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.

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, 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.