Originally Posted by ralfp
So, in the end, you can force people to remove their shoes. The punishment for failure to do so is not flying and the potential of detention by LEOs. The article (from the OP) is wrong.
No one forces you to do anything. You have to weigh your determination to keep your shoes on against your determination to make your flight. If you choose to not cooperate with security, then you don't get to make your flight. But instead of being hauled off to jail, you're merely escorted off the checkpoint. Keep in mind, though, that I'm speaking strictly from a security perspective. From a law enforcement perspective, in
some jurisdictions, refusal to cooperate with airport security officers in resolving an alarm
may be enough to trigger a law enforcement search and/or detention for questioning.