Passengers at some U.S. airports no longer have to remove footwear, sources say
Passengers at some U.S. airports no longer have to remove footwear, sources say
Change is afoot at some U.S. airports as passengers no longer have to remove their shoes while going through TSA security screenings.
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So it was always useless bullshit? You'd think tensions would be ramping up at this point in terms of terrorism threats
No, there was actually a case years ago (not too long after 9-11) of a man bringing a bomb on a plane in his shoe. Passengers stopped him as he tried to light it on the plane.
IIRC that’s when they started making people take off their shoes. I could be wrong about that part but that’s how I remember it.
Well I also remember that, but it doesn't mean making people take their shoes off actually improves safety. And the point I'm making here is, if they are not doing that anymore, doesn't it mean they don't think it helps? If it doesn't help now, then why would it have ever helped?
It would’ve prevented the guy we're both talking about from sneaking a bomb on the plane in his shoe.
I don’t think they’re taking it away now because they don’t think it helps. I think they’re taking it away because people don’t like doing it.
Maybe they think the number of people who will try that again is low. Maybe they have other ways of detecting something like that now. Who knows.
It would’ve prevented the guy we’re both talking about from sneaking a bomb on the plane in his shoe.
He would have known they were going to make him take his shoes off and so tried something else instead that would probably have been more likely to work.
I think they’re taking it away because people don’t like doing it.
But we've never liked doing it
We can speculate about what could’ve happened instead all day, but that doesn’t change the fact that what he actually did was hide a bomb in his shoe, and this would have prevented that specifically.
I’m actually curious what you think would have been more likely to work?
I don't think anything is more likely to work. I don't think they are capable of preventing terrorist attacks on planes directly, just like they aren't capable of preventing any mass killings. I think TSA procedures are there to serve the purpose of pretending that they can. If it isn't happening, it's because no one happens to be trying hard enough. The only thing that could work is creating an overall situation in society where people are less motivated to do it, not preventing specific acts.