# "Here comes the puff of air": New innovation in airline security

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-comes-the-puff-of-air-new-innovation-in-airline-security/269422>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 15, 2004, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-comes-the-puff-of-air-new-innovation-in-airline-security/269422 "2004-10-15T18:26:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Engywook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bc8723/32.png) [@Engywook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engywook)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-comes-the-puff-of-air-new-innovation-in-airline-security/269422/1 "2004-10-15T18:26:58Z")

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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?

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**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-comes-the-puff-of-air-new-innovation-in-airline-security/269422/2 "2004-10-15T18:28:51Z")

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Yeah they’re checking traces of chemical particles that might tell them you’ve been in contact with certain things.

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**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-comes-the-puff-of-air-new-innovation-in-airline-security/269422/3 "2004-10-15T18:30:35Z")

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> [@World Eater](#):
>
> Yeah they’re checking traces of chemical particles that might tell them you’ve been in contact with certain things.

checking _for_ traces

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-comes-the-puff-of-air-new-innovation-in-airline-security/269422/4 "2004-10-15T18:34:27Z")

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Specifically, it’s looking for traces of explosives. See [here](http://www.ainonline.com/Publications/asian/asian_02/asn_02d1_sentinelpg12.html).