WASHINGTON -- Travelers don't have to remove their shoes for X-ray
examination at airports before walking through metal detectors, but
doing so will speed the checkpoint lines and reduce the chances
they will be selected for a more thorough, secondary screening, the
Transportation Security Administration said.
Aiming for consistency, the TSA clarified its policy on how and
when security workers screen the shoes of air travelers.
The TSA, however, did not back off on the shoe-checks, which it
called a "necessary reaction to information gathered by
intelligence agencies." It said al Qaeda trained people to make and
use shoe bombs, as highlighted by the incident in December 2001
when Richard Reid was caught trying to light a shoe bomb during a
flight.
The clarification included new guidance for security screeners
on which shoes require X-ray screening.
The TSA acknowledged many people do not know if their shoes
contain metal, but said particularly thick-soled shoes and those
with metal shanks or steel toes will require an extra look.