The shoe carnival — that degrading one-legged dance we do for the entertainment of TSA screeners across the country all because one guy tried (and failed) to light his shoe on fire some six years ago — has survived the introduction of the ShoeScanner in Orlando’s airport. Home of some of the worst TSA lines, Orlando Airport is piloting this new technology that is supposed to detect explosives in shoes. However, it doesn’t seem to have worked quite as advertised. According to a USAToday story, “Of 50 travelers who used the ShoeScanner in a one-hour period this morning in Orlando, 28 had to remove their shoes.”

Sounds like the ShoeScanner is going to take its place along side the GE “Puffer” machine as another waste of TSA budget. Prior to the August ’06 “no liquids” ban, airports such as Tampa and San Francisco used the “Puffer” as an alternative to the shoe carnival. You’d walk into the compartment, jets of air would be blown at you, you’d wait 5-10 seconds while the machine analyzed the air for traces of explosives, and then the compartment door would open and let you walk through the metal detector with your shoes on. It was great — and fun too. However, with the “all shoes off” order that accompanied the “no liquids” ban still in effect, the SFO “Puffer” sits unused (but still plugged in), an obstacle to route around while in the TSA line, and a reminder of the amazing amount of tax money the TSA has wasted since its inception.