One of the most notorious elements of security theater is going away from our nation’s airports for at least some passengers.
The New York Times reported on Monday that for the first time since 2006, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is actually letting people keep their shoes on during airport screenings. Precheck passengers had enjoyed this perk at most U.S. airports.
A source told the outlet the TSA began dropping the requirement over the past few days.
There is a catch, however. As Yahoo notes, individuals must have a pre-approved, mandatory Real ID document to qualify.
People who do not possess a Real ID may still have to take their shoes off in the nasty airports and get subjected to further screening by TSA agents.
So, people will essentially have a choice between what type of invasion of privacy they prefer. Does this really enhance our Constitutional liberties?
The TSA responded to this reported change with neither a confirmation nor a denial.
“TSA and DHS are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture,” a spokesman for the agency told The New York Times. “Any potential updates to our security process will be issued through official channels.”
As CBS notes, the no-shoes rule was implemented by TSA nationwide five years after British citizen Richard Reid, the “shoe bomber,” tried to blow up an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami with explosives hidden in his shoe in December 2001.
Thankfully, his plan failed, and the plane landed safely in Boston after passengers helped take him down. Massachusetts State Police officers took him into custody.
Reid is currently serving a life sentence.
Of course, there is no evidence that this rule has actually stopped any terror attack, except for making it harder for passengers to catch their flights.
But federal government officials just wanted to look like they were doing something.
