LAT: Airport Shoe Checks Fluster Many Fliers

[question everything]

From the Los Angeles Times

Airport Shoe Checks Fluster Many Fliers
By James Gilden
Special to The Times

April 8, 2006

There is little that annoys frequent fliers more than the Transportation Security Administration's ambiguous shoe policy at airport security checkpoints.

Although the removal of shoes is supposed to be voluntary, passengers who fail to do so can find themselves subjected to secondary screening, which can include a full body pat-down. The agency's shoe policy is the most common complaint on mytravelrights.com, the website of the Consumer Travel Rights Center.

Last month at Los Angeles International Airport, I was forced to undergo a secondary screening after refusing to voluntarily remove my tennis shoes. Later, I wanted to find out how this policy was created in the first place. I ran into roadblocks at nearly every turn. Many believe that it was the Richard Reid episode in December 2001 that triggered the increased scrutiny of shoes

(snip)

The FBI is not aware of any attempted shoe bomb attacks on planes other than Reid's, Carl said. I asked the Transportation Security Administration for some documents regarding the implementation and details of its shoe inspection policy, but I was denied access to them because of security reasons. But the agency agreed to talk to me. I asked whether its shoe policy was linked directly to the Reid case.

(snip)

Restovich said he was unaware of any incident in which his agency had found explosives in the sole of a shoe nor of any attempt in the U.S. to smuggle a shoe bomb onboard an aircraft.

(snip)

Last month, NBC reported on a classified Government Accountability Office report that federal investigators were able to carry materials needed to make a homemade bomb through security screening at 21 airports. The Transportation Security Administration won't comment on the report... So is the agency looking for the needle when it should be trying to find the haystack?

(snip)

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-biztravel8apr08,1,1056752.story?coll=la-headlines-business

[TahitiNut]

1. One word: Birkenstocks

:evilgrin:

[CountAllVotes]

6. actually Birkenstocks can be a very bad idea

I have a few pair of them and they have removable insoles. It was a nightmare going through customs with them on!

But I agree, Birkenstocks are the best!

:kick:

[TahitiNut]

7. I flip the insoles out quite easily every time I go through.

No problem at all. :shrug:

[madaboutharry]

2. Flip-flops work well too.

Unless of course, its snowing.

[AnnieBW]

3. They Make You Take Them Off, Too

They'll make you take sandals off, too. One time I saw the TSA guys make a cute young thing take off her flip-flop type sandals that were about 1/4" thick, if that. I usually wear clogs or slip-ons when I fly, simply because of that.

[Clark2008]

4. Just flew in from Mexico yesterday and they didn't make

me take off my flip-flops.

In fact, they said I was the only one in line who didn't have to since that's all I was wearing on my feet.

They did take my husband's fucking $18 lighter, though. :grr:

[napi21]

5. Those guys always come up with (in my opinion) silly rules.

Remember the "Did you pack your own bags, and have they been in only your possession?" BS? I damn near got arrested at the ticket counter one time when after I answered yes to packing and Yes that I've had possession of my bags. This had been going on for several years, and I was flying a lot then. I smiled at the agent, and said don't you ever get tired of asking that? After all, if someone was really going to be packing something, do you really think they'd tell you? YEEEOOOWWW, the guy freaked me out by how upset he got! I appologized, and just said the whole thing seemed silly to me, and I did get by boarding pass, but geesh!

I really do think someone believed they were doing the right thing, and I'm positive the shoe thing is because of the Reid incident, but until some logical people get put into positions of authority, I'm afraid we're all going to have to deal with the silliness.

[Union Thug]

8. I once enjoyed travelling..

Now I hate it. I'm as concerned about safety as anyone, but I feel as though our paranoia is going way too far and for me, this means that I won't vacation outside of my state - not out of fear, but out of my contempt for and frustration with the blossoming police-state.

Dammit - I have travel to the east coast next week for my job... Blah....