I’m truly sorry if anyone was offended or annoyed by the recent post in which I criticized mandatory shoe screening at airport security. It’s a subject that has concerned me for quite some time and I thought Fodor’s would be the perfect place to express my views. In retrospect, perhaps the wording was a bit strong, and I realize that my comments may have seemed outlandish to some of you. But I never intended to upset anyone or cause any trouble. Instead, I hoped it would generate some interesting and lively discussion on a subject that affects us all, and that we’d even get to hear some of your own “war stories”. I expected there’d be a wide range of opinions and suggestions, and that some of you would totally disagree with me. That’s fine; that’s the whole idea of a forum. Anyway, I apologize to this group, and especially to the moderator who decided to remove the thread. I really thought that this forum was an outlet for the free and open exchange of ideas. I guess I was wrong.
Michelle S.

I read most of your thread, and I don't see why you need to apologize. Most people, including myself, hold a different opinion, but you are allowed yours. No one get offended.

You can choose to defend your position on your thread, or you can choose not to. Doesn't matter either way.

Definitely NO APOLOGY required.

Michelle,

If your thread is the one I'm thinking of, I'll 100% with rkkwan. No apology necessary.

I think your post was excessively wordy, and therefore less effective, but I agreed with much of the principal. Sure, I would taken another angle, but that's me.

Please don't be discouarged. Stick around, okay?

I don't remember seeing any reason for the post to be removed, but maybe it got heated after I'd read the comments.

Fodors seems to be WAY more strict lately. I had a post removed, and it was really a very minor comment (and not mean-spirited, either, so I don't get it at all-- it's almost prudish that they removed it).

Anyways, you didn't offend. Stick around!

Of course, this might just be another troll post from the OP. The point of this post could be seen to be seeking some undue sympathy from other posters, as if the a free and open exchange of ideas was getting trampled on. A person might think that this thread was just a backhanded way for the OP to take a slap at the fodors editors.

I don't know why the original thread was pulled - maybe it was because some of the OP's ideas were found to be offensive. Maybe the editor saw that lots of us were throwing spitballs at the original post and pulled it for that reason. Maybe another poster got on the thread and went off the deep end, and we didn't see those posts.

I think that OP knew the other thread would be provocative and offensive but did it anyway. That is why s/he didn't use her/his real screenname. That was a troll post so this one probably is too.

Maybe this post is sincere, but I don't know the OP so I won't take it at face value, given the minimal history.

You expected "war stories"? Which side are you on? Which part of the world? Which war you wanted to discuss on a TRAVEL website?

Yes, I am one of those "annoyed" and glad the thread was deleted. Hats off to Fodor's!

You are perfectly free to express your views - not sure why it was pulled, but perhaps the tone got nasty.

I myself am happy to see it gone (my view). A bunch of nonsensical dribble about TSA agents asking women to take off their shoes so the can get off from their foot fetish, unfounded fears of disease outbreaks, and other garbage.

I really wish otherwise intelligent, good natured people would devote their energies to more constructive endeavors instead of fear mongering.

If you want to read some really outlandish criticism of the TSA, go the the Travel Safety/Security forum of FlyerTalk.com. I didn't see Michelle's post, but it was probably tame compared to the ones on FlyerTalk.

Don't think too many sensible people are worrying about catching 'hoof and mouth disease', or 'foot fungus' or bird flu, or pink eye, or anything else very substantive, or they wouldn't venture out. I think that the absolute most dangerous thing you can do is get in your car and hit the freeway....let's not hit flies with hammers. I think Michelle was a bit bored that day, and needed to rant. BORING...