Shoe Removal Not For All, According to the TSA

It was day one of my recent trip to Florida and I was departing from St. Louis.  I gathered with our group of people heading for Spring Training at 5:30 in the morning to join the hundreds already in line for the TSA check point.

As we were creeping along in the line of humanity waiting to be frisked, the TSA decided that the line was getting way too long so they opened up a second line for people to go through.  They just tapped this guy on the shoulder and asked him to follow them to the second set of screening machines. Off he went with the people behind him trailing like a herd of cattle walking in single file.

As my line shrank somewhat from that decision, I notice a sign that stated that anyone 75 or older did NOT have to take his or her shoes off nor did they have to remove their light jackets they might have been wearing. It got me to wondering again, who made this decision? I guess all terrorists must be younger than 75 these days.

Don't get me wrong, I have never agreed with the shoe removal process at all.  One guy puts explosives in his shoe and the whole world has to show everyone that they have a hole in their socks at the airport.  So now, 75 and older people can keep their laces tied.  Good for them, but what about the rest of us?  The jacket thing is also crazy based on age as well.

This is all a moot point now that we all can carry on a pocket knife and hockey sticks, and golf clubs. If you want to skyjack my airplane, I'll take the 2 minutes in the penalty box for whacking you upside your head with my hockey stick.