As if I didn't have enough worries
 

I always get my shoes removed for airport searches and didn't think much of it. Now my friends are saying there are so many parasites from everyone doing that all day. And we could get hook-worm etc. She says that is why she will always wear rubber slippers. I hate those, but they always make me remove any sandals. Do you think they are cleaning the area?

Hey, I'm flying on Weds and don't want ibby jibbies.

I find that if I do not wear shoes with any metal in them (such as occurs in the eyelet of some hiking shoes) that I am less frequently asked to remove the shoes at the airport. :S

Are your serious? Getting hookworms at the airport? Have you or your friend ever visited a shoe store? By your logic every Payless store should have been closed down by the Board of Health.

I'm with Myrna on this one. You need a stiff drink.

IslandMom, you're a Mom, right? So you must know about headlice, right? If you are ready to start worrying, think about those airline seats that people lean their heads against!

JohnD, I always get my feet checked, no matter what kind of shoes I'm wearing! I think it's the rivets on my jeans that turn their machines on or maybe it's my unnatural good looks!

BlingBling, I heard on the news that blingbling has made the OED, or some big new dictionary! You've arrived!

Yes, I am listed in Oxford and just thrilled to bits about it.

JohnD,

When we flew out of SFO they were randomly asking groups of people to take off their shoes. We were in one of those groups and there was no metal in my tennis shoes....not even at they eyelets.

Utahtea

Lice! That doesn't help ;p

Surprized at the responses to this post, 8} some airport locations (i.e. Honolulu) used a very sensitive hand held scanner and the tiny bit of metal in my hiking shoes would trigger this scanner, necessitating the removal of my shoes.

Just flew from JFK yesterday and was amazed that there one was given the choice of taking off ones shoes and passing through the metal detector OR having the shoes swabbed.

My daughter took off her shoes and walked barefoot through the metal detector. When it was my turn, I asked incredulous, what exactly was going on, did I have to remove my shoes. He said either remove them or have them swabbed. I had them swabbed!

When we flew to Europe last year, I was the only one in the family to be chosen for the full examination. I had the shoes removed, inspected and swabbed and my carry-on thoroughly inspected. But yesterday everyone was being told to remove the shoes or have them swabbed.

Curious, anyone else have this happen at JFK or another airport?

DeeDee, for a while, about six months ago, my carryon bag got swabbed three times in a row in the span of six weeks at San Jose. I couldn't believe it happened each time. They didn't want to swab my shoes, my coat, or my purse either--just my bag. Then it stopped, I don't know why. They were freaking out in Burbank a few weeks ago about the purse I carry on every time, same contents every time...ran it through the xray twice, dumped out ALL the contents, rifled through them, found nothing, and the guy said to the other TSA guy, Wanna run it through again?? (He said no) What for?? Criminy.

love
roxy

They open up my beauty products and smell them too! Swabbing all the bags. I'm kinda wondering if it is because I am blonde and blue-eyed with a child with darker skin and eyes. They should know if I'm scared of hook-worms I'm not going to wear explosives in my shoes. LOL! I think I'll just travel in a bubbleboy outfit.

Many common viruses and bacteria are spread through contact with surfaces - think of all the railings, door handles, tables, change, etc. you touched in the same airport - think of all the people who have touched the same objects. Ahhhhhhhh - I better stay home.

Islandmom...what about the people who were on the plane prior to you and maybe wore shorts, or a short skirt, and say no underwear? How often do you think they replace those little airplane pillows and blankets, or at lest clean them? I have gotten on planes where these were still wadded up on the seat from the previous user. Lets move onto hotel rooms...the sheets may be clean, but do you think the blankets and bedspreads get washed everyday? Oh I just thought of a thread I wanna post.

islandmom, I have a solution....bring a small can of lysol. What matters is what gives you peace of mind.

Don't let other posters make you feel silly just because you are a sanitary person....and pointing out how dirty everything else is probably does not help you feel better either.

I think you will feel better if you at least have something to make your feet feel cleaner, just an idea.

Canoodle,

Just think what the airport shoe patrol will make of a can of lysol! I'd like to be there when they ask islandmom about her can!

My husband had a great aunt who was immortalized for spraying every doorknob with disinfectant. She was long deceased before my children were born, but they know about Aunt Louisa and her lysol bottle.

Back to the stiff drink, islandmom....

Bring/wear peds or socks. I agree it's ucky to stand barefoot on those nasty looking carpets. :)>-

OK -- so who knows what kind of shoes we can wear to fly that don't have any metal in them. I have been wondering about those slip-on mule kind of tennis shoes. Are they called Sketchers?

Sketchers are a brandname and make all kinds of shoes. Lots of companies make those slip-on tennies.
Honestly, not having metal in your shoes doesn't solve the problem. I have no idea what the criteria are for the screeners, but I am forever taking off my shoes - not my socks. I never wear sandals to the airport. My toesies might freeze on the plane, or get stepped on in security.

Speaking of germs.....think of how many people handle money, everyday. Paper money and coins.

I'm a-guessin' they ain't too sanitary neither, knowwhatahmean Bubba?

(evil grin)

I've a friend who just opened a restaurant and had to take a food handlers' course. She showed me the workbook -- while money isn't very sanitary, there's very small chance of it passing diseases, which if you think about it .. if it did, then bank tellers would be a pretty sick bunch!

