Less than two months after the September 11 attacks in 2001, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created after President Bush signed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act into law, requiring screening conducted by federal officials.
On August 10, 2006, the TSA began requiring passengers to remove their shoes to screen for explosives, based on intelligence reports. This came five years after the failed shoe-bombing attempt by Richard Reid, who tried to ignite explosive devices hidden in his shoes on a flight from Paris to Miami.
There’s a rumor circulating online, and according to Caleb Harmon-Marshall, creator of Gate Access, on Yahoo! Creators, as early as tomorrow, the TSA is going to announce that “all travelers, regardless of PreCheck status, will now be allowed to keep their shoes on during security screening.”
Travel With The Harmony, a former TSA officer and creator of Gate Access, announced the news on TikTok and YouTube (embedded below):
Currently, travelers between the ages of 13 and 74 who do not have TSA PreCheck are required to take their shoes off while going through airport security. I’ve had TSA PreCheck since shortly after it launched in October 2011, so I’ve grown accustomed to keeping my shoes on.
Once in a while, TSA PreCheck isn’t printed on my boarding pass, either because I’m flying a new airline and forgot to add my Known Traveler Number or I was randomly excluded. It’s frustrating when that happens, especially since I usually don’t wear socks. Walking barefoot on an airport floor is a nightmare for a germaphobe. I now keep a pair of socks in my carry-on just in case.
It will be interesting to see if this is actually true. With this administration, anything is possible, especially since many people believe that the TSA is just security theatre.
Regardless, if this does happen, I think it will be welcome news for most travelers, except maybe those who recently paid for TSA PreCheck just to get this perk.
KEEP READING
–Did you know your electronic devices should always be charged when going through security?
–The travel gadget flight attendants never leave home without
–Going on a cruise? Be sure to bring this
–The genius phone hack to try when your plane doesn’t have an in-flight entertainment system
–Travel hack: How to use your wireless headphones to watch in-flight movies
Want more travel news, tips and deals? Sign up to Johnny Jet’s free newsletter and check out these popular posts: The Travel Gadget Flight Attendants Never Leave Home Without and 12 Ways to Save Money on Baggage Fees. Follow Johnny Jet on MSN, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube for all of my travel posts.
