[eleusive]

I'll take it to mean that (given the 1 in 30 million estimate and that there are well over 250 million outgoing airplane seats filled per year by U.S. airlines), the expected number of scans which will cause cancer is nearly 10. That's 10 people who's lives may be put in very real danger.

It doesn't make a very good soundbite, but it plays well to the climate of hysteria!

[roc]

According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, there were 617,977,711 passengers on domestic flights in 2009 [1].

At the (incredibly optimistic) risk rate of 1 in 30 million, that's about 20 people given cancer, each year, if this policy goes forward and these devices become standard procedure.

[1] http://www.transtats.bts.gov/Data_Elements.aspx?Data=1

[drawkbox]

The TSA kills 20 people per year. Keep the hysteria simple.

Are you willing to kill 20 people per year to keep safe?

[KiwiNige]

It's the TSA agents standing by the machines all day that are first in the fireing line.

I wonder how long the cancers will take to start showing up.

[OneWhoFrogs]

> Are you willing to kill 20 people per year to keep safe?

Unfortunately, the answer for most is yes. That's more or less the definition of war.

Edit: Yikes! I'm really getting downvoted here, but no one's saying why. I didn't say I agreed with it! I just said that most people would probably say yes.

[msquared]

Uhh, wouldn't these things not have even caught the underwear bomber? Soo.. would you kill 20 people a year for the false sense of security and safety? If so.. well.. you're a douche nozzle, no offense.