Airport-Style Body Scanners Coming to L.A.'s Rail System

"Los Angeles County’s rail system will be the first in the United States to deploy body scanners that can detect suicide vests and other improvised explosives," reports Laura Nelson.

"Later this year, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will deploy several portable scanners that can be moved to any of the system’s 93 subway and light-rail stations," adds Nelson. "The devices will be used in response to terrorism threats, or to scan large crowds at a station near a protest or a sporting event, officials said."

Nelson also explains the advancement in scanner technology that made the Thruvision scanner product, at the cost of $100,000, viable for Metro's budget.

Metro security chief Alex Wiggins is quoted in the article saying that transit riders must pass through security to access the system at locations where the scanners will be deployed.