Originally Posted by sxpsxpsxp
I had an oddly not-too-unpleasant experience departing a CO flight over the Labor Day weekend. The screening area was very quiet with few people around. The guy suggested that I remove my shoes, and I told them that I didn't want doing that. I did not set off the metal detectory. He of course called for "male assist" and when the the other guy came over he asked what the matter was -- "shoes" was the answer. The guy doing the screening asked me why I didn't want to take my shoes off, and I just said that I didn't feel comfortable doing it. So all he did was swab my shoes -- I didn't have to take them off. I still got the full treatment otherwise, but at least I kept my shoes on.
The screenes were even more or less polite about the whole thing.
If they "recommend" that my shoes come off, I always just say "I'll take the secondary, thanks" and that ends the issue. I get the swab and complimentary grope and back rub, but they don't hassle me about it. In fact, they are nicer about it in the last 6 months than they have been in the past.
The one time I have gotten tense with them (I was late for the flight, the line was really long and didnt have time to risk being bogged down in the secondary) when I DID take my shoes off, the screener on the far side of the X-ray machine where you reclaim your irradiated belongings was YELLING at people to hurry up, move on, we were holding up the line. (This was at EWR "A"). I snapped back at him "Well if we weren't forced to disrobe to get to our flight, you wouldn;t have this problem, would you?"
His response was "Is there a PROBLEM, sir?"
My response was "Yeah, and it's a dman shame that you don't have any clue what it is."
I got a "right on" and some light applause from the people around me. I left whistling the "Barnum and Bailey" theme song in honor of the Shoe Carnival.
--Paul