Which of these two methods you are subjected to is determined by the latex-gloved traffic cop of airport defense, the Transportation Security Administration agent. [...] if you live in Washington, D.C., or work in a government building in the United States, shedding metal and crossing a threshold of a metal detector has become a way of life. Many Americans wish to avoid this as it is a bit too personal an invasion of privacy in a public place by a federal official, or they simply don't want to increase their exposure to ionizing radiation after lifelong doses of X-rays from mammograms, dental exams, chest X-rays, assorted CT scans and, if you are old enough to remember, radiated feet at the local shoe store (ask your grandmother). Logically, those people reluctant to add to their radiation exposure should be sent through the metal detector line, as surely the TSA would only use both methods if they were of equal reliability at protecting us from terrorism. Or, the metal detector really isn't as good as the X-ray device at identifying potential threats, but using the X-ray machine exclusively exceeds the political will of the current administration, the time demands and patience of the traveling public, or the resources of the Department of Homeland Security.
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