The New York Times reports that four multi-million dollar experiments to mechanize the much-despised and time-sucking process of removing shoes at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints have not been deemed aceptable.
“The Transportation Security Administration said it had rejected all four devices because they failed to adequately detect explosives and metal weapons during tests at various airports. One of the scanners is now used in airports in 18 countries,” NYT said.
There is still some hope a keep-‘em-on scanner can be developed. A French company has a $1.4 million contract to develop a new piece of equipment and it expects to test it later this year.