Interesting observation on Security...
 

Just flown in on the Red Eye from SFO to MSP and found this interesting observation on the security screening on West Coast airports (including hawaii)

Has anyone else noticed that West Coast airports have different screening procedures than the rest of the US?

For example,
In the last 6 months I have been to SFO, SEA, SAN, HNL & LAX and they all make it manditory to remove your shoes and place them on the conveyor belt. Even in HNL I was wearing flip flops and they wanted me to remove them. But for everywhere else it wasn't a problem

Does the West Coast have different security procedures?

Just curious...

RTF

Any reason this is in the NW forum?

Hmmm?
because I fly Northwest? :confused:


My apologies in advance if there is a forum on Airport Security. I didn't look to see if there one.

RTF

This should really be moved to Travel Security- look for it under "Travel & Dining" section.

That said, I see no difference between East Coast & West Coast- they're both inconsistent. I fly SEA to EWR about once a month, and SEA to SAN/BOS/DTW quite often, and I get asked to take my shoes off maybe 60% of the time at each airport. I usually travel wearing car shoe mary janes- very thin sole, but at least they slip on/off easily. As far as I can tell, it just depends on what mood the screener is in that day.

They can ask you to take off your shoes, but it is not mandatory unless the TSA has changed policies. In any case, if they ask you to take off your shoes and you don't, then you will get secondary search. I never take off my shoes because they have absolutely no metal in them and I do not want to walk barefoot or in socks on an airport floor that doesn't look like it is ever cleaned.

TWAforever:
Exactly. My wife and I refuse to take off our shoes and unless they hit the hidden button to set off the detector, we never get the secondary search because we never set off the detector.
You are correct that it is only a "suggestion" that you take off your shoes, not mandatory. I suspect it is because they are lazy and don't want to spend the time to have to reprocess or secondary search ma and pa Kettle who walk thru the detector with all kinds of metal in their shoes.

I have flown out of LAX (NWA terminal 2) twice a month for the last two months, including last weekend on the REDEYE to DTW and they always say it is fine to leave my shoes on. I always wear the same pair of reeboks and the ONLY airport in the country that SUGGESTS I take them off is D/FW. However, they SUGGEST everyone take them off. I have been round and round with the Supervisor at D/FW and he says that D/FW is following SOP, so obviously every other airport in the country I have flown through is NOT. I think it is a farce.

The "rule" or SOP is If the sole of the shoe "appears" to be one inch thick or more it is supposed to come off and/or be secondary screened. The one inch is up to the screener to decide. Anyone that sets off the machine is supposed to go to secondary. D/FW is just over the top.

The same is true in PVD; a chat with the supervisor proved fruitless. As to OP's comment, in all my flights from SFO and LAX (about half a dozen this year, mostly on AA), I was never asked to take off my shoes.

Alex

On thing about LAX that is different, though, is the requirement that you show your ID at the gate before boarding. I think they are the only airport that requires this....correct me if I'm wrong.

Any reason why?


K

That rule is only about a month old, right? I think it might have coincided with the fact that they no longer require us to flash our IDs when we board at LAX now.

THis is no longer required. Over the summer it was. I believe it was due to a lack of thourough checking or no checking at the Security line. The last few times I have flown out of LAX they checked ID at the security line and did NOT check it at the gate.

The problem that I have had is that they suggest I take off my shoes, I decline explaining that there is no metal in them and I have been through 50 other airports without any problems. I walk through, DO NOT set off the detector and they still lead me to the secondary serach area and I do not have SSSS on my boarding pass.

I agree with you that they are trying to bypass more secondary searches because if they don't ask for shoes to come off, everyone will leave them on and the infrequent traveler wearing steel-toed shoes is going to set off the detector.

I am not trying to create more work for them, but, maybe I am overly frightened of germs, I refuse to walk in socks or barefoot across an airport floor, some of which visually appear very scuzzy. I have seen used gum, dirt stains, unknown stains, fresh beverage spills etc....all right where one is supposed to walk through security without shoes.

If they ask you to spin, you spin. If they ask you to jump, you jump. If they ask you to take your shoes off, you take your shoes off. TSA will not discuss alternatives at the check points. Their demands often do not make sense to us, but they make sense to them. I have seen them past the wand up and down the legs of people in shorts!

The alternatives are not to fly or more secondary searches. Its your choice. When the war on terrorism stops being reactive, maybe more common sense will prevail. I am waiting for the laptop bomber to really mess with things. :(

Of when somebody sticks a bomb up their arse or worse. Then what will they do?

We are such a bunch of silly reactive non-thinking fools.

(that was not a personal attack, but instead on the majority of those in charge of TSA, including Congress and the millions that THINK we are safer)