@silverwizard @mattblaze my guess? We know when merchants had to upgrade to chip readers, they went with the cheapest options. So they definitely didn't get those features then, and I'm sure they're reluctant to spend the money again to upgrade to portable ones.
And since giving your card to the waiter has always been our norm, there's no pressure for restaurants to change. Don't get me wrong, I'd love for it to change, but I don't think most Americans know it doesn't have to be this way