HOU (Hobby):

ID Hell: counter, security, gate
Shoe Hell: You bet. The AA terminal at Hobby is pretty slow, so these people have a lot of time to get sweaty about shoes.
Unlocked Checked Bags: yes. I locked one of mine anyway (a standard issue Samsonite w/ universal key), and upon arrrival found the TSA card left inside.

I lock this bag mainly to provide a little extra security against it flopping open. Every baggage handler & baggage thief in the world (plus every concierge, probably) has the key to these things, so there's certainly no security reason to lock it.

Still, an annoying policy.

lux