"The idea is good -- but they have to work. That's the
part they always miss at the TSA."
Source: FAA "Red Team" security testing agent
Steve Elson. In the latter part of 2004, the Transportation Safety
Administration unveiled what it called the "trace portal pilot
program" at select major airports across the nation. Quickly dubbed
the "puffer portal," it was designed to detect explosives at
airport checkpoints with, supposedly, amazing accuracy. It hasn't
quite worked out that way. Several of the machines have been
experiencing consistent problems ranging from filter trouble to
just not working at all.