Originally Posted by SATTSO

I'll tell you what I think is happening, though I doubt some of you will like this answer.

Some time ago the "shoe" policy was amended so that shoes could not be in bins, could only be on the belt. For various reasons, this itself was amended to allow shoes on the belt or in a bin, if nothing covered or obstructed the shoes in the bin. But the policy also emphasized the preferred method was to have the shoes on the belt.

When you encounter a TSO who tells you you can have your shoes in a bin, or has you put your shoes in a bin, in my experiences, they do so because they know most passengers prefer that. Believe it or not, they are trying to be helpful.