Will history repeat itself?

On the demise of the puffer, and an illustration of government waste (at all levels of the government).

The Transportation Security Administration began using puffer machines in 2004 inside airports, but it started getting rid of them by 2008.

TSA spent about $29.6 million on its more than 200 machines and $6.2 million on their maintenance, said Sarah R. Horowitz, a TSA spokeswoman.

Horowitz wrote in an email to The Ledger that the machines were prone to frequent maintenance issues.

"Additionally, they were found to be more expensive to maintain than projected," Horowitz wrote. "Maintenance issues occurred because the dirt and humidity that naturally occurs in airport environments hindered the operation of this equipment."

D'ya think we're right to be worried whether the naked scanners will continue to operate properly?