Chuck Schumer is pushing for new ID Scanners at the airport. See press article below. I'm sure one or two ID Scanner vendors will be racing to do a press release about this effort to help their stock price but I think this may be more of a software upgrade versus a hardware deployment.
If done intelligently, this effort could be much easier than many think because the airlines are already scanning the 2D bar codes on your boarding pass when you get on the plane. Plus the passenger lists are already being screened by the airlines for individuals on the no-fly list. So its really just a software upgrade for them to scan the 2D bar codes on drivers licenses.
The process would could work like this. When you arrive at the ticket counter, they scan drivers license and print your boarding pass. They could extend same gate terminals to security check point and scan both again and then if necessary scan both documents at the gate before boarding. And this sort of system makes sense. We need to provide the TSA with better tools. Currently its laughable to see them look at your license with a magnifier glass and Ultra Violet Flash light. Not having an automated tool at TSA is nuts. So the question is not whether they will have ID Scanners at the airport, the issue is how it will be implemented.
Senator pushes for new ID scanner at airport
from http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/erie/Senator-pushes-for-new-ID-scanner-at-airport
Updated: Wednesday, 23 Mar 2011, 5:45 PM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 23 Mar 2011, 5:45 PM EDT
CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) - A new machine to scan passenger ID's may be tested at the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport.
Senator Chuck Schumer is calling on the federal government to use the Buffalo airport as a test site for this technology. Schumer believes these machines would have prevented the recent TSA drug scandal. The government has already chosen JFK as the large airport test site, now they are looking for a medium-size airport site.
The machines Schumer is pushing to test at the airport can electronically scan passenger identifications to weed out fake ID's and detect aliases.
