Please allow this moment of venting so that I may board my WN (yes, I said WN) flight with some semblance of normalcy....

If you're familiar with the setup at PHX, you have to go landside to change terminals, and for me, I had to go AA - T2 to WN - T3 to fly to SNA. Found a short line, and I think, "cool". For context, I went through the D-gate security checkpoint 3 times... I'll explain all like this:

>FIRST time:
I'm rushing to get to an earlier flight to see if I can sneak on (of course I can't, but wanted to see if I got lucky). Anyways, I dutifully take out my laptop. TSA is annoucing "We recommend you take off your shoes..." I ask real quick if I had to take mine off, and the answer is "yes." Not wanting to waste time, I did it, went through, and found out I can't board the earlier flight even though it's 2/3 full (yes, I know WN's rules re: standby... and still think they stink).

>SECOND time:
Now, with 2 1/2 hours to kill, I'm hungry, and I'm craving something from the Great Steak Co., which is in the A gates. To get there, I either a) leave security and go though again at the A checkpoint, distance = 150 feet, or b) stay airside and walk (with moving walks) about 1/2 all the way around the "U". I choose a).

I reach the A checkpoint, and there's a mass of people there, so I head back to D (still no line) to walk airside (I could use the exercise). This time, same answer, "we recommend you take off..." I say, "But these shoes are ok at other airports, and ask, "Do I have to?" and the answer is "No..." So I walk through, and literally halfway through the scanner the TSA lady says, "... but you'll be subject to SSSS." I back out, and being really hungry now, no arguments from me... shoes come off, and off I go.

>THIRD time:
I'm now full, and not really wanting to make that walk again. So I leave the A area, and walk the short distance to D checkpoint (again, no line). Again, the annoucement. THIS time, I just walk to the scanner... the TSA lady (different ones each time) challenges me:

TSA lady: "Sir you have to take off your shoes."
Me: "But these aren't profile."
TSA lady: They're profile to ME...
Me: Why? The thickness is fine...
TSA lady: Sir, if you don't take off your shoes you will be subject to additional search.
Me: Ok, so secondary me.
TSA lady: You do understand that it will take a LONG time??
Me: I have the time (I do... lots more time until boarding, no other standing issues and I'm bored).
TSA lady: Ok sir, thank you for your understanding. MALE ASSISTANCE!!!

So I step over, and she flags down a male TSA agent: "Do you have time to screen him?" To which he rolls his eyes and says, "Yes, fine..." I step over to the area (shoes still on feet), and he swabs my shoes. The machine does it's thing, and he comes back, "Thank you sir." A little surprised, I ask "I'm good to go?" "Yes."

Where was my pat down? Where was my wanding? Where were the questions about what I packed and what my doohickey does? (I want compensation! )

I found the results of my experiment very interesting. Seriously, wasn't I supposed to go through a thorough rummaging? Or has PHX TSA figured out how to do it (more) correctly?

I thank you for your time.

For several months now, if you don't alarm the WTMD and are pulled aside for shoes only, then it's just a swab and you're on your way. No full monty without an alarm.

Bruce

As an FYI

In PHX

AA is in Terminal 3
WN is in Terminal 4

UA is in Terminal 2

There is no Terminal 1

I have not taken my shoes off in Terminal 2 or Terminal 4 in Months, had no problems anywhere.

Forgot to wear my plastic flip-flops (it being Denver in the winter), am told "take of your shoes please." I ask "do I have to, these aren't profile," TSA lady says "yes they are. they could have a steel shank." (not probable, but...) I say with a sigh, "I thought Denver wasn't doing ALL the shoes anymore." TSA says "Here in Denver, we will check shoes FOREVER." (her emphasis) (I shut up, because I don't want to be punished and the SS area already looks a little crowded.)

That attitude at Denver shows just what a sorry-assed piece of human garbage Patrick Alhstrom, the FSD at DEN is.

You can call this little punk at: 303-317-9036

Denver is one of the nastiest airports when it comes to pointing out SOP to them. They HATE it. Automatic secondary, no questions asked.

It's a nice airport and city, but it's too bad we have some of the most vindictive, ego-swelled TSA staff in the country.

Disconnected.

Damnit.

I'll keep looking. This piece of trash can't hide forever.

Nice.

TSA management's unwillingness to listen to passenger sentiment is NOT nice, even if it is telling.

In PHX, security check point:

My SO is going through the line right before me with his boarding pass.

TSA Lady (term Lady is used rather loosely on this one): "What does "Gold" mean on your pass?
SO: That I fly a lot
TSA: Oh, I had no idea, I always see these people with Silver, Gold, or something else on their boarding passes, and I always wondered what it means.
SO: <looks back at me, almost laughing outloud at this point> Are you new to TSA?
TSA:No, Ive been doing this for almost a year now.
TSA:<now looking at my pass> wow, there are a lot of you, but yours says "Platinum", what does that mean?
ME: ummm, same as the one you just saw

Do I need to comment?

1/26 MDW. Had an extra hour to spare, decided to play with the TSA with info from FT.

A nice redhead was manning oops peopleing the WTMD. EVERYONE was taking off their shoes like good little sheeple, 95% without being told, just because everyone ahead of them in line was deshoeing. The redhead told the lady in front of me "You can leave your open flat sandals on" Nice and helpful. Of course the lady's designer belt was 50% metal and set it off, back to take it off.

My turn: I told her my shoes had no metal in them and I knew I would not set off the WTMD. I guess she has seen more than one traveler who knew the rules. OTOH pehaps it was the yellow FT tag on my bag. ^ ^

She told me my shoes were profile(they are right at 1 inch) and if they did not go thru the xray I would be subject to additional procedures. But then, bless her kind heart, she added a statement either out of an attempt to explain, or, having figured I was a Knowledgeable Nonsheeple, to let me know what that was "All that will be is a shoe swab".

Darn, no wand, no bag dump. Work with me TSA, I am trying to waste an extra hour here making you do unnecessary screening.

The WTMD did not alarm, as I told her, and she sent me aside to the penalty box. Had to call over a swabber from the next counter. He looked TOTALLY pissed that another FTer nonsheeple knew the drill and was causing him to come over. Did the quickest poorest swab job he could while making it look good enough to look like he actually was doing something. Threw it in the machine and in 2 seconds said "You can go."

Total extra time at screening: Less than 35 seconds.

Satisfaction from being the only one in sight to walk through with my shoes on: Priceless.

Who else besides me becomes nostalgic at the way we behaved in grade and high school when reading posts like this?

It's almost exactly like being 15 years old, and defiant that anyone could have any authority (except oneself,) all over again.

I have found that it takes the same, or less, time for them to swab my shoes than it does for me to find a place to sit down and put on/tie my shoes again.

As a taxpayer and ticket purchaser I've already paid for it... might as well make em work and swab my shoes.

So, you have a problem with us, TAXPAYERS expecting these workfare recipients to actually have to WORK!

Gotta love that "professionalism" that Comrade Daschle promised us!