Hookworms?? If my biology class lessons from many moons ago serves me right, their life cycle is typically picked up thru feet, climb up to lungs, return to stomach to lay eggs, which pass thru into/onto the ground, which hatch, and again picked up. I know flying scares many, but unless people are craipping themselves on the carpet, I don't think you're gonna get hookworms!

Arkansas Nurse, they took away that thread you wanted to get going about seat-wetters. I'm with you on that one all the way, but obviously Fodor's isn't. It's a real plague for traveling women, esp. on the I-95 corridor. We need a real campaign to reform the sprinklers.

That said, how gross was it to find the pillow I wanted to use on my last cross country flight had halitosis -- smelled like bad breath and drool, and this in 1st class! I worried much more about what I picked up from that than about what was on the floor in the airport.

Seems to me this is yet another emergency use for the all-purpose baggies -- take off your shoes, islandmom, and pop your tootsies into a plastic bag to shuffle through security! I wear sandwich size, but they come in 1- and 2-qt. size, too. ;-}

Cassandra...Thanx...found the thread gone so try try again see 'sit or squat' less the delete has recurred.

Two weeks ago flew out of TPA wearing tennis shoes and did not have to remove them. On return out of Detroit everyone,no exceptions, had to remove their shoes and place them in the little bucket with your other possessions. On the subject of germs, I always told my son when he was small "That's why we are blessed with an immune system".

gocats2002, ha! Your right....they won't let you take mace on planes....they probably would confiscate the lysol can!

I never get asked to take off my shoes. I've stood in lines where every single person in front of me was asked, but not me. I was the only one wearing running shoes/sneakers/tennis shoes/trainers.

They are making everyone take off their shoes here. The Lysol reminds me of the Windex in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding - LOL! I don't use the blankets on the plane after hearing stories from my friend who is a flight attendant. How dare all you kinky folks trying to join the mile high club!

I should have remembered my friends mentioning the hookworms also don't go to the gym because of germs. I'm not as worried as them. I do get sick everytime I travel though.

In reference to your getting sick every time you travel. I have some general theories. First, stress. It is becoming more apparent that this effects our immune systems. Second, if you fly the dry air limits the effectiveness of your nasal passages to filter out bacteria. Third, if you illness is gastrointestinal - some people are very effected by changes in water and food, even if it is a country where these things are not normally of concern. Some people prefer to drink bottled water when they travel, even if local water is safe. And finally, when one travels they are usually around more places and more crowds than would be customary at home. More people with more germs for you to catch.

Wash your hands a lot, and carry bottle of that clear non-water antiseptic hand cleaner. Many recent studies are showing it to be as effective (or more) than good handwashing. And realize that most things you could possibly catch on vacation are not going to kill you or even make you very ill.

As an RN I know about some of this stuff. Handwashing is the best way to avoid germs, however, an immune system that is not challenged occassionally cannot set up resistors to everyday common germs. As for the clear gel non water hand cleaner. Most of these are alcohol based therefore can be used as a weapon. How? I am sure you are wondering. Read the label...Flammable until dry..keep out of reach of children...imagine having this squirted into your eyes!!!

Just read in today's travel section that the TSA is now making everyone take off their shoes. New rule. Don't get why we are doing this all of the sudden. I thought we were okay with tennies.

They must know about more shoe threats and not being sharing the info.

One week ago in Las Vegas everyone was asked to remove their shoes.

In most cases you're not being asked to take shoes off because they have metal or might have shanks built into the base. You're being asked to take off your shoes because of the thickness of the sole. I have a pair of Nikes that have soles thicker than normal shoes. When passing through security a week ago in Detroit I mentioned to the TSA employee that these shoes hadn't given me problems in the past. He said that the new sensors detect the density of objects as well as metal content. That's why more of us are being asked to take off our shoes.

As for the parasite thing---anyone with a high school level of understanding of biology would know that there is no risk to picking up a parasite by walking through a security check point. These areas are probably far cleaner than most homes.

Are you the person I got fleas from when I sat next to you!

In the past year I have been asked to remove my shoes (sandals & sneakers) at Laguardia, Atlanta, San Antonio, Newark, and Miami.

The last trip (about a month ago) was Newark to Miami and return. Was asked both ways to remove shoes. When we asked, we were told by the TSA that it is a new Federal rule which requires everyone (even the little old (about 80?), lady ahead of me in line)to remove thier shoes or not get on the plane. The option is yours.

My experience has been that everyone is usually asked to take their shoes off these days, and many do it without waiting to be asked, just to hurry things along. I have tried telling the screeners that my shoes don't have metal, but quickly realized that it's pointless to argue, and that metal isn't all they're worried about, anyway.
But, I do think that simply wearing socks would be sufficient protection from cooties; and that one would survive going barefoot in any case.

I've been wearing flip flops thru airport security so I don't have to remove my shoes. But I guess if they're going to make me take those off now too, I'll go back to wearing regular shoes.

If you are that paranoid about it maybe you ought to stay home or rent one of those haz-met suits.

This happened to us again last month - we were all asked to remove our shoes (even open toed ones) except for our nanny - who was wearing flip flops. The screener said he could tell just by looking that there was nothing on/in her shoes!