You Can Buy a Lot of Pennies for 1.4 Million Bucks

TSA Spent $1.4 Million On App Which Randomly Chooses Right Or Left

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) spent a little over $1.4 million on an app that randomly shows a right or left arrow.

The “randomizer” app itself cost $336,000, the rest of the funds most likely went towards iPads themselves, Rare reports. There were four bids total for the project and IBM won the project.

Hint, heads = left, tails = right. Or vice versa, or switch days.

The app’s purpose is to eliminate potential bias when a TSA agent tells passengers which line to go to. Currently on the iTunes app store, there are multiple free coin flip apps which perform the same process as the TSA’s “randomizer.”

But if you only gave the TSA guys (and gals) coins to flip, they wouldn't need the iPads to run the app either! Even if they lost one penny a day, it would take them a long time to need $1.4 million.

But then, where would the opportunity for graft come in?