38. A Bad Idea
On its face, the basic idea behind X-Ray Shoe Fitters was brilliant. The drawback was that nobody paid attention to the dangers inherent in using unshielded X-rays around people. Especially when done frequently. Even more especially when blasted directly up at the customers’ genitals, which were located directly above the device as they stood over it while the machine X-rayed their feet.
Back then, people were either ignorant of the risks of radiation exposure, or did not take them seriously. The X-Ray Shoe Fitter devices were supposed to be shielded, but the shield was usually removed to improve the image quality or to make the device lighter. As a result, a significant amount of radiation was scattered in all directions, bathing the bodies of the customers and shoe salespeople in harmful X-rays. Unsurprisingly, there were severe downsides and side effects.