One of my fondest flight memories was taking a flight in Honduras where my carry-on was a six pack. :p

:D Now there's an idea!

Wrong wrong wrong.

Quote from TSA website:

Shoes: Please remove shoes before entering the screening technology and put them directly on the belt to go through the X-ray machine instead of in a bin with other items. It is safe, easy, and gives officers a better look.

Link to TSA page showing shoes in bin:

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtrav...ing/index.shtm

Typical TSA.

On my most recent trip, DFW TSA said shoes on belt, SAN TSA said shoes in bin. (OK, fine. :td:)

And I have never gotten away with leaving the freedom bag in my carry-on. The people who do must not travel through the airports I do.

Just curious... how do you handle security theatre if you don't cooperate to some extent? Do you have some sort of secret to get through and catch your flight without cooperating?

That it's IAD is no surprise.

A short story which is semi-related, so bear with me.

I usually take our my bag, as it is in a side pocket and easy to access. There are several times that I don't, but never hassled.

So I decide to leave my bag in my luggage going through LHR on the way back to ORD. WRONG!

When I go to the other side (of course with my shoes on :) and no alarm), they asked whose bag it was. When I told them it was mine, they said that since I did not remove the bag, I would have to go for a secondary insepection.

Two people in a small room who proceeded to take everything out of my luggage and inspect everything. The whole process took over a half-hour. They said that this was required since I failed to remove my bag.

This was about four months ago and in Terminal 1.

I haven't been removing my bag for about a year now unless specifically requested by the agent. Several times, I have been told that you do not need to do that anymore.

It does get confusing.

I've been questioned in some airports as to why I didn't have a bag.

"um... because I don't have any liquids"

You're a good guy so this has no effect on you, but a bad guy would have been completely foiled by this terribly confusing inconsistency.

Infantile retaliatory behavior modification tactic. And they hope you tell all your friends and stimulate an entire herd of sheeple-conversions.

Haven't we had postings that an "artfully concealed" Kippie bag left in a carryon would trigger full confiscation of the bag, or was it a "go the back of the long line" retaliatory?

They'd probably tell them it should be checked.

Ha. I got that too last summer.

TSO: Any liquids?
Me: Nope
TSO: *Raises eyebrow*
Me: Going to be there 2 weeks. Cheaper to buy full sized stuff when I get there.

I think the guy thought he caught me doing something because he looked let down when I said that. I've found the OMA TSOs aren't the sharpest tools in the shed. IME they're some of the dullest.

I never said nor implied that two wrongs make a right. Simply stated what I believed happened.

I'll tell you what I think is happening, though I doubt some of you will like this answer.

Some time ago the "shoe" policy was amended so that shoes could not be in bins, could only be on the belt. For various reasons, this itself was amended to allow shoes on the belt or in a bin, if nothing covered or obstructed the shoes in the bin. But the policy also emphasized the preferred method was to have the shoes on the belt.

When you encounter a TSO who tells you you can have your shoes in a bin, or has you put your shoes in a bin, in my experiences, they do so because they know most passengers prefer that. Believe it or not, they are trying to be helpful.