TSA Immediately Ends Annoying Policy For Smoother Airport Experience

For flyers who have long dreaded the airport security shuffle, today brings a major win!

The TSA issued an official press release stating that a long-standing (albeit annoying) policy has been immediately squashed.

As avid travelers, we at Travel Off Path couldn’t be more thrilled to report this exciting news to streamline what’s always a drag, no matter which airport you travel from.

While those who remember the infamous “Shoe Bomber” might be wary of such a change, most of us are relieved to no longer have to bend down, take off our shoes, all while holding what seems like 82 things all at once and being barked at by grumpy agents at the same time.

Yes, no matter if you’re an average Joe or Jane in the standard line or have “TSA PreCheck” stamped on your boarding pass, your shoes can stay on from this point forward while passing through U.S. airport security checkpoints.

Ending the ‘Shoes-Off’ policy is the latest effort DHS is implementing to modernize and enhance traveler experience across our nation’s airports,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Continuing, “We expect this change will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience.

Is TSA PreCheck Still Worth It?

A year and a half ago, we noticed how PreCheck lines were stacked, asking if it’s even worth obtaining anymore.

Sometimes standard lines had less wait times than those of us who went through the hassle of being approved for PreCheck, which honestly seems unfair.

I’m a SENTRI user, which was a tedious task to obtain my card, so I personally take advantage of using my SENTRI privileges at PreCheck lines whenever I can.

When I see standard lines with a handful of people while the PreCheck is packed to the gills, I can’t even describe how much I want to dial it back 30 years and throw a temper tantrum like when I found out the Easter Bunny wasn’t real (sorry, kids).

With the latest announcement from TSA, while I’m personally stoked to know if I forget to get my add my PreCheck badge of honor, it’s worth asking again if it’s worth it.

With TSA PreCheck, you can keep your hat on, keep your shoes on, and stow away electronics no-questions-asked.

While it’s a lot easier to remove a hat than most shoes, is it worth adding PreCheck to your ticket for one less privilege?

As someone who went on 3 trips in June, looking back, I used PreCheck 2 of those trips. Both times the standard line and PreCheck line were about dead even.

Keep Your Stanky Shoes On!

It takes about .5 seconds to take off a hat and maybe another 5 full seconds to take off your belt and remove your laptop out from your bag, but if you have creaky knees and a bad back like me, removing shoes is the biggest headache of all.

Being “randomly selected” is always a crapshoot, but one less annoyance to worry about is something to look forward to during a process none of us wants to partake in.

Plus, isn’t it a little off-putting to have dirty soles in the same bins as your everyday products? Who knows what we’ve all been stepping on?

Whether it be flip-flops, sweat-soaked Sperry’s, or a pedicure gone wrong, except for a few FeetFinder users (no judgement), I think it’s safe to say nobody is asking to see what our fellow travelers have going on below the ankle.

Unwanted anatomy lessons aside, there’s nothing enjoyable about being herded like cattle through screenings that we only have to endure because the bad guys are winning, which raises a question — why now?

While we’ve been fortunate to avoid anything close to 9/11 for almost 24 years, has technology advanced enough to put past “Shoe Bomber” concerns behind us, or is a new administration putting the kibosh on citizens being treated like criminals?

Trust & Tech: A New Era Of Travel

To answer my own question, it seems it’s a mixed bag of new administration perspective and technology able to alleviate any past close calls, so to speak.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated, ‘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. 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.’

Travelers will still need to abide by the 3-1-1 rule for liquids. If travelers are flagged during the screening process, they still may be asked to remove shoes as a precaution.

At the end of the day, the goal is to streamline airports’ security process, resulting in lower wait times for travelers.

It has not yet been stated if the general rule of thumb of arriving 2 hours before departure is still necessary.