aesthetic improvements – soft lighting, calming music, better signs and an automatic bin-return system – to allow Transportation Security Administration officers to better detect jittery possible perpetrators.

Oh, good, so at least they’re going to romance us a little before taking pictures of us under our clothing. We are assured that the photos will be destroyed as soon as it is determined we are not a threat. [Anyone want to take bets on how long it will be before airport security images of celebrities begin hitting the internet?]

The scanners still cannot pick up liquid explosives, and passengers, according to the report still have to take off their shoes. If they object to the photos, passengers can also request the traditional “pat-down.”

BWI is the 4th airport to install the machines. So far they haven’t caught any potential terrorists, but they did manage to catch someone who had two outstanding warrants for non-terrorist related activity. I suppose that is worth the $2.1 million dollar program that will ultimately be paid for by airline passengers and taxpayers.

But perhaps I’m being too cynical. Some passengers seem to be okay with flashing the airport security personnel, the Baltimore Sun concludes:

Passenger Lenita Reeves of Baltimore said the checkpoint seemed to move more quickly than usual.

“As long as it’s for my safety I don’t have a problem with it,” she said.

How do you feel about this? Do you think these latest scanners are an unnecessary violation of privacy, or do you feel that they are ultimately worth it, for the safety of the passengers?

(Hat-Tip, Leslie Carbone: Naked X-Rays at BWI )