Anyone know how they pick people for "additional security screening" at the airport??

[jozzmenia]

I still don't see what the big deal is with taking shoes off?

I'm with ya on that mystery. I put it in the category of "minor inconvenience" or maybe even "minor annoyance" but nothing to get all worked into a tizzy over

However I do know people who are somewhat OCD over their possible smelly feet, or holes in socks, or unpainted toes, etc. :lol:

 

[barnum42]

I'm with ya on that mystery. I put it in the category of "minor inconvenience" or maybe even "minor annoyance" but nothing to get all worked into a tizzy over

Indeed - as long as the plane has not left by the time I do my laces up I'm not bothered.

 

[barnum42]

Just remembered my bike jacket getting attention in the X-Ray at Logan. It's a nylon jacket with armour in the back, shoulders and elbows. As soon as the security guard knew what it was he was then full of questions about it's comfort and where could he get one?

 

[hrmom26]

when going to WDW in the Logan airport my self and my two kids were going threw security my son had a small stuffed dog with him and was not to happy about it going threw the tunnel ex ray thing so as we were going threw the medal detector my son squeezed himself between the medal detector and the ex ray machine (just to make sure his dog was OK:lol: )and set off all kinds of fuss alarms extra security blah blah blah well after that my carry ons were searched and so on let me tell you it was a comedic moment for me i took it as just one of thoses things that happen when you have kids but the security staff was not amused.

 

[TAC]

I commented on that in my last post, wondering why people don't check their suitcase. When I think of carry on, i think of a bad with magazines, snacks, headphones, cards - i.e. things u need to access on the plane. I figured it was because people were impatient and didn't want to wait on their luggage. The thing is, I've NEVER seen the baggage claim take "forever". The longest I've waited from the time I got to the baggage claim area was 10 minutes (which is admittedly about the point that I start to grow impatient myself :brick: )
Well, there was the one time I went to Paris and everyone's bag came but mine and I waited and waited and no one came and said anything. After about 20 minutes I went searching for assistance and saw my suitcase sitting open and unattended outside an office (it had come open on the plane). So I just grabbed it, shut it, and left...
Anyway, the fact that people would rather stuff giant luggage on the plane than wait 10 minutes is a reflection of our impatient society I guess.

You must not have ever traveled to Philadelphia. If you get your luggage in 20 minutes, Praise the Lord! If it's 30 minutes, that's average. Not until at least 45 minutes do you go searching to go find someone that might give you the time of day and tell you where to go to claim the tattered remains of what used to be your luggage.

 

[Erika]

The thing is, I've NEVER seen the baggage claim take "forever". The longest I've waited from the time I got to the baggage claim area was 10 minutes (which is admittedly about the point that I start to grow impatient myself :brick: )

You've evidently never been to Phoenix :lookaroun :lol:

We have got to have the worst baggage claim in the country.

 

[Erika]

You must not have ever traveled to Philadelphia. If you get your luggage in 20 minutes, Praise the Lord! If it's 30 minutes, that's average. Not until at least 45 minutes do you go searching to go find someone that might give you the time of day and tell you where to go to claim the tattered remains of what used to be your luggage.

That sounds about right for us, too.

And most of the year, our weather here is perfect, so they don't have that to blame.

 

[mkt]

I still don't see what the big deal is with taking shoes off?

I'm with ya on that mystery. I put it in the category of "minor inconvenience" or maybe even "minor annoyance" but nothing to get all worked into a tizzy over

when you travel by plane once or twice a year, it's a minor annoyance.

When you travel by plane once or twice a month, it's an big annoyance.

When you travel by plance once or twice a week, it's a massive inconvenience.

I view it as harrasment, being forced to remove your shoes, and it's something that I know I don't have to do, so I won't. I am not one to give into a TSO's foot fetish.

 

[barnum42]

You've evidently never been to Phoenix :lookaroun :lol:

We have got to have the worst baggage claim in the country.

Orlando gets my award for worst baggage claim - at least on international flights. You wait an age for your baggage, go through customs then have to hand it back again and wait an age at another claim section before you can leave the airport.

 

[barnum42]

when you travel by plane once or twice a year, it's a minor annoyance.

When you travel by plane once or twice a month, it's an big annoyance.

When you travel by plance once or twice a week, it's a massive inconvenience.

I view it as harrasment, being forced to remove your shoes, and it's something that I know I don't have to do, so I won't. I am not one to give into a TSO's foot fetish.

But why is it any more an inconvenience that all the other farting about that is now required by security?

Surely, if you fly once or twice a week and know that this is the norm then you would be professional enough to dress accordingly and wear shoes that slip on and off?

I still think it's a storm in a teacup.

 

[jozzmenia]

when you travel by plane once or twice a year, it's a minor annoyance.

When you travel by plane once or twice a month, it's an big annoyance.

When you travel by plance once or twice a week, it's a massive inconvenience.

I view it as harrasment, being forced to remove your shoes, and it's something that I know I don't have to do, so I won't. I am not one to give into a TSO's foot fetish.

I'd say i fly 3-4 times per year, mostly into Florida. The only airports I've ever flown into are Detroit, Lansing, Flint (all michigan), Sanford, Orlando, Jacksonville (FL), DC (not sure which one), LAX, Denver, St Louis, and Paris (charles de gaulle). the rest of the places I've been to have been via car. never had a big problem at the airports (at least not one that wasn't my own fault, like arriving at the airport 30 minutes before takeoff and wanting everyone to be accomodating to the fact that I'm in a rush :lookaroun )

I still don't see the big issues with shoes, but I don't see why those who travel frequently don't just where flip flops like I do . I would much rather be inconvenienced for 12 seconds then to find out someone had a bomb or knife or something bad in their shoes but were let on the plane because they claimed that removing their shoes would be soooooo traumatizing...:brick:

 

[hrmom26]

when you travel by plane once or twice a year, it's a minor annoyance.

When you travel by plane once or twice a month, it's an big annoyance.

When you travel by planes once or twice a week, it's a massive inconvenience.

I view it as harassment, being forced to remove your shoes, and it's something that I know I don't have to do, so I won't. I am not one to give into a TSO's foot fetish.

OK no offense but don't you think you are putting a little to much into this? i know the security processes can get tiring and annoying but i would rather be annoyed and live to bit*$ about it than be died because some terrorist put some thing in his shoe and killed someone we live in a different world since 9-11 it sucks but its true. your comment that you view it as harassment is just a little to strong for something so little as taking off you shoes, would you think it was harassment if your best friend made you take off your shoes when you came in her house. i mean think about how many times you go over a friends house ? i go over my neighbors for coffee/tea after dinner every evening and always respect her wishes and remove my shoes and i have yet to charge her with harassment ! think of the airport as someone else's house if it helps and you need to respect the hosts rules when in it. lets face it traveling can be tiring and annoying but being that nutty passenger that makes a scene is just embarrassing to everyone

 

[jozzmenia]

But why is it any more an inconvenience that all the other farting about that is now required by security?

yeah after being "randomly selected" and having to go through the "bomb detecting machine" and have my bags and even drinks thoroughly searched, removing my shoes is really minor in the grand scheme of things...:lookaroun

 

[jozzmenia]

your comment that you view it as harassment is just a little to strong for something so little as taking off you shoes, would you think it was harassment if your best friend made you take off your shoes when you came in her house.

entire post, very well put, but especially this part:lol: , which is such a very good point. :sohappy:

 

[jozzmenia]

I still don't see what the big deal is with taking shoes off?

i was just thinking, most of my shoes are almost as easy to slip on and off as flip flops. I have slipped tennis shoes right back on super quick, so I REALLY don't see the problem, unles of course you're wearing thigh high boots :lol:, but i would think if u knew what was coming u would wear the appropriate shoes...:lookaroun

 

[TAC]

OK no offense but don't you think you are putting a little to much into this? i know the security processes can get tiring and annoying but i would rather be annoyed and live to bit*$ about it than be died because some terrorist put some thing in his shoe and killed someone we live in a different world since 9-11 it sucks but its true. your comment that you view it as harassment is just a little to strong for something so little as taking off you shoes, would you think it was harassment if your best friend made you take off your shoes when you came in her house. i mean think about how many times you go over a friends house ? i go over my neighbors for coffee/tea after dinner every evening and always respect her wishes and remove my shoes and i have yet to charge her with harassment ! think of the airport as someone else's house if it helps and you need to respect the hosts rules when in it. lets face it traveling can be tiring and annoying but being that nutty passenger that makes a scene is just embarrassing to everyone

And this is the problem. Because it's reactionary, not proactionary. Why are they checking shoes? Because someone just so happened to see someone trying to "light his shoe on fire."

