We've all seen the TSA picture that doesn't show much. Of course, they aren't going to shoot themselves in the foot showing you just how much detail these things really can deliver. So I went looking for any other shots that might be floating around.
I came across a picture posted prominently on Drudge's site that got me thinking. I don't know where he got the picture from, or if it is actually from a full body screen using the backscatter technology being promoted as the latest and greatest way to make us all feel safe. But given the fact they are thinking about putting 300 of these things into operation this year, I thought it would be worth looking at this image a bit more closely over the jump.
The raw image certainly seemed like it wouldn't allow you to recognize the person in the shot. But a couple of transformations and voila! You can get a lot more information than you expect.
Warning...Not Safe For Work
First the page shot from Drudge. I only show it to provide context and demonstrate the source. Take it with a grain of salt. He's clearly trying to agitate against "Big Sis" but the picture on the right caught my eye. So I clipped that out.
On the left is the original image from Drudge's page. It certainly looks like you can't make out any detail in the face, although the breasts are pretty clearly distinguished. But anyone who has worked with negatives will know that if you reverse it, a lot of detail can jump out at you. All I did was run it through the Photoshop "solarize" filter and blur it slightly to get rid of pixelation. The result is the image on the right
This woman is definitely recognizable. The detail is sufficient over the rest of her body that you can make out what appears to be a belly button piercing and it's a safe bet that she shaves more than just her legs.
The ease of reversing this makes me a tad suspicious. I am not convinceed that this shot is a legit picture to begin with. It doesn't look like she is wearing a shirt or blouse at all. Her hair falls right across her clavicle with no evidence of a break. There is no evidence of any bra, no underwire support, no fasteners. There is also no evidence of a zipper or buttons in the crotch of her pants. If she is wearing pants they are very tight.
So I went looking for another picture and found this one of a guy. Again, on the left is the original image. Like the one from Drudge's site, it appears you can't make out much detail in the face. However, you can clearly make out the watch, his ring, the gun, a few items in his pockets, etc. He appears to be wearing glasses or goggles. I also don't see any real evidence of a zipper or button fly on his pants.
Using the same filters in Photoshop produced the image on the right. I can't make out a lot more detail here. However, it is clear he "dresses left" in this shot. Also, note the faint outline of his slacks, something missing from the shot of the woman from Drudge's site. His face is definitely more blurred than hers, but you can make out some recognizable features. I am certain he's wearing glasses. Like most every other TSA shot, there is no evidence of hair at all. I suspect hair is not showing up in these shots. That's another reason to wonder about Drudge's.
The bottom line, I'm inclined to think Drudge's shot is a fake. However, I am also inclined to believe these will be much more invasive than people believe and you have to wonder what is going to be the attitude towards pictures of children? Or tweens. Wouldn't having pictures like that violate federal laws? Is it possible this might provide a new incentive for certain miscreants to get a job as a screener? I don't know how this will play out, but one thing is certain. The people who will have to look at these images are going to spend a hell of a lot more time looking at ones like the shot of the guy than the one showing off the busty babe.
Frankly, I feel bad for the poor bastards who will get suckered into these jobs thinking they are going to get paid to watch peep shows all day. In the interest of helping those poor souls trapped in screener hell, I think the TSA should pipe music into the booths so people can do the 21st century version of "the safety dance" for the cameras. It would look something like this: