A Question About Patdowns and Shoes
 

Last year at MIA, I experienced my first and only patdown. After going through the WTMD without alarming, the moat dragon directed me into the plexiglass booth. I immediately asked him to state the “probable cause.” He said, “there’s no probable cause – you’ve just been randomly selected.” I replied, “fine, but I’d like a private screening.” When he yelled for two female smurfs to come over, I quickly emerged from the penalty box and went to the collection area of the conveyor belt where my husband was waiting. He tossed me my shoes and I put them back on moments before the lady smurfs arrived. After following them into a small room about forty feet away, I told the one who’d do the screening to change her gloves, which she did. The patdown was a joke – she just did my arms, legs and back. It was very brief and she said nothing about my shoes. As I left the room, I said, “that was a big waste of time…yours and mine!”
I know that sooner or later I’ll be faced with the NoS, so I plan to opt out and endure what will likely be a much more invasive patdown. I’ll deal with the grope as best I can, but I refuse to surrender my shoes! It’s bad enough that we’re required to parade shoeless through the WTMD, but I will NOT be marched around the checkpoint in my bare feet. The floors are filthy, and there’s no reason to go without my shoes once they’ve been through the x-ray. In addition, the thought of standing there barefoot while being squeezed and groped totally creeps me out. Maybe it’s just me, but it would definitely increase my feeling of vulnerability and make the whole experience even more disgusting, humiliating and demeaning. Has anyone had any experience retrieving their shoes prior to a patdown? I’ve read several opt-out stories in which the passengers are told, “don’t touch your stuff!” Assuming that’s true, what might happen when I ignore those instructions?
P.S. Please don’t tell me to wear socks! They don’t improve the situation very much, and I don’t like being told what I should and should not wear when I travel.

Simple solution: just tell them you cannot remove your shoes for medical reasons. They can't ask what those reasons are. You'll skip the NoS and probably the grope as well.

You won't skip the patdown. Been there, done that, can't (or under doctors orders not to) take my shoes off either.

That being said, that puts me in the "Automatic Feel-Up" pool... so if I'm getting wet, I'm going swimming.

When I get to the checkpoint....

- Leave my shoes on
- Leave my hat on
- Leave my pockets full of whatever
- Leave my laptop in its case
- Leave my belt on

They can then full service me - Sit me down while I take my shoes off, they scan/ETD them and give them back to me to put on BEFORE I stand back up for the pat-down.

They want my belt? Fine. They can have it, and stand there and wait while I slowly and carefully take it off.

They want to run my laptop? They can wait for me, while I slowly unpack it from its case, and put it into a bin for them to carry over and run through the machine, while I stand/sit and watch it, and then bring it back to me.

They want the stuff out of my pockets? Fine. They can bring me a doggie water bowl, and wait while I painstakingly make sure my pockets are completely empty. I always, somehow, manage to have to call them back too after they leave because I "found" another crumpled up receipt in the back pocket of my slacks. They can then wait while I watch them run it, and return with it.

FULL SERVICE.

Once I have to start opting-out, I'll be keeping my shoes on. I totally agree about not walking on the airports floor without shoes. Although I do it now, it's totally disgusting!:td:

Exactly. Once you reach that point, it's game over for their reindeer games.

DUB frequently and visibly disinfects the floor at the screening area. Your airports should too.

As to shoe non-removal, do not state "I have a medical condition" as you open Pandora's box where you can be asked about the condition but rather state the reason and be done with it as you cannot be asked anything else at that point.

If you are like me and have orthopedic shoes, simply state "I'm wearing orthopedic shoes" and let it play out. More often than not, the TSO will handle the situation correctly ^ but if not, simply tell the TSO that their own SOP numerous federal regulations forbid them from asking and then say no more.

Or you could always say one very simple word.....Diabetes ;)