BOS - "New Procedure" - Shoes On Belt
 

Boston is leading the way again in TSA uselessness.

Today during my water bottle seizure tour. The TSO announced that all shoes had to be placed on the belt.

The following questions come to mind:

1. If the bins impact the ability of Cray machine for screening then how can any article be allowed in a bin?

2. If it doesn't, then why create another item handling delay?

3. What about the secondary shoes that are inside other containers? Are they deem non-threating because of location?

4. Can I opt-out of shoe xray and request my shoes be subject to an alternative inspection like film?

5. When the belt operator crushes, scuffs, or damages my foot ware with other items on the belt is there a process for compensation?

Shoes on belt isn't new. They've been doing this the last few years at least they have when I've flown.

Just ignore it. I only had one episode with them trying to remove my shoes from a bin (they were athletic shoes with long laces): I asked if they were willing to risk damaging my shoes & getting them stuck in the machine (this was JFK) - the screener decided it wasn't worth arguing.

This has been around for 4-5 years and I understand it was generated by pax suggestions to reduce belt time because most pax don't want to mingle outer garments and shoes. Shoes take fewer square inches than a bin, multiply that by x thousand pax per day on a belt moving at a given speed and that means less time at the checkpoint.

That said, I've seen people ask if it's OK to put their shoes in a bin and never heard an objection from TSA. If that happens with 5 out of 2,500 people, it may add 1/10 second to the delay and that's a so what.

Not sure what the beef is.

I have been through checkpoints that have done both, require shoes be placed on the belt or basically don’t care where the shoes are.

For me I could care less, if they want the shoes on the belt, so be it, there are far more problems with TSA abuses of our constitutional rights than shoes on the belt or in a bin to worry about.

My personal preference is all shoes on the belt, I don’t like the idea of putting my jacket in a bin that probably had someone’s dirty shoes in it before, who knows what they stepped in before they put their shoes in the bin. This, and to prevent any sticky fingered screeners from stealing any of my personal possessions, especially my wallet is the reason everything I place in my carry on and is locked up, even my jacket if it fits in.

Mr. Elliott

I prefer belt as well. Winter is approaching here in BOS and I've been told it's to keep the bins cleaner. Slush, sand, and salt being to gather in the tubs. I suppose it's easier to clean the table and belt than the bins.

Yeah, it's pretty much up to the individual TSA worker running the belt. Some do, some don't - it's their little power trip.

I'm in the habit of asking beforehand. Saves being yelled at :rolleyes: .

I'm having hard time with your statement. Do you really expect us to believe that you actually consumed an entire KFC Double Down sandwich?

Otherwise: +1

:rolleyes:

Once again, baseless criticism of a poster. I didn't read anything in his signature about having actually kept it down.

Mike

The last, perhaps only, two screeners I have thanked was because they were insisting travellers put shoes on the belt. In the bin is just ickey.

I believe the comment was made tongue in cheek. I take no offense. The sig was done with full knowledge that people will have fun with it. And yes, I did retain the Double Down for a period of time. :)

To add to the original post, this is more TSA inefficiency and poor employee management running under the guise of unpredictability. Yelling at people to put shoes on the belt is simple harassment and power tripping.

:rolleyes:

First: My post was a question not a statement. :rolleyes:
Second: Asking if Eaten = Consumed is not assuming it was kept down in fact I was asking just the opposite. :rolleyes:
Third: With your logic I'm suspecting your a TSA employee. Is my assumption correct? :rolleyes:

^ Correct.

When i first heard over a year ago that shoes were not supposed to be put in bins i stopped doing it. Now that i have started to opt-out of the NOS I'm thankful i followed that guideline. I get to hear the TSO's grumble about me having too much stuff and they need to ask for assistance in gather my belongings.

Its not my fault i need to put out two bins. One for my large laptop and one for my liquids and coat, belt etc. That's in addition to my shoes, carry-on and personal item. I'm just following their silly rules