max503 Posted August 29, 2022 at 01:19 PM Share Posted August 29, 2022 at 01:19 PM Just wondering. Are they used in places other than airports? I was once pulled off to the side and surrounded by security at the airport because I have a plate in my shoulder. I don't know anything else about them. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmyers Posted August 29, 2022 at 02:06 PM Share Posted August 29, 2022 at 02:06 PM Are they used in other places? Yes, hospitals, chemical plants, courts, stadiums, just to name a few. They detect metal. Can be as small as a handheld wand to large walkthrough unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max503 Posted August 29, 2022 at 02:18 PM Author Share Posted August 29, 2022 at 02:18 PM How come my shoulder plate doesn't set those off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawman Posted August 29, 2022 at 03:42 PM Share Posted August 29, 2022 at 03:42 PM Why were you pulled off to the side at the airport? You said it was because you have a plate in your shoulder. Their metal detectors must have detected it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ60477 Posted August 29, 2022 at 04:17 PM Share Posted August 29, 2022 at 04:17 PM any metal in your body should never set off the detectors.. The metal used is surgical metal and wont set off the systems. kinda like piercings tongue , nipples, ears, wont set them off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubbacs Posted August 29, 2022 at 05:23 PM Share Posted August 29, 2022 at 05:23 PM On 8/29/2022 at 9:18 AM, max503 said: How come my shoulder plate doesn't set those off? But your OP says you were pulled and surrounded because of the plate? Which is it? Or did they not tell you why and just surrounded you to chat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmyers Posted August 29, 2022 at 05:32 PM Share Posted August 29, 2022 at 05:32 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith44 Posted August 29, 2022 at 06:12 PM Share Posted August 29, 2022 at 06:12 PM Metal detectors operate by magnetic field induction to identify metals that respond to the magnetic field. The titanium screws holding my left shoulder together are non-magnetic, so they don’t trip the detector. Some stainless steels are non-magnetic, so likewise they won’t trip the detector. -Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou Posted August 29, 2022 at 06:19 PM Share Posted August 29, 2022 at 06:19 PM Most metal detectors can be calibrated as to how sensitive they are, Some will alert on belt buckles and some will allow a significant amount of metal through. My post office has them and I've never heard them go off even when there were people carrying packages with a lot of metal in them Those are there for appearance sake only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundguy Posted August 29, 2022 at 06:30 PM Share Posted August 29, 2022 at 06:30 PM On 8/29/2022 at 8:19 AM, max503 said: Just wondering. Are they used in places other than airports? I was once pulled off to the side and surrounded by security at the airport because I have a plate in my shoulder. I don't know anything else about them. Thanks. Magnetometers are commonly used at airports, courts and high security events such as a Presidential visit or Trump Rally. You basically remove all metal and walk through when the "Mag" operator is ready for you. They will often have a wand device to double check you if you the machine alerts when you pass through. Full body scanners are also used more and more frequently at airports. With these you stand still inside the scanner. A clip from an article touching on magnetometers and sensitivity follows. Back in the old days, before TSA, you could cover keys on your belt or a pocket knife with your hand and pass... if the sensitivity was set low. More than once my fanny pack has passed through image scanning with my pocket knife or Leatherman inside. You also might enjoy this paper... History of Airport Body Scanners. Quote One study conducted by Basu and colleagues compared patients with various types of implants. They also looked at the metal detector response to individuals with implants and volunteers with metal prosthetics strapped to their bodies. This study found that Richards cannulated screws (a type of hardware used in implant surgery) were the only metallic objects to consistently set off the detectors. Some artificial joints did sound the alarm, most notably Austin Moore prostheses, but others—specifically single joint replacements—did not. The results were similar for the implants and metal prosthetics strapped outside the body. Travelers’ mixed experiences with metal detectors at airports are due to a number of factors. The sensitivity of metal detectors is based on a scale of 1 to 15 (1 being the least sensitive, 15 being the most sensitive), and the average airport detector is set at five. Some detectors, particularly in high-risk security areas of the world, are set at seven. Detectors set at 10 will be activated by objects with very low metal content, such as coins and jewelry, and thus would create many false alarms and even longer lines at security checkpoints. Implants with high iron content, such as Austin Moore prostheses, are the most likely to set off the alarms. Newer implants are often made with metals such as