When I went through the San Diego airport yesterday, I was confronted with a completely new obstacle in the security process.
It’s a booth you walk into. While you’re standing in the center of the booth, a very polite voice says “Delivering air puff.” And as promised, a puff of warmish air blows all around. Felt a bit like being sneezed on, without getting sprayed.
Didn’t think it was best to ask the airline security people about it - seems that it doesn’t do to be too curious about their business in this brave new world. So what is this puffer machine doing? Is it helping some chemical sensor “smell” drugs or explosives on me? Is the idea to flutter my clothes so anything concealed would be revealed, like getting frisked by a pocket of air? Are they trying to see if I’m jumpy about something by checking my startle reflex?
If none of those, then what?
And what other airports have these?