Breaking: Kids Under 12 Don’t Have To Remove Shoes For TSA Security

TSA screening may still be a complete and utter joke where groping the private parts of grannies and infants is considered a reasonable way to handle the threat of terrorism, but I have news. This news is just the tiniest bit of seasoning for the Satan sandwich that is airport travel but here’s the deal ….

Children under 12 are no longer being forced to remove their shoes, apparently. I just flew with my kids on Monday out of Denver International Airport and the signs in line all said that kids under 12 didn’t have to remove their shoes. And the friendly TSA agents (I consider all TSA agents who are not groping me or taking nudie scans of my children to be friendly) all told me to leave the kids’ shoes on. When you’re traveling with two toddlers, it’s one less indignity during the march through the line.

I remember how ridiculous it was when I’d be traveling alone with my kids, one in an Ergo on my back and one walking and they’d make me remove the “shoes” my infant was wearing. You know how most “shoes” at that age are really glorified socks? No matter. I had to do it. And everyone recognized how utterly ridiculous this “common-sense-will-kill-us-all” approach to security was.

Being a frequent flyer and loather of TSA, I was surprised I hadn’t heard the news of this change in policy. Apparently it’s a pilot program that actually asks TSA agents to use their minds to detect terrorism as much as following a policy book with inane rules. It began at Logan International Airport in Boston. Some six airports are testing the policy regarding children’s footwear, including Orlando and Denver.

So maybe we’ll see fewer videos of infants being frisked like bank robbers and grandparents being forced to remove their adult diapers. One can dream.