Texas, No More Shoe Removal At TSA Checkpoints Effective Today

(Mix 93-1) Travelers headed to a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint at the airport are ecstatic after learning the news that a nearly 20-year-old rule established by the TSA had been immediately abolished today by the agency.

What Changed in TSA’s Policy?

Travelers will no longer have to remove their shoes when going through a TSA checkpoint at a U.S.-based airport.

The Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, made the announcement today, stating the rule was being repealed immediately, and passengers on domestic flights can skip this security checkpoint requirement.

Why Travelers Are Celebrating

While I understand the law's intention, I applaud this move. After traveling through the DFW and Idaho Falls airports a few weeks ago, it really was an inconvenience to remove my shoes and then have to wait for them to get scanned, and then for others to be in my way to retrieve my shoes while they were blocking the area, putting theirs back on.

Eliminating this step for the majority of passengers will hopefully speed things up in the TSA screening process.

But not everyone is exempt. If you get flagged in one of the detection machines, you may still be asked to remove your shoes for inspection.

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The History Behind the Shoe Rule

Why did we have to take our shoes off for screening?

The rule was established in 2006, and threats continued for trans-Atlantic flights. In 2001, a passenger smuggled a bomb aboard a plane that had been stashed away in the soles of his shoes on a flight from Miami to Paris. He attempted to detonate the bomb over the Atlantic Ocean.

Richard Reid failed to detonate the bomb because he couldn't ignite the fuse. Because of this bombing attempt and continued threats, millions of passengers have been removing their shoes for nearly 20 years, until today.

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Is Airport Security Still Safe Without the Rule?

Secretary Noem says airport security remains safe. There are multiple layers of security that the TSA utilizes to assess threats from passengers as they are being screened. Screening technology has advanced as well, and repealing this rule will improve the passengers' experience.

More TSA Changes Could Be on the Way

Other changes to TSA rules may be coming in the future, but at this time, no announcements were made.