I flew out of ANC on 05/12. The WMTD screener was loudly "recommmending" that everyone remove their shoes.

I had on a pair of boatshoes with 1/4" soles. i've never been asked to remove them at any airport in the past (that's why I wear them). I showed them to this screener - she replied, "I RECOMMEND you remove your shoes".

I declined and proceeded through the WTMD. Before I had even made it all the way through - she was pointing me toward secondary.

I did not alarm the WTMD.

I sit down in secondary - get the shoe shine - and am sent on my way.

I stopped at the Screening Managers desk and asked for a complaint form. The manager asked why - (at the same time, one of the LEO's was shouting "tsa.gov" at me...) I explained that I felt I had been sent to secondary as a retaliation for not removing my shoes. The manager responded that shoes are recommended to be removed. I peplied, "but mine don't meet profile" - she looked down, smiled...and handed me a complaint form.

I sent an email to the TSA ANC Customer Support Manager.

This was her response:

SFBarry,

I received your email recounting your screening experience at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) on Friday, May 12th. As you stated, the Transportation Security Officer (TSO) recommended shoe removal. While the removal of footwear is strictly optional, it often means passengers spend less time navigating the security checkpoint. You indicated your shoes didn't "meet the TSA profile." However, there may have been a requirement to randomly select persons for secondary screening. Some security policies and procedures are not public knowledge and may be instituted to reduce predictability.

If you have concerns, complaints, or compliments regarding the TSA screening operations at ANC in the future, you can notify the Supervisor on duty at the screening checkpoint, a Screening Manager, or fill out a customer response card available at the checkpoints.

Sincerely,

Ms. TSA CSM
TSA Customer Support Manager, Anchorage


So it was a "random" selection??? How silly of me not to have thought of that..... Why was that any one who took off their shoes got waved through???

Shoe Carnival ANC style...........totally arbitrary & totally rediculous

This is the same BS response that I once received after an incident that occurred at CO's terminal at LAX. I had been in DL's terminal relaxing in the CRC and I wasn't asked to remove my non profile shoes that I always wear for flying when I entered that terminal, but my DL LAX-JFK flight was departing from the CO terminal next door. The TSA agent at CO's terminal was instructing everyone to remove their shoes. When I got to the detector I informed him that I wasn't asked to do so next door and that the shoes were non profile. I was immediately sent to secondary screening. I then requested a complaint form from a supervisor. They told me that they didn't have any. In front of the supervisor I called the TSA's 800 number and described what was taking place. The phone agent must have been reading from the same script as the one that wrote this response because I was also told, ]"There may have been a requirement to randomly select persons for secondary screening. Some security policies and procedures are not public knowledge and may be instituted to reduce predictability." [/QUOTE]

To the phone agent's credit, she also told me that they are required to have complaint forms on hand and told me not to leave until they produced one. The supervisor looked like he was going to wet his pants as I made the call directly in front of him and was identifying everyone involved. Finally someone who obviously was of a higher rank came out of an office and instructed this supervisor to give me a form.

So when people want to know why we are upset with the TSA, you can use this incident as an excellent example. The secondary screening was done ONLY because I refused to remove my shoes. LAX has totally inconsistent practices at different terminals. They refused to produce a complaint form when they knew they are required to do so. What a shame and waste of the taxpayer's dollars.

That response is clearly fromm the Kip Hawley school of response writing. The one where they're "trying to keep the terrorists off-track" or something like that.

Basically, the person is telling you you're right, but they won't admit it -- either because of SSI or just ego.

I just hope you wrote the GSC and/or ASM about this. The airport folks need to know about this as well since the TSA are merely tenants in those airports.

I copied the ANC Airport Manager on the original email and forwarded the TSA's response - as they didn't bother to "reply to all"....

Just out of curiosity, does ANC TSA ever try to enforce some kind of made-up carry-on baggage limitation?

I have received similar canned responses as well when I have submitted complaints about being sent to secondary for wearing sandal's through and subsequently having my bare feet wanded. It seems they have a canned response for everything which typically include the word "random" and refer to regular changes in "procedures".

If it was truely a "random" selection, that's news to me....

SDF_Traveler

We'll be up there next month on a fishing trip. Does anybody have expereince with checking boxes of frozen fish?

Good lord! How many BOXES do you plan to catch?

You realize they'll all have to be hand-wanded. If you toss one to the lead screener, may temporarily halt the seal-like barking "recommendations".