Hey all,

On my way home from ICN and I got secondaried at security. Thought I'd share my experience.

First off, I'll say there's a selective shoe carnival in force for US flag carriers. They saw my UA boarding pass (ICN-NRT) and made me remove my shoes. Other pax weren't removing shoes. At least they had slippers and the place seemed clean.

I sent my backpack thru security. It had a camera bag, books, my Kippie bag, and a bunch of power adapters. Apparently something caught their eye and they sent me to secondary.

I was quite surprised to see that it was rather pleasant for being a secondary. No body massage or anything. Quick hand wanding and only felt where the HHMD alarmed (found a pen). When searching my bag, he went over it thoroughly, but the x-ray image was clearly viewable so I could see what concerned them. He found what he was looking for ... a USB memory stick.

Here's the kicker though. He repacked my bag. Completely. Everything he took out he put exactly where he got it. I think he even did a better job repacking it than I did the first time lol. I thought "wow, TSA never would have done that." Not without a fight anyway. Bonus was that he was polite, apologetic, and I was able to clearly watch whatever he did.

It was kind of funny to see his puzzled look when he saw I wrote Kip Hawley is an Idiot on my Kippie baggie.

They're doing a gate bag check as well, but they only checked one bag. The guy in front of me was SSSS'd but that didn't seem to mean much there.

On another note, NRT was quick and painless. No shoe carnival. Did have remove my laptop bag. Don't know if there's a gate check or not as I haven't boarded.

The general theme I get from ICN, NRT, and YYZ is that they get security a lot better and without as much kabuki as TSA. Granted, you can see the influence of American and British stupidity (selective shoe and kippie carnivals) but overall, it's nice to go thru a checkpoint that the screeners at least seem to be happy, are polite, and aren't barking.

Makes me dread going thru security at ORD later today ...

Just thought I'd share.

Super

They do "selective" gate check for UA at NRT. Randomly pick some pax for bag check and body check. If you board with the crowd, the chance of being picked is low. However if you're the last pax to board (which I almost always am) or something like that, you'll surely be screened. I understand while all pax for UA are subject to gate screen at ICN, that's only for bag check.

I'm actually doing NH out of NRT. Guess I'll find out in a minute as it's time to board!

They were doing it for NH12 (NRT-ORD) when I boarded. Didn't look like a serious effort. One person wanding, one tossing bags, and another directing. I just walked on by.

ICN - shoe carnival happens to everybody, not just pax of UA. I guess it depends what kind of shoes you are wearing (eg boots off trainers on).

I've never been shoe-carnivaled at ICN. I've seen the stacks of booties that they have by the xrays, but have never had to remove my shoes. Then again, I've always been flying with Asian carriers.

Wonder if they do something like the old 1" profile shoe bit.

Security was pretty dead with only one person in front of me. She wasn't shoe carnivaled but I was. I just thought it was interesting that my boarding pass was looked at and then the call was made to remove my shoes.

Maybe all US-bound flights, but certainly not all. I have not been asked to remove shoes at ICN on any of my flights from there.

I've had the shoe carnival at ICN on a KE flight to ORD since it was instituted in the U.S. Seems to be a U.S.-bound flight thing as I didn't get it on a domestic KE flight.

I concurr with the politeness and professionalism of security staff at ICN and NRT.

Seems like the consensus is US flag flights and flights bound for the US, regardless of flag get the shoe carnival. All else don't get it.

I got it last month when I was flying OZ from ICN-LAX... shoes at security and then baggage screening at the gate.