Very Scary Stuff, Big Brotherish via Wall Street Journal:

TSA Approves Scanner That Will Let
Fliers Who Pay Keep Their Shoes On

By LAURA MECKLER
December 13, 2006; Page B1

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. government approved new technology that will automatically scan shoes and boots for bombs, and promises that travelers will soon be spared the trouble of scurrying through security in their socks. But the new machines will be available only to travelers who pay to join a special program, at least at first.

The shoe-scanner approval will give a crucial boost to the Registered Traveler program, which is designed to provide faster airport security screening, via a special security line, to travelers who sign up in advance and undergo a background check. But the program, to be run by private companies under the supervision of the Transportation Security Administration, has languished for years, and currently is operating only in Orlando, Fla.

The shoe scanner is expected to draw customers to the program because not only will it speed up lines. It will also offer another perk -- remaining shod -- to attract customers willing to pay annual fees of about $100.

"We've always said that Registered Traveler has to be more than a front-of-the-line program," says Steven Brill, chief executive of Verified Identity Pass Inc., which operates the Registered Traveler program in Orlando. A handful of other companies also want to offer Registered Traveler programs at airports.

Travelers who join the programs will undergo background checks, and then get biometric cards designed to work at any airport's Registered Traveler kiosks, where iris scans or fingerprints would match the person with his or her ID card. Those kiosks are designed to be used in conjunction with existing carry-on baggage X-ray machines and metal detectors.

The speedy handling of known travelers is designed to free up the TSA to focus on other passengers, who may pose a greater risk. Private companies that take part in the program must be approved by the TSA and compete to win contracts from airports to provide the service. Interoperable technology will allow customers of any given company to use another company's security lines when traveling through various airports.

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