I'd like to start this thread which would serve as a database for travellers on the flooring conditions at TSA checkpoints.

As most of us have experienced, The TSA has instituted a policy of "strongly requesting" that its customers remove footwear before walking through Airport Magnometers (a.k.a. "Metal Detectors")

http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=1&content=583

(Since only TSA is persuing this policy, it would seem that these would only be checkpoints inside the USA, but feel free to add any airport that you feel qualifies.)

I've started this since there appears to be no standards for cleanliness or for median surface temperature or for material(s) in use on the path that TSA customers are expected to walk in either bare- or stocking/sock-feet.

Please list the Airport, the terminal or checkpoint location, and the airline(s) whose passengers will likely use this checkpoint. Any additional comments are welcome and encouraged.

As an example: LAX Terminal 6 (serving UA and CO and some of DL) has hard cold stone/masonry floors, no carpets or mats along the path through the metal detector, but there are small rugs at the "Secondary Chairs". The flooring is kept cool by the understandably-cold air conditioning one experiences in Southern California, and this certainly sent a real chill up my spine. Flooring is an off-white color, so there is no ability to determine if it is clean. While I did not suffer any after effects such as influenza, I would avoid this checkpoint on a rainy day. One can reach these same gates by using the TSA checkpoints at Terminal 7 or 8 (8 is sometimes known as "7B")

Airport XYZ has a stone tile type surface, slightly angled at 5% downgrade, median temperature of 62F, 1.25mm of dust particulates randomly covering 62.749% of the surface area, tiles are 13x13 and have 1/4 grout. 8-)

Hmmm.... This could be an interesting collection of information, but I�m not sure what the purpose would be. If TSA continues with this unintelligent tact of shoe X-Ray, I personally would prefer all airports to use hard cold tiled floor covering, the colder the better. To highlight my reason, realize there are varying degrees of personal hygiene through out the world. There are also many people in this world that do not wear stocking or other secondary foot coverings. So now all these people are asked to remove their shoes and walk barefoot and/or stocking foot across the same small section of flooring. Imagine what sanitation level is on the floor at a terminal that is primarily concentrating on international flights, let�s say at the LAX International Terminal.

Fortunately there are hard cool tiled floors at most airport screening locations. I can�t begin to imagine what sort of infection incubation and breeding would be going on in warm textured area such as carpeted flooring. Also with hard cold tiled flooring you can easily see when a passenger is leaving tracks of body fluids on the floor. Hopefully when this happens TSA gets the lane closed and the floor cleaned before too many passengers have stepped through this. Yes there have been instances where passengers have had bleeding infection on their feet.

Thankfully the flooring is a bit on the chilly side but it should be colder. Viruses and bacteria don�t survive well in a cold environment. Until TSA wakes up from this folly shoe inspection, I say keep the floor tiles chilled. Hhhmmm I wonder if the CDC knows what�s going on at the US airports?

So strange that you'd post on Halloween, LAX Screener.

It did get all spooky all of a sudden didn't it? LOL

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Don't take life too seriously, afterall, you won't get out alive.

I am wondering, if I did get influenza or pneumonia due to walking in my socks on cold flooring, can I sue Jimmy Loy or Tommy Ridge personally?

Unless many people contacted the illness at the same checkpoint, it would be too difficult to prove.

Otherwise, I'd love to see either Loy or Ridge having to pay damages to every traveler upon which this harassment has been inflicted.

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"Give me Liberty or give me Death." - Patrick Henry

It would be interesting to bring some swabs and petri dishes to take samples of the funk inhabiting the floor under the magnetometer.

This would be a perfect segment for someone like John Stossel.

"I am wondering, if I did get influenza or pneumonia due to walking in my socks on cold flooring, can I sue Jimmy Loy or Tommy Ridge personally? "

That would be another interesting case in the courts.

Even if they suggest that you take off your shoes, is TSA still responisble if you do and do get sick, since techinally you were given a choice?

Did the screener really suggest you take off the shoe, or did they demand you take off priory to going through the walk thru?

Is telling passengers, in the news and at checkpoints, that they will be screened if said shoes aren't taking off, really giving them a choice?

Question 1: My view, no TSA isn't responisble. You had a clear cut choice and decided to avoid a hassle and go through shoeless.

Question 2: My view, TSA is responisble if the screener demanded you take off the shoes.

Question 3: My view, again is no, TSA isn't responisble. Again you were given a choice, even if it wasn't with a outcome you liked.

Aren't there times when de-shoeing is mandatory though? (e.g. when the terror alert level goes up)

In that case, with the choice taken away from those being screened, TSA would be obligated to provide a sanitary environment for bare feet.

Here's some illnesses that I can think of that can be transmitted to and/or from bare feet:
fungi/athlete's foot
plantars warts
parasites
infectious bacteria
empetigo
poison ivy/oak/sumac

Having paper/plastic socks or booties available would probably suffice to shift the liability back to the people being screened.

All this is a testament to the absurdity, by the way.

Nope, shoe removal has never been mandatory. For the longest time, airports just did there own policies as far as shoes. Finally TSA issued a strict policy on it.

And when a threat level changes, the policies don't generally change.

Of course a lot more would go into a lawsuit about feet. You'd have to prove you got it from that airport, which means testing of the airport floors.

You'd also have to state exaclty what the TSA agent said to you. Did they demand it or suggest it. Many people say we demand shoe's off, but when asked, they usually state "that we suggested it, what's the difference?" (I'm not a lawyer and don't know if that would hold any water btw)

Can TSA that the floors are cleaned on a daily basis? My airport can, because it doesnt operate on 24 hour basis. Also the floor gets cleaned when items are spilled or people with powder on their feet take off their shoes.



[This message has been edited by screenerx (edited 11-03-2003).]

I am more worried about touching all of the bins (I wear gloves of course) that contained everybody's personal items. Some people have some pretty nasty stuff in their bags. We wonder why in the world you'd pack your dirty underwear ( and I mean DIRTY!!!) and then worry if the floor is clean. I know that we don't demand shoes come off. If a lady has boots or shoes with heels we try to let her know that they will probably alarm and taking them off could prevent further screening. Most thank us for letting them know. Everyone else seems to already know if their shoes alarm or just wear tennis shoes. We are screened each time we leave the checkpoint too, so as screeners we want shoes that don't alarm or we have to go sock footed as well. Some of us are just trying to help the not so frequent flyer know about what sets things off. I, for one, am not here to inflict torture (except on that 6th day straight, then I consider it.....)

On paper, shoe removal may be optional.

In practice, if I don't take off my shoes at SFO, I will be escorted to secondary, where I will have to take off my shoes.

Are those rubber mats any cleaner than the carpet floor?

I certainly wasn't going to find out.

After refusing to remove my shoes in SFO a few weeks ago (and I DID NOT beep), I was sent to the secondary screening area. When I took off my shoes to have them checked, the screener asked me to stand on the mat with my feet in the footprints. I told him that I would not do that until my shoes were returned. He said that it would delay me a little more, but that he would do that if I so desired.

This whole shoe thing is ridiculous.