I would much rather do this than take my shoes off.

Whatever they say at AMS, I find it isn't too bad. In practise I tend to make little more than a token effort at AMS security to take my things out of my pockets and they usually wave me through or pat me down faster than it would take me to undress and unpack, as is required in some places.

Also they find my standard pat down joke "You know, normally I have to pay for this" a lot more amusing than the guys at SFO did ...