I haven't flown since last December...just wondering if there is anything new in the world of airline security in the past 12 months? This Saturday I'm flying out to Hawaii and I want to dress so that going through security isn't a hassle. Are they still making you take off your shoes before going through the metal detector? For some odd reason I thought I heard on the radio that if you are wearing a heavy sweater, that they will make you take it off and put it on the belt for the scanner...is that true?
Unless I'm flying Delta, I always wear sandals, jeans or shorts, a T-shirt, a light jacket if need be, and no belt when I fly. I never have problems and I get through with reletive ease. They oftentimes make you take off your belt and shoes, so it's best just not to have a belt and to have slip-on shoes. It also helps to actually be at the airport at the suggested time and to expect the delays. I hate people that still get pissed about having to go through security at this point. It's part of life. Why people can't accept that is beyond me.
We flew from DCA to TPA over Thanksgiving weekend. We left DC on Wednesday night and flew back from Tampa on Sunday night. Security was more throrough than they used to be, but the lines were really short and we pretty much breezed through. Then again, there were a helluva lot of TSA employees working at both airports. I'm not sure if that was because of Thanksgiving, or if that level of staffing has become standard.
Shoes -- the TSA will often "recommend" that you take off your shoes and send them through the detector, but they are no longer allowed to "require" you to do so. If your shoes have metal, it's probably best to take them off. On one flight (coming back from Hawaii last February), the TSA was "recommending" that everyone take off their shoes, and those who did not were selected for additional screening. But if you wear sandals or Tivas I wouldn't worry about it. Jackets/sweaters -- I have seen people asked to take off their jacket and send it through the machine. But you're going to Hawaii, leave the sweater at home! I usually try to dress so that the scanner won't go off. All the metal bits which are usually in my pockets (change, keys, phone, pda, ipod) get packed in my carryon until I'm through security, and I wear the belt without the metal belt buckle and choose appropriate shoes (either without metal or easy to slip on/off if necessary). My Thanksgiving travel story -- the security line on Thursday morning at San Jose was very long -- out the terminal into the parking lot, and then they had one of those snake things set up in the parking lot like in the really long lines at Disneyland. Turns out the TSA was asking to see the boarding pass before you started the security process, right when you went through the metal detector, and as you were leaving the TSA zone. Passengers were not used to this, so they were putting away their boarding passes after the first check, only to have to dig them out again at the second check, then putting them away again only to have to dig them out AGAIN at the third check. And really, was it necessary to check the boarding pass three times? How is someone going to get their boarding pass to a terrorist after the first check? So, inefficient process + heavy travel day = very long lines. Landing in LA, the security lines looked even worse, but returning from San Diego on Monday morning was fine, very efficient even though it was still crowded. So I think it's dependent on the airport -- the TSA at San Jose has never impressed me as the best of the bunch.
When I flew home from Columbus, pretty much everyone took their shoes off, so I just followed along. I was pulled for additional screening---the only thing they really asked me was if I a key card for access at work---I guess their detectors picked that up. It couldn't have taken more than 5 minutes.
i still think that airport security is the dumbest thing in the world and beyond unneccesary. thankfully, i can carry pretty much whatever the ******** i like with me when i fly
why? because one dude tries to light his shoe on fire we ALL have to talke our shoes off now. its pointless. its not needed. at all. i think its just used to assuage the thoughts of those who truly feel that we are under the constant threat of terrorists. (which, oddly enough, means that the terrorists have won, but i wont get into that bit long lines, pulling people aside, taking shoes off, questioning, ect ect ect, its really just a waste of time, and serves no benificial purpose.
But you said "airport security" is unnecessary, not the whole shoe deal. Do you really think there should be no airport security?
obviously i dont. i mean todays standard of aiport secuirty. sorry i said airport security as a blanket term for TSA and thier measures. it was much better about 5 or 6 years ago.
encouraged? its in the regs that we have to, under certain circumstances (i.e going to the sandbox) or, if we have passengers.
I don't think I've ever been asked to take off my belt. I take off my shoes just incase I get asked to, I already have them off, so I do my small part to keep lines moving smoothly. One big nuisance is taking everything out of my wallet, then pick everything all back up in seconds. One thing I find that helps spped things along is not to have any change in my wallet.