Originally Posted by
Collierkr
Unless you sleep in your shoes, you should have expected to take them off and comply. Now, given your medical condition you could have requested a private screening room, then explained your situation, and either complied or maybe they would have been a bit more helpful. Either way, your rights were not impeded as best I can tell. I am sorry about your medical condition, however safety should not be trumped by these.
The OP has a valid point. I often travel wearing leg braces due to a medical condition that makes it difficult for me to lift the front of my foot high enough to keep from tripping while walking. The braces cannot be worn without shoes - the shoes provide stability for the braces and they will not stay on my legs without shoes. Removing my shoes while I am wearing the braces requires me to remove the braces which strap on near my upper calves and is tedious and difficult.. While my condition is rare, the use of this type of brace isn't. I don't sleep in my shoes, but taking them off and putting them back on at a TSA checkpoint is a time consuming hassle.