In December 2001, Richard Reid boarded an airplane flight from Paris to Miami with explosives implanted in his shoes. He tried to remove his shoes and detonate them, but other passengers subdued him. Since then, the TSA has required all passengers to remove their shoes and send them through the X-Ray machine. Until now.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced an end to the shoes-off police. Airports that have already embraced the policy include:
- Baltimore/Washington International
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International
- Cincinatti/Northern Kentucky International
- Portland International
- Philadelphia International
Other airports will phase-in the new guidelines over time. It’s a step toward more efficient travel.
Pr. Trump’s vision for a new “Golden Age of American travel:” Keep em laced up
Secretary Noem didn’t mince words about its new “shoes-on sometimes” policy. “Ending the ‘Shoes-Off’ policy is the latest effort DHS is implementing to modernize and enhance traveler experience across our nation’s airports.” She also was clear about who we should thank. “This initiative is just one of many the Trump administration is pursuing to usher in the President’s vision for a new Golden Age of American travel.”
I’m not sure why that last bit was capitalized. But to be honest, flying can be a real nightmare and this initiative has some good policies.
The “Serve with Honor, Travel with Ease” program offers discounts for TSA PreCheck to uniformed service members and their families. They’re also eligible for expedited access lanes.
This all comes the same summer George W. Bush’s long-awaited REAL ID program finally rolls out, promising to make security screening even more efficient.
Secretary Noem promised “As always, security remains our top priority. Thanks to our cutting-edge technological advancements and multi-layered security approach, we are confident we can implement this change while maintaining the highest security standards.” And that makes sense, advances since 2001, such as full body scanners and explosive sniffers, would have probably stopped Reid even if he kept his shoes one.
Noem concluded, “We expect this change will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience.” You can see the latest coverage in the video embedded below:
