I just went through IAH Term B security and the shoe carnival is in full effect. Recommended that I take my shoes off, I say that they are less than an inch and offer him my plastic ruler if he wants to check. He starts to say that they are looking for things other than metal when he realizes that I just gave him the other part of the equation.

I clear the WTMD without alarming and he puts me in the holding pen and calls for a supervisor. When I asked him if it was for my shoes, he would not respond (which is interesting given the new SOP in which you have to know if the reason is for shoes and no WTMD alarm, then you only ETD).

The supervisor eventually makes it over. I am taken over to secondary and they only swab my shoes (so the new SOP is in effect here). I explain to the supervisor about the shoes issue and my offer for measuring. He says that it is up to the screener to make the decision and I understand that, but believe that additional training is needed as SOP is not being followed (which does delay my transist through security). He said that if it was his decision, he would have let me through. I told him that IAH has too much of a focus on shoes and should follow the SOP.

I ask him for a complaint form and he provides me the form with the telephone number on it. I hand him the TSA complaint form that SDF Traveler sent me and ask him about that. He says that form is the one that he is required to fill out and send in.

He asks me a couple of times if I am with the TSA and I ask him if that would really matter. He does give the right answer that it would not. We shake hands and depart.

So at least the new SOP is being followed, but I shouldn't have had the opportunity to check it out.