TSA Finally Removes Shoe Removal Rule

by Daniel Eleff – DansDeals.com

The TSA began requiring shoe removal to go through airport security in 2006, some 5 years after Richard Reid attempted to set off explosives hidden in his shoes on an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami and became known as the Shoe Bomber.

The joke at the time was at least he didn’t hide explosives in his underwear, but Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab did exactly that in 2009 on a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. Thankfully, no underwear removal rules were put into place.

One of the original big selling points of PreCheck was the ability to keep your shoes on when going through airport security.

In the meantime, technology has improved to the point that the red tape was finally lifted, and as of Monday, TSA is no longer requiring passengers to remove their shoes. However, if you are selected for secondary screening for any reason, including not having a Real ID, you may still be required to do so.

Don’t expect liquids to be allowed through US security anytime soon, though. While some airports have liquid explosive detecting screening machines, TSA says that it will take until about 2040 until all airports have those machines and the rule can be lifted.

Oddly, though, TSA does allow laptops to stay in bags if you go through a line with the updated screening machines. That used to be another big selling point for PreCheck. It’s unclear why TSA is OK with laptops going through those machines in bags, while they refuse to make exceptions for water going through those machines.

What do you think about the TSA’s decision to end the shoe removal rule, and how do you feel about the continued restrictions on liquids at airport security?