Steel Plates In Boot Soles, Tsa "pre-Screen Keep Your Shoes On"

[blueparrot]

I had one of those "Business Select" tickets which allows one to keep their shoes on through the airport security at some airports, including LGA where I was flying out of Saturday.  I had on a pair of Seychelles OTK boots and walked up to the detector only to be directed to remove them.  I was waiting for them to come through the scanner and could see the monitor.  Sure enough there were my boots on the screen with rectangular metal plates in the soles.  Do all boots have that these days?  I noticed other people had to remove their footwear as well.  I had picked these particular boots to wear that day because they have plastic zippers and didn't think they had metal parts.

[ilikekicks]

A lot of boots have a ' shank ' in them to protect the arch of your foot.

[dww]

At the airport I normally take of my watch empty my pockets remove belt etc but only ever been asked to take of my shoes once.

[hhboots]

At the airport I normally take of my watch empty my pockets remove belt etc but only ever been asked to take of my shoes once.

 

Yeah, its a bit more strict here in the US since '9/11'.  Taking shoes off here is pretty much the standard policy, with few exceptions such as the one mentioned by BlueParrot above.

[Guest]

Was everytime across europe until a year or so now it just depends on security of the day and their mood. If you ping the arch then it's a shoes off and body check. Last month going out to Tenerife via Madrid and back I was clear outbound but pinged on the return at TFS. However my "hand" bag got pulled for a search at Heathrow, we think it was the teabags and sugar in the bottom, even the security team was in agreement. Sorry no heels either on or in that bag. Al

[Dr. Shoe]

So you mean to say that a terrorist with a bomb in their shoe only has to buy a "Business Select" ticket to evade detection?

[Rockpup]

Dr Shoe: Ask Richard Reid, he had a bomb in these. 

[hhboots]

So you mean to say that a terrorist with a bomb in their shoe only has to buy a "Business Select" ticket to evade detection?

 

Seems to be considered more of an expedited pre-screening if you are willing to pay more money.  Here is an article that covers it in more detail:  http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/tsa-says-you-can-keep-your-shoes-more-airports-8C11073594

[saudade]

Seems to be considered more of an expedited pre-screening if you are willing to pay more money.  Here is an article that covers it in more detail:  http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/tsa-says-you-can-keep-your-shoes-more-airports-8C11073594

 

TSA in a nutshell: Create a screening problem and then years later, have people pay for what used to be the norm. But have an out so you can still do useless stuff in case your power trip of the hour wasn't enough.