US Travelers Urge Body Scan Ban in Airports

Resistance to full-body scanners, or advanced imaging technology (AIT) - has been gaining momentum for almost two years.

The holiday season is just around the corner, air travelers are simmering with anger at new security measures at US airports, including pat-downs and full-body scanning.

From Wednesday to Sunday, more than 1.6 million people will head into airports across the United States while people protesting against full body scanners are urging passengers to refrain from being subjected to scanning and demand the alternative full body frisking.

Rattled nerves in the country are still jittery over the implementation of the controversial procedure, with organizers of "National Opt Out Day"-- a website dedicated to people who decide to opt out of the scanning procedures -- urging protest against the "naked body scanning" on Wednesday, the busiest travel day of the year for Americans, reported AFP.

"The goal of National Opt Out Day is to send a message to our lawmakers that we demand change," the website states on its page adding, "flyers are in a no-win situation: both the naked body scanners and the enhanced pat downs are grossly in violation of our privacy rights and dignity, both make you feel like a criminal."

Despite a rising tide of concerns and complaints in recent weeks over the body scanners, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is desperately calling on passengers to go through the faster full body x-ray screening.

According to TSA, some 2,000 complaints have been lodged against the organization from those people who have passed through security checkpoints since the new screening procedures were implemented.

The US administration officials claim pat-downs and full-body scanning at airports has been envisaged purely for passenger's safety in the wake of a number of thwarted bomb plots against US-bound airliners.

About 1,000 full body scanners are expected to be in the US airports by the end of 2011.