Originally Posted by bbeeman
Bart's procedure makes sense...however on a recent pass through SJC's Terminal A they insisted that shoes go on top of the jacket in the bin. And this was a day with pouring rain, so shoes were soaked.
You know, I suspect that many of the procedures that so irritate us would be more or less acceptable if applied with consistency and a little thought, instead of the erratic zoo that is all too often the reality that the traveler faces.
It's unfortunate that you had to experience this. It frustrates me that there are still screeners who don't fully understand the SOP. Shoes can either be placed directly on the x-ray conveyor belt or inside of a bin. If placed inside of a bin, they may be placed inside first with items such as coats, sweaters and jackets placed on top of them provided there's nothing metallic or electronic inside of the shoes or inside of the pockets of the clothing items. We want to get a clear view of the shoes. It makes no difference to us whether the shoes are placed on top of clothes, but from a practical standpoint, especially on a rainy or muddy day, the shoes should be placed in such a manner that they don't soil or stain the rest of your personal property.
The reason for nothing being inside of the shoes is simply because we want to make sure that the only things inside of the shoes are the shanks, nails and other unsuspicious items normally found inside of a shoe. When you fill your shoes with coins, keys and a wireless phone, it becomes difficult to clear the shoes through x-ray.