Question -- why the heck do people going through the porno scanners have to put their arms up over

[kath]

their heads?? The machines have good enough resolution that they work PERFECTLY FINE on a person standing with her/his arms just hanging down naturally or held slightly away from the torso (there's pictures out there on the web).
The "arms in the air" pose makes a person feel submissive, powerless, degraded -- and that, folks, is what it's ALL about.

There is absofuckinlutely NO other reason - zip, zero, nada - for the submissive body position.

[enlightenment]

1. Presumably so they can tell if you're hiding a thermite

bomb in your armpits.

[TorchTheWitch]

5. just holding them out to the side would do that

they don't need to be held over the head.

[jeff47]

10. Holding them to the side wouldn't let them see if something is attached to the underside of your arm

because people have a hard time holding their arms perfectly horizontal. A half-degree off and you've got a hiding place.

[krispos42]

2. Because it would be a fashion faux pas to get skin cancer everyplace but your armpits

That would look just so bad...

[readmoreoften]

6. +1

[kath]

7. heh - good one!

[marshall]

13. How long before we have to spread our butt cheeks?

Or will a helpful agent do that for us?

[LibDemAlways]

3. That's the same pose criminal suspects are

required to strike, usually with a gun pointed at them.

And people go meekly along.

At the very least the TSA criminal suspect (that's the person with an airline ticket) should ask to see the license of the person operating the machine. If I'm going to be x-rayed, it damn well better be by a fully trained, qualified, state-certified tech - not some lackey who got a job because he saw an ad on a pizza box.

[Desertrose]

4. Looks like the Abu Graib pose to me....

Or is that what they call the pose for the "enhanced" pat down?

[Anakin Skywalker]

8. The Kinky TSA People Want to See Armpit Hairs!

It's such a turn-on for them to see hairy women!

[Warren Stupidity]

9. OBEY CONFORM CONSUME

You answered your own question.

[Odin2005]

11. Yup. Welcome to the Police State.

[AnArmyVeteran]

12. It would be funny to have something pop out of your armpit when you did that.

It would be easy to have something, like a flag, pop out when you raised your arms. Or even sew on a copy of the Bill of Rights so it would pop out when you raise your arms. Or maybe have the head of a dragon pop out. At least it would make it entertaining to the people watching.

I wouldn't advise having something like those flags with the word 'bang' popping out of the end of a fake gun. That would get you arrested.