Originally Posted by
ESpen36
Another suggestion: you can save time if you take out ANYTHING substantial electronics from your bag and x-ray separately. At LHR today I was in line with about five other American guys who had to wait for our bags to be rescreened. Why? It turns out that we ALL had iPads, every single one of us. And we all assumed that we could leave them in our bags like we do at TSA checkpoints. But the BAA security agent said "no, you must remove anything with dense electronics that is sort of like a laptop."
Also: always remove belt unless you are 100% positive that it has zero metal. In my experience, the WTMDs are calibrated to be much more sensitive in the EU than the Stateside units at TSA checkpoints. I can go through TSA with my belt (small metal buckle), but the same belt set off WTMDs at FRA and MAD, resulting in thorough pat-downs, until I decided to start taking it off.
Finally, even though shoe removal is not required (for normal-heel shoes) at most EU airports, I still recommend taking them off, as many shoes have metal parts inside that you don't realize until you walk through the WTMD and set it off.
I have never done any of the things you suggest, and frankly it is very annoying in the peak summer travel season to have so many people remove their shoes when it is not necessary, and they are being told not to remove them by the screeners.
LHR T5 was a mess last week when I was there. I was in line behind a group of American students and their chaperone ordered them all to remove their shoes, when the screener told them NOT to do so. I see Americans do this all the time in LHR, FRA and MUC and frankly it holds up the line to do so.
At MUC and TXL I have seen them just use the HHMD around the belt area when the WTMD beeps, ask the passenger to open (but not remove) the belt, and then they rescan with the HHMD.