Shocked, SHOCKED! (Scammed?)

The TSA says the “story” that was the basis for the following post is a fabrication. I was skeptical from the beginning but couldn’t pass on the entertainment value (note my question mark on the caption). Unfortunately, the level of trust between travelers and the security agencies is so low that we are ready to disbelieve them almost reflexively. The TSA says:

A rumor is going around that Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan had an Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) image of himself leaked by UK Security officers at Heathrow. This rumor, though juicy, is unfounded.

TSA reached out to the UK’s Department for Transport (DFT) and learned that, just like advanced imaging technology machines in U.S. airports, they do not have printers or the ability to store images in the airport setting.

Additionally, DFT pointed TSA to the source of the rumor: an interview with BBCs Jonathan Ross. Though he doesn’t explicitly say that he’s joking, we can confirm in all seriousness that the machines don’t do what he jokingly describes.

Original post:

Like Casablanca’s Captain Renault I’m sincerely SHOCKED at this one (not):

Claims on behalf of authorities that naked body scanner images are immediately destroyed after passengers pass through new x-ray backscatter devices have been proven fraudulent after it was revealed that naked images of Indian film star Shahrukh Khan were printed out and circulated by airport staff at Heathrow in London. - Prison Planet

KHAN SCAN?Wow, that didn’t take long. Thankfully, most of us aren’t desirable or bizarre enough to warrant such attention. Doesn’t make it any more pleasant though, does it? OK, actually Khan didn’t seem to mind since he supposedly signed the printouts for airport workers (SEE VIDEO BELOW).

Update on February 12, 2010 by Frank@OBOW

Comments

[Till]

He sure has a good sense of humor and self-promotion. On the scary side, however, this proves not only that images can indeed be printed out (and certainly saved, too) but also that there is indeed the possibility for the allegedly "separate and unknowing" scanner handlers to know exactly who is in the machine when. They can even react to news of who is in the machine and print out an image and then come out of their separate room within minutes. Otherwise it would not have been possible that the photos get into his hands so quickly. Too bad he is so cool about it. I would have raised a super stink!

[Not Real]

This story is not real. Check it out a the TSA site.

[Till]

I would seriously rather believe him than the TSA. The TSA has much more to lose and thus much more reason to lie. This could become very fruitful ground for some investigative journalism.