What if a woman tried to light her bra on fire? Would you consider it ok if all women had to remove their bras and send them through X-ray ?

 

[jozzmenia]

What if a woman tried to light her bra on fire? Would you consider it ok if all women had to remove their bras and send them through X-ray ?

Am I missing something? That analogy just doesn't make sense to me...:lookaroun

but then, i find it more evasive and more troublesome to remove a bra then to remove shoes...

I think the point is, it's NO TROUBLE AT ALL to remove some tennis shoes then put them back on, even if it is 4 times a month, considering u do it several times a day anyway...:lookaroun

now bra hooks, those ARE troublesome...:lol:

 

[mkt]

Surely, if you fly once or twice a week and know that this is the norm then you would be professional enough to dress accordingly and wear shoes that slip on and off?

I'm in the once a week crowd (albeit, with multiple connections, and a round trip passage), and I generally fly with sandals on. Ones that need not be removed, that aren't within the TSA profile. Ultimately, to me, it comes down to keeping the few bad TSO's in check.... these are people with no law enforcement authority or power, that want people to believe they do. I have witnessed them on more than one occasion, violate citizens' rights to privacy, and essentially make their own laws on the spot.

I know that I am not obligated by law or policy to remove my shoes, and as long as it remains that way, I am not going to. If they want to inspect my shoes, they can swab them and send me on my way, but I will not remove them. It is my right, and one I am surprised that people are chastising me for practicing.

 

[mkt]

I still don't see the big issues with shoes, but I don't see why those who travel frequently don't just where flip flops like I do . I would much rather be inconvenienced for 12 seconds then to find out someone had a bomb or knife or something bad in their shoes but were let on the plane because they claimed that removing their shoes would be soooooo traumatizing...:brick:

I don't claim any trauma whatsoever, but I do claim a violation of my rights if I am forced to. I don't plan on giving up any of my rights in the name of "security." For the record, I generally fly with flip-flops on, or a pair of Puma Speedcats that have a less than 1/4" sole; well outside of the TSA profile.

 

[Victoria]

And this is the problem. Because it's reactionary, not proactionary. Why are they checking shoes? Because someone just so happened to see someone trying to "light his shoe on fire."

What if a woman tried to light her bra on fire? Would you consider it ok if all women had to remove their bras and send them through X-ray ?

Tom, you crack me up. I now have a visual of hundreds of women removing their bras and sending them through x-ray....:lol:

For the record, if this ever became a reality, I think I would just give up on wearing bras altogether. I dont fly more than 5-10 times a year but it would be enough to make me just give up.

As far as shoes in the airport, I dont think I have ever worn anything other than flip flops on a plane....with the exception of my flight to Turkey this past March. I wore sneakers for some reason. That was a pain in the butt.

I was "randomly selected." I am a white, female, 22 year old on a plane full of people of middle eastern decent. Yea, I stood out. After having my belongings rifled through, had every inch of me wanded and swabbed, removed my shoes, belt, cell phone, and had my $1000 laptop treated like a hockey puck, I was sent on my way. But not before I had managed to grab the name and ID number of the TSO officer. I was ok with things until I watched the idiot toss the bin my laptop was in around. When I commented to the guy about it I was shot multiple dirty looks and could feel several security officers inch closer. :lookaroun Gotta love flying.

I think when I fly to Chicago next week I am going to be wearing flip flops as usual, a skirt, and be carrying just my laptop case. I have decided against my better judgement to check my luggage. I dont want to be hasled about it on the plane and security. Oh, and I will leave my flame thrower, bomb making equipment and machete collection at home. :lookaroun J/k.