TSA to Allow Passengers to Keep Shoes On During Security Screenings

In an age of seemingly endless bad news, there appears to be one positive development to report: you won’t have to take your shoes off at airports anymore.

The New York Times reports that the Transportation Security Administration has nixed the rule that requires passengers to remove their shoes while heading through security. The development was first announced by  Gate Access, a newsletter that is written by a former TSA officer. The Times says a “source familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity” also confirmed the policy change, though the agency itself has not said anything about it publicly. Gizmodo reached out to the TSA for confirmation but hasn’t heard back.

The Times writes that the policy “appears to be taking effect at airports across the country.” Sources interviewed by CBS further reported that the policy is being enacted in phases. Some of the first airports to benefit from it include Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Fort Lauderdale International Airport,  Philadelphia International Airport, Portland International Airport, and Piedmont Triad International Airport in North Carolina, CBS writes.

The shoe removal policy has been in place since 2006, and was partially spurred by the incident involving Richard Reid, the so-called “shoe bomber.” Reid, a British citizen, attempted to detonate explosives that were hidden in his shoe during an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami in 2001. Reid later pled guilty to terrorism charges and was sentenced to life in prison.

Shoe removal hasn’t been a universal policy. Several specialized programs (like TSA Precheck) have allowed some passengers to head through security without going through the annoying ritual, though this has been a special perk for paying customers and not a widespread public benefit.

If it’s true that the shoe-removal policy is headed out the window, the news is an unequivocal good. You won’t have to inhale the smell of feet as you pass through a security process that is already thoroughly debasing and unpleasant. What’s not to like about that? As Trump’s government continues to wreak havoc on Americans’ constitutional rights and entitlements, I suppose we can take small comfort in the fact that there is a small silver lining.