titanium and are less likely to set off detectors. These characteristics may also be influenced by outside factors, such as nearby sources of electromagnetic radiation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euler Posted August 29, 2022 at 06:41 PM Share Posted August 29, 2022 at 06:41 PM Metal detectors can also be sophisticated enough to recognize shapes. For example, modern beachcombers can be programmed to alert on coins but ignore everything else or to alert on jewellery only. I doubt that security units are less sophisticated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max503 Posted August 29, 2022 at 07:49 PM Author Share Posted August 29, 2022 at 07:49 PM On 8/29/2022 at 12:23 PM, Bubbacs said: But your OP says you were pulled and surrounded because of the plate? Which is it? Or did they not tell you why and just surrounded you to chat? Good question. I assumed it was because of my plate. This woman said, "sir, please step aside". Then there were a couple gorillas on each side of me. She wanded me and I told them about my plate. Then they let me go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmyers Posted August 30, 2022 at 11:41 AM Share Posted August 30, 2022 at 11:41 AM Could of been your socks. Sounds stupid, but when I went through the detector at the airport, t-shirt, shorts, socks rolled down, and got pulled to the side after the scan. They wanted to know what was in my socks. I said my foot. They didn't like that answer, but it was the truth. I had to take my sock off so they could see nothing was in it. Then I got to go on. I never try to figure out this world class security that we have at airports. 🙄 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubbacs Posted August 30, 2022 at 03:12 PM Share Posted August 30, 2022 at 03:12 PM On 8/30/2022 at 6:41 AM, bmyers said: Could of been your socks. Sounds stupid, but when I went through the detector at the airport, t-shirt, shorts, socks rolled down, and got pulled to the side after the scan. They wanted to know what was in my socks. I said my foot. They didn't like that answer, but it was the truth. I had to take my sock off so they could see nothing was in it. Then I got to go on. I never try to figure out this world class security that we have at airports. 🙄 Have you not smelled some of the socks at the airports? Some could be classified as lethal weapons. Assault Socks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmyers Posted August 30, 2022 at 03:15 PM Share Posted August 30, 2022 at 03:15 PM On 8/30/2022 at 10:12 AM, Bubbacs said: Have you not smelled some of the socks at the airports? Some could be classified as lethal weapons. Assault Socks! No, I haven't smelled the socks, but my assumption is that you are correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talonap Posted August 30, 2022 at 03:45 PM Share Posted August 30, 2022 at 03:45 PM On 8/30/2022 at 10:12 AM, Bubbacs said: Have you not smelled some of the socks at the airports? Some could be classified as lethal weapons. Assault Socks! Can't be ... They only have 10 toes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euler Posted August 30, 2022 at 05:17 PM Share Posted August 30, 2022 at 05:17 PM On 8/30/2022 at 7:41 AM, bmyers said: ... Sounds stupid, but when I went through the detector at the airport, t-shirt, shorts, socks rolled down, and got pulled to the side after the scan. They wanted to know what was in my socks. I said my foot. They didn't like that answer, but it was the truth. I had to take my sock off so they could see nothing was in it. Then I got to go on. ... This is a classic example of why you shouldn't answer questions without a lawyer, although TSA agents aren't cops, even to tell them the truth, which you think won't incriminate you. They think they already know what the truth is. They ask you questions "to see if you'll lie." When you tell the truth, which is different from their preconceptions, they think you're lying. Only criminals lie, therefore you must be a criminal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euler Posted August 30, 2022 at 05:22 PM Share Posted August 30, 2022 at 05:22 PM On 8/30/2022 at 11:45 AM, Talonap said: On 8/30/2022 at 11:12 AM, Bubbacs said: Have you not smelled some of the socks at the airports? Some could be classified as lethal weapons. Assault Socks! Can't be ... They only have 10 toes. Nobody needs more than one. The government just lets you keep 10 as a compromise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey Posted August 30, 2022 at 07:14 PM Share Posted August 30, 2022 at 07:14 PM I only wear black socks. Ironically AR15's are generally black too. Jus' sayin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alco0203 Posted September 12, 2022 at 03:00 PM Share Posted September 12, 2022 at 03:00 PM Quote Are they used in places other than airports? Increasingly, yes. Most courthouses, sporting events, and even schools. I live in Chicago and have seen them in a couple of more concerning places, including Millenium Park (temporarily, after a couple of high profile shooting incidents there) and last year at the entrance to the Christkindle Market at Wrigley Field. Sadly I think they will become more prevalent in public. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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