CBS News Poll

For release: Friday December 3, 2010

6:30 PM EST

Body Scanners and Airport Security

November 29 - December 2, 2010

Thanksgiving holiday travel has come and gone, and most Americans continue to support the
use of the full-body scanning machines at airports and think the new security measures are
effective in dealing with terrorism. Four in 10 think the pat-downs are too intrusive and nearly six
in 10 would be uncomfortable receiving one.

Three in four Americans think that full-body digital x-ray machines should be used to screen
passengers at airports; just one in five thinks those machines should not be used. Still, support
for the machines’ use is down five points from three weeks ago, when the machines were being
introduced at U.S. airports.

Should Airports Use Full-Body X-Ray Machines?

Now 3 Weeks Ago
Yes 76% 81%
No 19 15

Passengers who refuse to undergo the full-body screening have been subjected to more
thorough hand searches, or pat-downs, by TSA employees. Most Americans don’t view these
pat-downs as too intrusive; 57% say they are not. Nevertheless, four in 10 think they are too
intrusive; women are more likely to think so than men.

Are Security Pat-Downs Too Intrusive?

All Men Women
Yes 40% 35% 44%
No 57 62 53

Many would feel uneasy undergoing a pat-down themselves. 57% say they would feel
uncomfortable receiving one, including 27% who would feel very uncomfortable. 41% would
feel comfortable. Women are more likely than men to say they would feel uncomfortable.

Feel About Receiving a Pat-Down

All Men Women
Very comfortable 18% 19% 17%
Somewhat comfortable 23 27 20
Somewhat uncomfortable 30 29 31
Very uncomfortable 27 24 31

So far, few say the new security measures have deterred them from traveling. Only 7% of
Americans say they have changed their travel plans or chosen not to fly commercially because
of the new security procedures.
Whether or not people like these measures, most expect they will work. Four in 5 say that the
new security measures put in place at airports will be effective at stopping terrorist attacks on
airplanes; just 15% think they won’t be.

Effectiveness of New Security Measures at Stopping Terrorism

Very effective 36%
Somewhat effective 47
Not too effective 11
Not at all effective 4

Just over half of Americans think everyone should be subject to these new security checks.
31% think only passengers the TSA thinks might represent a greater threat to the airplane’s
safety should be subject to them, and 10% think they should be used only on some passengers
chosen at random.

Opinion is divided about how far the government should go to combat terrorism. 42% of
Americans are more concerned that the government will fail to improve the anti-terrorism
measures at airports, and 43% are more concerned that the government will use anti-terrorism
measures that go too far in invading the average person’s privacy.

__________________________________________________________________________
This poll was conducted among a random sample of 1,067 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone
November 29-December 2, 2010. Phone numbers were dialed from RDD samples of both standard land-
lines and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or
minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher.

This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
CBS NEWS POLL
Airport Security
November 29 – December 2, 2010

q29 Some airports are now using "full-body" digital x-ray machines to electronically
screen passengers in airport security lines. Do you think these new x-ray machines
should or should not be used at airports?

** TOTAL RESPONDENTS **
*** Gender ***
Total Men Women Nov10b
% % % %
Should 76 78 75 81
Should not 19 19 20 15
DK/NA 5 3 5 4

q30-32 BLANK

q33 Under new procedures by the Transportation Security Administration or TSA, if any
passenger refuses to undergo a full-body digital screening, a TSA employee of the same
gender will search that passenger by hand, a procedure often referred to as a pat-down.
The pat down could now include the TSA employee touching some sensitive areas of the
body. Do you think these pat-downs for people who refuse to undergo full-body digital
screenings are too intrusive, or not?

Too intrusive 40 35 44
Not too intrusive 57 62 53
DK/NA 3 3 3

q34 BLANK

q35 How comfortable would you be if you were to receive a pat down by security at an
airport – very comfortable, somewhat comfortable, somewhat uncomfortable or very
uncomfortable?

Very comfortable 18 19 17
Somewhat comfortable 23 27 20
Somewhat uncomfortable 30 29 31
Very uncomfortable 27 24 31
DK/NA 2 1 1

q36 Do you think these heightened security measures should be used on all passengers, on
only some passengers chosen at random, on passengers the TSA thinks might represent a
greater threat to the safety of the airplane, or should these heightened security
measures not be used on anyone?

Everyone 52 49 54
Conducted randomly 10 10 10
Only suspicious passengers 31 34 29
No one 5 5 5
DK/NA 2 2 2
q37 If these new security measures are put in place in most airports, how effective do
you think these security measures will be in stopping future terrorists attacks on
airplanes--very effective, somewhat effective, not too effective, or not effective at
all?

** TOTAL RESPONDENTS **
*** Gender ***
Total Men Women
% % %
Very effective 36 35 37
Somewhat effective 47 48 46
Not too effective 11 9 13
Not effective at all 4 6 2
Don't know/No answer 2 2 2

q38 BLANK

q39 Which concerns you more right now--that the government will fail to improve the anti-
terrorism measures at airports, or that the government will use anti-terrorism measures
that go too far invading the average person's privacy?

Fail to improve anti-terror 42 41 44

Invading privacy 43 46 40
Both (Vol.) 3 3 3
Neither (Vol.) 3 3 2
Don't know/No answer 9 7 11

q40 BLANK

q41 Have you changed any travel plans and chosen not to fly commercially because of these
new airport security measures?

Yes 7 7 7
No 91 91 91
DK/NA 2 2 2

q63 Generally, how often would you say you fly on commercial airplanes -- once a month or
more, a few times a year, once a year, or less often?

Once a month or more 5 7 2

A few times a year 26 28 25
Once a year 20 18 22
Less often 47 45 49
DK/NA 2 2 2

UNWEIGHTED WEIGHTED
Total Respondents 1067

Total Men 491 528

Total Women 576 539