Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem held a press conference Tuesday at Ronald Reagan National Airport where she stood before flags, banners, and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees. Starting off her prepared statement, Noem declared right after introducing herself: “We have some very exciting news to announce.” But, when the announcement came, informed individuals would be justified in responding: “Really? You are way too easily excited.”
Noem continued her prepared statement, revealing that the “very exciting news” and the reason for having the press conference was that “TSA will no longer require travelers to remove their shoes when they go through our security checkpoints.” As Porky Pig would say, “That’s all folks.”
Noem went on to relate that TSA had enforced since 2006 a policy that people must take off their shoes at TSA checkpoints. However, people who traveled now and then by commercial flights over the nearly 20 years she says this policy was in place know that the policy had disappeared and reappeared off and on. Travelers did not always hear TSA agents demanding people take shoes off. Some times travelers would hear TSA agents instead saying that people could keep shoes on.
So, from Noem’s announcement, it looks like TSA is back on the you can keep your shoes on track — for now at least. That is kind of nice, sort of. You see, if you do leave your shoes on, that may, like many other aspects of clothing, create an alert to cause TSA agents to subject you to “enhanced” screening, with “enhanced” here meaning you will be subjected to additional harassment and abuse. So, make your call. You may find it preferable to just take shoes off each time, despite it not being demanded.
Additionally, the TSA demanding passengers take off shoes has been just one small part of the harassment it metes out on travelers. Noem is leaving in place the rest — waits in line, demanded production of identification documentation in violation of the right to travel anonymously, zero privacy in regard to what is in bags or pockets, confiscation of nonthreatening though verboten items, subjection to potential harm from never properly safety tested “full-body scanners,” “pat downs” that are pretty much the same as friskings by police and that without special governmental protection would be regarded as assaults or sexual assaults, etc.
Noem’s announced change in TSA policy is a pittance. If she wants to make a change that is in reality “very exciting” and would bring major benefit to travelers, she should move forward with the elimination of TSA and the harassment to which it subjects travelers in America each day.
