MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - Miami International and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport joins multiple airports across the country in allowing travelers to pass through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints without removing their shoes.
This follows the TSA’s removal of the decades old policy Wednesday.
“With this no shoes policy, we anticipate that Americans and travelers, and those coming into our country will be very excited that they will no longer have to remove their shoes,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The original policy came after Richard Reid, known as the “Shoe Bomber”, boarded a plane in Miami back in 2001 with his shoes full of explosives. Despite being unsuccessful, the original scare drove the policy to be implemented a few years after.
But after 20 years in effect, Noem said TSA has improved and evolved their procedures and checkpoints.
At MIA, travelers were excited about the change in travel procedures.
“Let’s celebrate!” said Ylena Kachulkin. “Sometimes, I have white socks and the floor is not always clean.”
“I don’t have to wear slippers anymore, I can wear shoes. I wear slippers so it’s easier to take off,” said a traveler.
“It’s easier and quicker,” said Oliver Klein.
Others, like Christopher Barkley, said this will make traveling much smoother.
“Well traveling as a party of five is with kids and teenagers, it’s actually gonna be a lot easier, a lot quicker not having to take shoes off,” said Barkley.
“I think it’s a good thing. It doesn’t make me feel more secure for people to take their shoes off,” said Maria Elie.
“That saves me a lot of time and headaches,” said Alvaro Marin.
At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, travelers like Paul Stuart said the change would make those long TSA lines move quicker.
“I think it would free up a lot more time for lines to actually go quicker in this case,” said a traveler. “I think it was more of a big inconvenience in the first place anyways,” he said.
Although travelers with TSA Pre-Check have long been able to go through TSA without removing their shoes, many are happy to see it become the norm.
“That was one of the reasons pre-check was worth it,” said a traveler.
“We do pre check so we don’t normally have to do that, but that’s the reason we have pre check, so that we don’t have to empty our bags and take off our shoes,” said Elie.
The policy change looks to expedite the TSA process helping with long wait times.
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