No ‘junk touching’ in Canada, Transport Minister says

[Lucy Goosey]

No ‘junk touching’ in Canada, Transport Minister says

Transport Minister Chuck Strahl announced the new privacy measure in Question Period on Wednesday.

He insisted, however, the government will not institute aggressive U.S.-style pat-downs. He also said the full body-scan machines Canada is using “do not pose the same health risk because they use a millimetre wave technology rather than X-ray technology.”

“So passenger security is extremely important, and our government is committed to balancing that by ensuring that passengers are treated respectfully and properly,” he said.

Right now in Canada, full-body scans are used only in secondary screening. If a passenger does not want to be searched in public, he or she can request a special room for a body search – but they are difficult to get to or non-existent in most airports.

The CATSA memo notes that search practices in Canada are different from those of the United States. The pat-down is not as rigorous.

[LibDemAlways]

1. I live in Southern Calif. and have been planning to

take my daughter to Europe next summer as a graduation present. As of now I will take a few extra days, drive to Vancouver, and fly out of there. No way will I risk subjecting my daughter or myself to a groping or x-ray nude-o-scan.

[Nay]

2. We're doing the same -- Amtrak to Montreal, then to Vancouver BC