iCorpRoadie

I just passed thru TSA screening in PHX Terminal 3 to Delta. They asked to see my shoes, which I won't take off, and i held my foot up and said "They are less then an Inch, they are okay." THREE TSA Agents ASKED IN UNISON - "HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT RULE?" I said, "I fly too much, and was told by other TSA agents in other cites about that rule, and it is a RECOMENDATION to take off my shoes, not a rule that i HAVE TO." They ley me walk thu with my shoes on but they were in shock that I knew that the rule was 1''. . . . . . anyone else have a similar experience? Should I not know that it has to be less then an inch?

Whats next?

~icorproadie

Wiirachay

I'll shock TSA tonight after they tell me that they "recommend" that I remove my shoes by telling them "Yeah. The soles are more than 1in thick."
- Pat

Jaimito Cartero

I had this discussion with a TSA supervisor in EWR this last weekend. When told that many airports didn't have "shoe carnivals", he stated that I should complain about those airports NOT doing their jobs. I think not!

FWAAA

You aren't supposed to know that the guideline is one inch, but probably every astute frequent flyer knows it anyway.

It is a good example of the inability to keep secret anything that is told to 44,000 people. Probably lots of SSI discussed around the dinner table every night at some households.

iCorpRoadie

Well TSA in other cities should not be telling rules then. . . SFO, SAN, OKC, JFK, etc. . . . I hear it all the time from them. . . guess we should all put our blinders and earplugs in all the time now. .

~icorproadie

trixievictoria

WHOOTT! :-: Gold star

Mats

Please proceed to the nearest police station and turn yourself in.

TSASuper

The problem with TSA and keeping SSI secret is that they actually expect 40,000+ people to keep this to themselves? Yeah, right. How many teenagers are hired by TSA? If you give them something secret to keep, of course it's going to spread. Then you have the middle aged that try to do the right thing, but give hints out to their buddies on how to stay out of the hand wand area. I'm not trying to stereotype, even though it looks that way, but trying to give examples. I'm sure that there is nothing in our SOP that is still secret. With internet forums, telephones, email, and instant messaging, the word will spread real quick. All it takes is for one screener to tell one person, and the rest is history.

I don't get surprised if the passengers know the rules. With the frequent flyers, I'm shocked if they don't.

PatrickHenry1775

Then why don't TSA screeners know the SOP? I guess it is just easier to bark out that all shoes must be removed than to actually look at the soles. Oh well, it's not like the shoe policy is going to prevent a terrorist act. All that it does is aggravate a lot of regular travelers.

Bart

I'm sorry, but even I have to giggle at this. I'm more accustomed to real secrets; the kind that land you in prison only because the prosecution failed to obtain the death penalty if you were ever to compromise it. I respect the restrictions on SSI, but c'mon, it's not that sensitive.

doctall41

By sole, do you mean the heel? or the part of the shoe in front of the heel?

Doppy

What??? Not sensitive? But the Terrorists are everywhere any nowhere! They're out to get us all the time! This kind of attitude could get us all killed! Don't you realize that you're supposed to be terrified of everything??

jcooke

Terrorists will now wear shoes with 7/8" thick soles.

vedette

I don't think terrorists should be allowed to wear shoes. Then it would be easy for TSA to tell them from the rest of us. Of course, then they wouldn't be able to get into an airport restaurant, which may make them cranky and impolite at the security checkpoint.

Wally Bird

Like Bart said it's lazy screening, either 'following orders' or more likely by their own whims. But the TSA has them covered - the visual assessment get-out - meaning that if they have a mind to they can insist upon it. Oh yes and they can confiscate anything else which may constitute a security threat in their opinion. Right there in the rules.