Passengers at some U.S. airports no longer have to remove footwear, sources say
Change is afoot at some U.S. airports as passengers no longer have to remove their shoes while going through security.
Let me rant a little on the TSA. There are strict rules for flying with guns and ammo, clearly spelled out on the TSA site. Great! As it should be!
Pensacola didn't give two fucks, just made sure I had dual locks and asked if my ammo was boxed. Yep!
I get to Tulsa and the agent wouldn't check my ammo because it wasn't in this exact box. It was loose in the fucking box it came in.
Small arms ammunition (up to .75 caliber and shotgun shells of any gauge) must be packaged in a fiber (such as cardboard), wood, plastic, or metal box specifically designed to carry ammunition and declared to your airline.
(And no, your magazine or clip does not count as packaging. Don't play like that.)
I said fine, throw it out, I gotta go. Nope. "Sheriff has to take possession." Fine! Give it to the cops when they get here. Bye!
Now here's the rub: You cannot argue with a TSA agent. They have total authority to make any call they like. Orders conflict with what's on the TSA site? Too fucking bad, their call. I get the rule giving them discretion on the ground, but fuck me it turns some of them into little Nazis.
I'm particularly salty because this was during COVID, which mom died of while I was waiting at DFW, and ammo was unavailable at any price.
Looking forward a TSA officer looking at me like an idiot for either not taking my shoes off or for taking my shoes off. It's comforting to know that no matter what I do, there's a TSA agent who will treat me like I'm a moron for following the same instructions I overheard them give the person in front of me.
If you had to deal with the public all day long, particularly a stressed out public, you'd look at people at idiots as well. Just look how customer service and tech support views their fellow man. :)
I once had a very similar experience at GWB in Houston, except it wasnt even 4am. I was just highly confused when the lady started yelling at me to take off my belt.
As I was complying, apparently the right thing to say was not “Im sorry, they didnt make me take my belt off at XYZ airport earlier”, because Im fairly certain that response almost earned me a trip to the special area and an all-expenses-paid cavity check. To say she was unpleased would be a massive understatement
Of course DOGE didn’t get rid of these assholes
They just take you entirely now
"Remove"
"Should I remove my shoes?"
"No, I'm talking to my colleague"
Colleague arrives.
"It's this the guy I need to remove?"
😅
This has been the case since 9/11. I'm so sick of being looked at like I'm an idiot when I'm remove my shoes, then on the flight back they treat me like an idiot for asking if I have to take them off
Good thing Richard Reid wasn't the Butthole Bomber.
Tony the TSA Toe Sniffer has retired.
That was just Quinton Tarentino. He had nothing to do with TSA. He just flies a lot, wears a blue shirt, and sniffs peoples feet.
Does the same thing in Best Buy.
🙁
Tina tattled on Tony the toe tickler and Terry terminated him.
So it was always useless bullshit? You'd think tensions would be ramping up at this point in terms of terrorism threats
No, there was actually a case years ago (not too long after 9-11) of a man bringing a bomb on a plane in his shoe. Passengers stopped him as he tried to light it on the plane.
IIRC that’s when they started making people take off their shoes. I could be wrong about that part but that’s how I remember it.
They're just tired of smelling all the unwashed and stinky feet.
Pre.
You're gonna pre?
DUDE!!!
........ME TOO!
