[Philmont]: RE: [Philmont]:  Post 9/11 air travel--Hiking boots

Just returned from Philmont. At most airports they request that you remove
your boots and send them through the X-ray

-----Original Message-----
From: Gary Dodge [mailto:dodge914@earthlink.net]
Sent: Saturday, July 05, 2003 12:55 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list philmont
Subject: Re: [Philmont]: Post 9/11 air travel--Hiking boots

As a frequent business traveller, I think you may be giving TSA too much
credit for planning a uniform process. Yes, the inspections are somewhat
random. I haven't traveled by air with our troop, but I can imagine that
scouts in Field Uniforms (boots, buckles, neckerchief slides, maybe even
pocket knives???) may have caused some problems in the past.

Different airports have different requirements for inspecting checked
baggage based on whether or not they've actually implemented the automated
screening required (but not yet funded). My wife (a nurse) had a hemostat
confiscated because it was metal (with no sharp edge or point anywhere) but
it didn't fit anywhere on their list of prohibited/permitted items. When in
doubt, they resort to caution rather than logic. Fair enough

Since hand-wanding takes so much time, many of the the TSA employees are
suggesting (some more strongly than others) that you send your shoes through
the X-ray because steel shanks in many shoes are setting off the detectors
and forcing more people to go through the wanding process. That wastes
their time as well as yours. Over time, I've learned which of my shoes
cause problems and which don't. I've rarely had any fuss from the staff
when they say "send your shoes through" and I assure them that I know these
particular shoes have no metal.

They're just trying to keep things flowing smoothly. But, as in so many
things, your mileage may vary.

Gary
Old and feeble, but still a Fox! (and a staffer for 2003)
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cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
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Received on Tue Jul 8 10:27:42 2003