Gatwick, Heathrow, & Rome FCO security - must we remove our shoes like in the US? Just curious & helps with preparation. In the US, prior to security, we remove our shoes, put them in a plastic bag, put them in our carryon, & put on footies. Since we each have a wheeled carryon, backpack, coat, plastic baggies (1 allowed liquids, plus 1 w/liquid eye meds), & camcorder bag opened & camera out (whew!), taking off our shoes helps (just a little!).

Thanks, Julie

<i>we remove our shoes, put them in a plastic bag</i>

never heard of it...

never done it....

what airport TSA makes you do that?

Haven't flown since fall 2008. At that time all US airport security screening points required taking off shoes. Is that no longer required?

However, I'm asking if taking shoes off for airport security is required in UK & Italy.

Taking shoes off - yes

putting the shoes in a plastic bag - ????

Is your "yes" referring to my question in my original post - "Gatwick, Heathrow, & Rome FCO security - must we remove our shoes like in the US?"

Or, is your "yes" referring to my 2nd post question, "Is that no longer required?"

Maybe to eliminate your ???? we can refer to my original post - "prior to security, we remove our shoes, put them in a plastic bag, put them in our carryon"....."helps (just a little!)". Please note, "prior to security"; did not indicate that this is 'required' by security/TSA.

I'm not really sure how to make this more clearer, but

taking shoes off - yes

putting the shoes in a plastic bag - no

take the shoes off, either put them on the x-ray belt directly (as some TSA stations require) or put the shoes in the plastic bin. That's that.

Don't know about Rome, but last time in London we did have to take the shoes off.

Thank you. That is what I needed. Maybe someone else will know about Rome, but probably required there also.

In the UK, it is random. Sometimes, they'll announce suddenly you'll need to take shoes off. But otherwise, they generally don't require it.

I've never heard of plastic bags either, but TSA procedure has no consistency.

For example, in LAX, you CANNOT put your shoes in the plastic bins, at any terminal. But any other airport, everybody puts their shoes in the bins.

I went through Heathrow twice last week. Shoes stay ON your feet, unless you are asked by the screener to remove them.

Thanks rkkwan & yk. The plastic bags are our idea. We do that to eliminate one more item to juggle during the security check.

When we went thru Heathrow last year, we were not required to take off our shoes, but I didn't know how it is going this year. So, based on what you posted, we'll leave our shoes on unless instructed otherwise.

We also were not required to take off our shoes at CIA last year, but could be different this year.

Julie

Totally, off-topic, but here's where everybody was required to take off shoes and put them in a white plastic bag recently:

http://rkkwan.zenfolio.com/kyoto0809/ef0bf200

Beautiful rkkwan. Thank you.

Just came through Rome yesterday on a flight to Frankfurt and then on to the US. Rome security was very casual but the Germans made up for that that. Shoes stayed on both places but the Germans wanted everything x-ray including the passport.

Thank you, fmpden. Good to know about Rome; not going to Germany - although I'd love to!

<<< but the Germans made up for that that. >>>

Probably the additional security the US insist on as they don't trust 3rd World countries like Germany

I went through LHR in Sept (2x through T5) and both times had to take shoes off. They were adamant - everyone did no matter what your footwear. It may vary by terminal?

I think it's more random than you would like to think

if there is a special alert (which can happen for any number of reasons) even if they haven't been requiring shoe removal, it can happen anytime/