Passengers mostly indifferent as full-body scanners land at Dane County airport

Feb. 16--Frequent travelers greeted news of Dane County Regional Airport's new full-body scanners, which will begin screening passengers on Friday, with a shrug.

Madison's high-tech devices were unveiled Wednesday by the Transportation Security Administration, though such scanners already are used in 140 U.S. airports, including five in Wisconsin. La Crosse's airport is scheduled to receive scanners next week, said Carrie Harmon, a TSA spokeswoman.

That means they're not really news at all to some travelers, including Tim Neel, 60, who was on his way home to Cleveland.

Neel, who was in town on business at Sub-Zero/Wolf, said he went through a full-body scanner at the Akron-Canton Regional Airport with no problems and no worries.

"I don't care," he said. "I can't get that revved up about it."

The machines use software that increases privacy by eliminating passenger-specific images. Instead, the units display a computer-generated outline of a person that is identical for all passengers.

The scanners replace metal detectors, but travelers still need to remove shoes, belts and any items in pockets. Anything left in a pocket, including paper and plastic items, can be detected by the scanners. "Anomalies" are indicated by a yellow patch on the computer generated image and typically trigger a pat-down to that part of the body, said Jane Hemberger, a TSA security director.

The scanners, which stand almost 9 feet tall and are 6 feet wide, have been installed at the north and south entrances to the secure terminal area of the airport. Walk-through metal detectors will remain for backup purposes, Harmon said.

Janis Stromer, on her way home to Tennessee after a training session at Epic in Verona, said she went through a scanner in Nashville on her way to Madison.

"I'm kind of used to it, but I don't feel any safer," she said.

Copyright 2012 - The Wisconsin State Journal