Paying to keep your shoes on --Int'l Herald Tribune

[Demeter]

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/17/news/edshoes.php

Of all the hassles at the airport in this age of heightened security, perhaps the most annoying is the requirement to take off your shoes to send them through the X-ray screener. In America, that burden will be lifted at some airports shortly — for those willing to pay about $100 a year for the privilege.

The Transportation Security Administration has approved a new device that will scan your shoes while you are still wearing them. It uses quadrupole resonance technology, similar to a medical MRI, to determine whether explosives or weapons might be hidden in your shoes. It is the first important new technology to emerge from the for- profit registered traveler programs.

The hitch is that, for now, you have to pay to join a program in which private companies pledge to move you through the security lines a bit faster if you submit to a government background check in advance and supply biometric data — like a thumbprint or iris scan — that can be used to identify you at the airport.

The lead company in the field, founded by Steven Brill, operates the registered traveler lanes in Orlando, Florida, where use of the shoe scanner started Tuesday, and plans to open lanes at four more airports.

The scanner was developed for Brill's company by GE Security, a subsidiary of General Electric. It is part of a kiosk that also includes a device to scan fingertips for traces of chemicals that might indicate recent contact with explosives. That technology could make it possible for travelers to be X-rayed for hidden explosives without first having to take off their coats. Also down the road is a technology to scan laptops without removing them from their cases.

These technology advances could become the major contribution of registered traveler programs, which otherwise simply offer those willing to pay an annual fee a designated fast lane to a set of the airport's standard metal detectors and X-ray scanners. The kiosks cost a hefty $150,000, probably too much for the government to swallow. But GE would surely relish a broad market, and volume production would presumably reduce the price. Someday these technologies may trickle down to us all, and the registered traveler companies will have to keep finding new devices to stay ahead.

[acmavm]

1. Why am I not at all surprised that it's a division of GE that is

offering this service?

This is just outrageous. We are officially a two-class country. The Elite and the Peasantry.

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. Harass people until they pay you to stop

Isn't this policy a crime with an ugly name?

[Demeter]

3. I'd Like Compensation for the Plantar Warts I've Been Suffering

ever since I flew in sandals and bare feet...