4 ms·

America is the only country I've flow through (15+) where you are still required to take off your shoes. It's dumb theater and the TSA is pointless.

colinmhayes 6y ago
Don't have to take your shoes off anymore if you precheck.
- qwerty456127 6y ago
  I don't give a uck about the shoes actually but I absolutely don't feel like unlocking my phone or laptop, even though there's nothing criminal.
  - djsumdog 6y ago
    I've never had to do that, but I haven't flown since 2016. If I was asked, I'd refuse. If they wouldn't let me though, I'd walk away and eat the cost. I'll remember this for next time though. I'll be sure to check my phone and laptop. I could always just buy a book and not have electronic devices .. or maybe take a cassette deck.
    - thebooktocome 6y ago
      That's not what happens when you refuse to unlock your phone/laptop. You may get detained indefinitely.
    - InitialLastName 6y ago
      AIUI the unlocking is usually requested at the customs checkpoint, which is after you've retrieved your checked luggage, and if you say no, you don't get to just "walk away" -- you risk finding yourself detained in legal limbo with no recourse.
      - bigbubba 6y ago
        I've experienced an unlock demand immediately after passing through TSA to get on a domestic flight. Had I refused I surely would have missed my flight and probably the wedding I was trying to get to. Maybe the consequences would have been even worse than that, but that alone was enough to coerce my compliance.
  - kenjackson 6y ago
    Why not? Seriously. I feel like there are a thousand things in life that annoy me -- like sitting at a red traffic light when its clear I can go w/o any danger to anyone. It just seems like its low cost. And maybe of some value that I don't understand since I don't really study terrorist methods.
    - qwerty456127 6y ago
      > Why not? Because a computer/smartphone is practically an organ, a brain extension. Letting other people read its content without limitations is like letting them read your actual memory and thoughts (including those you'd like to keep private between yourself and your partners of all the kinds - business, sex, whatever) and probably even plant a backdoor for spying on you in future (I don't know about the US TSA but Chinese border authorities are known to do so). I wouldn't feel comfortable about that. > I don't really study terrorist methods. What if I, occasionally, do? Out of pure curiosity. I believe I have googled and downloaded a lot of content which could be found suspicious although I hardly ever had time to read that so far, pure curiosity and information hoarding are my only motivation.
- gnu8 6y ago
  So all someone has to do if they want to bomb an airplane with their shoes is cough up $80 for a Precheck pass. Very secure.
  - jaywalk 6y ago
    And pass a background check.
- bigbubba 6y ago
  The mere thought of paying to government for the privilege of keeping my shoes on is nauseating. How can you even consider that? That program exists as a pressure relief valve to ensure anybody with political influence (businessmen, etc) don't have a motive to lobby for reform.
jariel 6y ago
There was a shoe bomber who almost took down an airplane. [1] Shoes, when they are not inspected, are rational places for people to hide explosives. While it may or may not be a 'valid' tool, it's not rational to say it's 'pointless' when it's literally a known - and used - vector of attack. It's not 'pointless' - the question is, 'is it a good policy given the likelihood of attack, the effectiveness of 'shoes through the scanner as a means of thwarting, other tradeoffs' etc.. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Reid https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Reid
- orthecreedence 6y ago
  It is pointless. It's stupidly pointless. Shove the bomb up your ass, they can't check in there. "But the scanner..." Ok, so opt out and do the pat down. I opt out every time. The TSA is completely hairbrained. They don't proactively think of anything, they only react to stuff that has already happened. Always one step behind. So useful.
  - jariel 6y ago
    If it's pointless, then so is putting your bags through security, and by extension of some of your comments 'all airline security pointless'. You must have some amazing deep insights that the rest of the world does not.
    - orthecreedence 6y ago
      Your bags get scanned. The inside of your asshole doesn't. A bomb that fits in your shoe will fit in your ass. That's my amazingly deep insight.

colinmhayes 6y ago

Don't have to take your shoes off anymore if you precheck.

qwerty456127 6y ago
I don't give a uck about the shoes actually but I absolutely don't feel like unlocking my phone or laptop, even though there's nothing criminal.
- djsumdog 6y ago
  I've never had to do that, but I haven't flown since 2016. If I was asked, I'd refuse. If they wouldn't let me though, I'd walk away and eat the cost. I'll remember this for next time though. I'll be sure to check my phone and laptop. I could always just buy a book and not have electronic devices .. or maybe take a cassette deck.
  - thebooktocome 6y ago
    That's not what happens when you refuse to unlock your phone/laptop. You may get detained indefinitely.
  - InitialLastName 6y ago
    AIUI the unlocking is usually requested at the customs checkpoint, which is after you've retrieved your checked luggage, and if you say no, you don't get to just "walk away" -- you risk finding yourself detained in legal limbo with no recourse.
    - bigbubba 6y ago
      I've experienced an unlock demand immediately after passing through TSA to get on a domestic flight. Had I refused I surely would have missed my flight and probably the wedding I was trying to get to. Maybe the consequences would have been even worse than that, but that alone was enough to coerce my compliance.
- kenjackson 6y ago
  Why not? Seriously. I feel like there are a thousand things in life that annoy me -- like sitting at a red traffic light when its clear I can go w/o any danger to anyone. It just seems like its low cost. And maybe of some value that I don't understand since I don't really study terrorist methods.
  - qwerty456127 6y ago
    > Why not? Because a computer/smartphone is practically an organ, a brain extension. Letting other people read its content without limitations is like letting them read your actual memory and thoughts (including those you'd like to keep private between yourself and your partners of all the kinds - business, sex, whatever) and probably even plant a backdoor for spying on you in future (I don't know about the US TSA but Chinese border authorities are known to do so). I wouldn't feel comfortable about that. > I don't really study terrorist methods. What if I, occasionally, do? Out of pure curiosity. I believe I have googled and downloaded a lot of content which could be found suspicious although I hardly ever had time to read that so far, pure curiosity and information hoarding are my only motivation.
gnu8 6y ago
So all someone has to do if they want to bomb an airplane with their shoes is cough up $80 for a Precheck pass. Very secure.
- jaywalk 6y ago
  And pass a background check.
bigbubba 6y ago
The mere thought of paying to government for the privilege of keeping my shoes on is nauseating. How can you even consider that? That program exists as a pressure relief valve to ensure anybody with political influence (businessmen, etc) don't have a motive to lobby for reform.

jariel 6y ago

There was a shoe bomber who almost took down an airplane. [1] Shoes, when they are not inspected, are rational places for people to hide explosives. While it may or may not be a 'valid' tool, it's not rational to say it's 'pointless' when it's literally a known - and used - vector of attack. It's not 'pointless' - the question is, 'is it a good policy given the likelihood of attack, the effectiveness of 'shoes through the scanner as a means of thwarting, other tradeoffs' etc.. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Reid https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Reid

orthecreedence 6y ago
It is pointless. It's stupidly pointless. Shove the bomb up your ass, they can't check in there. "But the scanner..." Ok, so opt out and do the pat down. I opt out every time. The TSA is completely hairbrained. They don't proactively think of anything, they only react to stuff that has already happened. Always one step behind. So useful.
- jariel 6y ago
  If it's pointless, then so is putting your bags through security, and by extension of some of your comments 'all airline security pointless'. You must have some amazing deep insights that the rest of the world does not.
  - orthecreedence 6y ago
    Your bags get scanned. The inside of your asshole doesn't. A bomb that fits in your shoe will fit in your ass. That's my amazingly deep insight.