Originally Posted by Superguy
I'm taking a few trips in the next two months and they involve what seem to be infamous shoe carnival airports: IAD and SFO, and HNL later this summer.
I've been following the shoe carnival airport thread a bit and I'm curious as to how most of you experienced folks handle the mandatory carnival ... ie ones that DEMAND you take off your shoes. SFO was notoriously bad on my last trip. Haven't flown thru IAD in a couple years.
Do you typically just ignore the screener and walk thru with your shoes on, politely refuse, or make a scene? Also, what's the best way to deal with a secondary?
I'm guessing a secondary doesn't mean getting your bag dumped, rather just a wanding and grope, correct? How long are you delayed? And do you always ask for a complaint form?
BWI was inconsistent at best ... they didn't say anything when I walked thru last time (didn't even ask actually), but my cohorts at work were saying that they were running the carnival just a couple weeks ago.
Also, are shoe carnivals common in airports abroad? I thought I remembered some saying that FRA did it for flights going to the US. Any tips there? Currently, I figure I'll just comply there as I don't want trouble when I'm not on native soil.
I've already checked my sneakers at the WTMD at work and they didn't set them off. I'm hoping that helps.
Any tips are appreciated. I'd like to get thru without taking my shoes off.
Super
Nine times out of 10, you'll get the retaliatory groping should you not remove your shoes when they ask. Especially in DEN and SEA.
The wanding and grope will take about three minutes.
I usually ask for a complaint form even when I do remove my shoes. DEN has had so many complaints about various things (though someone will tell me that's an opinion), they have gone to a small card that directs people to the TSA e-mail address instead of the local FSD. Some other airports have done that as well. SEA is not one of them, you still mail it to SEA.
Shoe carnivals are not common abroad. MUC is the only European airport where I had to remove my shoes. I see a few people mention FRA as a carnival, but I have never had to remove my shoes there (and I've been there several times in the past 12 months). CDG, Richard Reid's departing airport, has never required shoe removal in my 10 trips to Paris post-Reid.
ORD, BOS, LAX and JFK are some of the larger airports that do not have shoe carnivals.