God help us if I have to see some of these people naked.

I always have heavy boots on which I take off now, but when I used to leave them on they would rarely set off the alarm. Now they continually suggest I take off my belt now and I tell them that I know it will clear since it used to with my shoes as well. Do we just have a bunch of voyeurists? (Since we know the system we have is great at bothering people as the Israelis told us.)

I'm tired of this -- I don't get this crap at international locations when flying back...though I have to deal with it when hitting the US gateway. Though if they can get a really hot guy at the checkpoint that wants me to go off to a side room for alternate inspection, I might change my tune. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

The situation existed at the B checkpoint at PHL Monday night. Told me to take off shoes or get wanded. The kicked was is that I had my laptop in a container, my bag, and my wallet in another container. They would not let me at least take my wallet and put it back in my bag before they took the 5 stupid minutes to do the wanding. Then they had the nerve to keep asking my why I was moving my head so much. When I responded it was because my wallet was up there, they didn't seem to care.

At FLL on the evening of the 28th I just waltzed right through the metal detector with my sneakers on and did not get any secondary screening...usually FLL has some of the tougher and stricter TSA agents at the checkpoint, so I was fairly surprised to say the least...

N674UW

The inconsistency is part of the problem. The screeners at some airports are downright reasonable -- actual human beings doing a decent job and showing that it is actually possible to do it without being an annoying pain the posterior.

And there there are the others. Where petty power displays that you might expect from a 3 year old are the rule of the day.

The funny thing is that this new rule was announced as a SOLUTION to the inconsistency abounding in the screening process.

I agree about going naked, clothes in a bag, and then we all get dressed just past security. I know, not a pretty sight, but a great leveler.

Yesterday at RSW, I was threatend, yes, really threatened with a full search if I did not remove my open-toed sandals. I didn't and they did. When asked if there was anything sharp on me or my bag, I replied "My rapier wit."
They asked what a rapier was.

Jane in PHL

i too wear steel tipped shoes, so i don't have issue, but i might be more upset if i were wearing sneakers. but i have one story that is really strange. i was transferring planes at gatwick, when i got to the x-ray screener. i was taking my shoes off to put on the belt, and the security people told me to put them back on. i said they had steel toes, but they didn't care. their policy is to not put shoes on the belt, as it would be "unhygenic. after all, people have to put their food on the belt!!!" should we be more concerned with a bomb in a shoes, othe bombs that can be launched from eating a big mac? i know mcd food can launch some good ones, but i didn't think they'd be strong enough to bring down a plane!!!

I asked in LAX last week - I was wearing sneakers - and was told sneakers are FINE - everyone wearing hard shoes was having to take them off - so no consistency from airport to airport.

I saw a new one yesterday -- there's a sign posted at the Dunkin Donuts just outside security at MHT. It says that, if you're going to go through the checkpoint, the TSA requires them to put all iced coffee and "coolatta" drinks in styrofoam for "security reasons". Apparently having a drink in a see-through cup is now a security risk...

I think I'm going to start wearing a speedo through security.

Seriously.

The government loves to inconvenience those who they can inconvenience, like everyday business travelers who are easy targets. This way, they can say they are doing something.

Question! Are most security areas video taped and audio taped? cause if they are I am probably incurring the wrath of some TSA Manager Turd someplace. Depending on what I observe while in line I tailor my approach. If they seem all business, I am very chatty and friendly saying Good Morning and such. If they are trying to be friendly I go into the Yes Sir No Maam routine. Only speaking when directly spoken to. All of this is followed once cleared with "Thank you! I feel soooo much safer now" in the most sarcastic tone possible.

I have managed to pixx off entire checkpoints this way and I don't violate any rules and always comply with there requests no matter how asinine. It is amazing how an icy glare and yes Maam, No Maam can get them so upset. My contempt for them is palatable and they sense it but are powerless to do anything since I always comply.

Some enterprising soul in PIT (when I still lived there) came up with a mini-mangometer in a wooden shoebox. They have 3 or 4 of them before the checkpoint area.

In essence, you put your foot on the thing, and if you get a red light, it has enough metal to trip the main magnometer (or so they say).

At one point during the peak of the "shoes off" BS, I actually told they guy yelling at me to take my shoes off that the thingy gave me the green light.

I went thru without tripping the magometer, and they left me alone. Amazing.

------------------
Saving the world, one clue at a time.

It seems like Terminal C at PHL does NOT require you take off your shoes. Only Terminal B does. I would rather enter security through C just for that even when my departure gate is at B.

This says it all.

I've seen more than my share of fascists-in-training, but I have also seen a surprising number of nice people (imagine THAT as your job every day!). As is the case in all areas of life, if the powers in charge would simply experience the results of their rules a few times, said rules would change quickly. I get teed at the checkers as well (esp. the loud, large type in PHL), but the problem rests in the hands of the big guys. Let THEM walk a mile in our shoes...through security. Won't change much until then.