LONGSANDS: Naked check-in at Manchester!?!?!?

OK so winters here....its got to be the time of the year to do a 'Gok' and 'look good naked' eh?? Yup the charm brigade at Man Airport...that emporium of customer care....are ready to view you ...well naked ...in a way. While we can all guess the sorts will be up in arms about this ...clothed arms of course....I just think anything that cuts down the time it takes to get through security is good. Lets face it most of us are made the same way so any initial thrill..or horror..the security guys experience will surely soon be as boring as viewing yet another hairdryer image in a suitcase! Main thing is that surely the 'Man Airport' experience can only get better??

Passengers can refuse to undergo the virtual strip by full-body x-ray scanner that leaves little to the imagination. But think about it; originally, passengers had to remove their jackets when passing through airport security. Then it was belts, and soon shoes had to come off too. But those who feared that losing one's trousers was the next logical step will find scant comfort in the news that an x-ray machine that produces "naked" images of passengers has been launched.

As well as enabling staff to instantly spot any hidden weapons or explosives, the full-body scanner being trialled at Manchester airport will reveal a clear outline of passengers genitalia, as well as any false limbs, breast enlargements or body piercings.

You can choose a traditional "pat down" search instead, according to the airport, which admits that some travellers may feel uncomfortable about using the new technology.
The scan's black and white image will be seen by one officer in a remote location before it is deleted, said Sarah Barrett, head of customer experience at the airport. "Most of our customers do not like the traditional 'pat down' search, they find it too intrusive, but they still want to be kept safe. This scanner completely takes away the hassle of needing to undress. The images are not erotic or pornographic and they cannot be stored or captured in any way," she said.

As passengers will not have to remove their coats, shoes or belts, the scanner will – in theory – speed up the check-in process. Frequent flyers will not be at risk from the low-level radiation, which is 20,000 times less powerful than a dental x-ray, Barrett said.
"Passengers can go through this machine 5,000 times a year each without worrying, it is super safe and the amount of radiation transmitted is tiny," she said.

Well then...seeing as we wont be all 'radiant and glowing', and that we will in theory 'get through' quicker and safer then I can only applaud this initiative. Happy travelling......
Russell