Airport Security

My job takes me across somewhere via airplane each week. Ever since the creation of the TSA back in 2001, I am amazed at the inconsistencies across the country each week. Take a simple example -- shoes. I decided to keep track of where they require shoes to be taken off, and where you can go through the airport with them on.

Being that I live in Pittsburgh I go through the Pittsburgh Airport each week, so that was my benchmark. Since Pittsburgh is not a real high profile place, I was not surprised that you could keep your shoes on when you go through security there, but at Washington National you must take them off.

So a few weeks ago they told me at Pittsburgh that you need to take the off as part of new rules that went into effect, so I figured that now I need to do it on the way out of town and the way back, and chalked up the "free passes" that I was getting in Pittsburgh to a thing of the past.

However, I just went through the Philadelphia Airport and the Chicago Ohare in the past week, and they both let me through with my shoes on. What gives? How hard is it to set a policy for all airports and enforce it?

Don't even get me started on the people that seem to take 20 minutes to put there shoes back on while they stand by the X-Ray machine holding up the line...

One last thought, there is free WiFi access at the Pittsburgh Airport -- saves you $9.95 vs. Cingular.