[Jessica H (OP)]

I can't believe in the US that people are required to take off their shoes at the airport security.  I forgot & wore flip flops recently, so  I'm thinking of all the viruses & fungi that must be on the floor.  Am I just being OCD or isn't it a little icky?  Has anyone studied this risk?

[Geezer]

That's why they invented socks. You can even get special ones that allow you to wear flip-flops.

[Karen W.]

 Yuck....Socks with Flip Flops?  WAY TACKY!!!

[Geezer]

Yuck....Socks with Flip Flops?  WAY TACKY!!!

Nothing tacky about these. They go great with my kilt.

 [ Invalid Attachment ]
from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toe_socks

[geo driver]

Perfect, discrete enough to get you through custom's

[Make it Lady]

Nothing is more likely to get the full attention of airport security than someone dressed in flip-flops, stiped socks and a kilt. You may as well hold a neon sign saying "strip Search Me."

[LeeE]

I can't believe in the US that people are required to take off their shoes at the airport security.  I forgot & wore flip flops recently, so  I'm thinking of all the viruses & fungi that must be on the floor.  Am I just being OCD or isn't it a little icky?  Has anyone studied this risk?

You're being a bit OCD.  The air that you breath is loaded with various micro-organisms and spores, so I wouldn't worry too much about stepping on some.

Most of the 'measures' taken to counter terrorism are ineffective and many, like this one, border on the ludicrous.  Someone must obviously get a kick out of thinking them up and making everyone submit to them though - they must be laughing their ar5e off.

[Geezer]

I can't believe in the US that people are required to take off their shoes at the airport security.  I forgot & wore flip flops recently, so  I'm thinking of all the viruses & fungi that must be on the floor.  Am I just being OCD or isn't it a little icky?  Has anyone studied this risk?

You're being a bit OCD.  The air that you breath is loaded with various micro-organisms and spores, so I wouldn't worry too much about stepping on some.

Not that I want to make everyone paranoid or anything, but....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantar_wart

[Geezer]

Nothing is more likely to get the full attention of airport security than someone dressed in flip-flops, stiped socks and a kilt. You may as well hold a neon sign saying "strip Search Me."

Oh, I don't know about that. Obviously you are not in the habit of flying from Glasgow or Prestwick.

Anyway, some people might consider a strip search to be the highlight of their journey.

[chris]

Human papilloma viruses (HPV), which cause veruccas (plantar warts), could transmit via this route, as they do at the swimming pool...

What makes a mockery of this "security" is that it is applied totally inconsistently. In some countries there's none of this near strip-search business, whilst in others you get the n'th degree.

Ludicrously, in Singapore, you can get off one aeroplane in order to board another and, with nowhere to go but the airside of the airport itself, any fluids you are carrying - including bottles of drink picked up in lounge there - are confiscated...

With all the "intelligence" gathered about us now, I honestly cannot believe that better profiling techniques are not available. The present system is awful.

Consequently, I chose to take a ferry and then drive 600 miles across Spain rather than fly for my recent family holiday; I find the whole "being treated like an animal and a presumed terrorist until prove otherwise" thoroughly unpleasant and undignified. I try to avoid flying as much as possible now because the whole "security" thing really winds me up.

I appreciate that the actions of a few people with control freak mentalities who think we should either practice their religion or die have upset the apple cart for everyone, but there has to be a better solution than the present one...

[The Scientist]

I can't believe in the US that people are required to take off their shoes at the airport security.  I forgot & wore flip flops recently, so  I'm thinking of all the viruses & fungi that must be on the floor.  Am I just being OCD or isn't it a little icky?  Has anyone studied this risk?

Hmm... Thats an interesting one.

What I can think of is that the security is tighter and more controlled as compared to some countries. As for risk, that I am not very sure. But I too think that it is unhygienic in my opinion.

[Make it Lady]

It is worse if you are a child. Infantile warts are a very infectious virus related to verrucas. Because children have little immunity to the virus they can become covered in warts. My eldest son got it all over his legs and back from sitting in the changing rooms of our local swimming pool. We call it verruca city! The thing about this virus is it is most infectious in warm damp conditions. So it your airport is warm and damp, then I would worry a little. However, if you are an adult with a healthy immune system, don't sweat it. Worse things happen at sea (Oh sorry Chris. This might frighten you on your ferry journey!)

[Carolyn]

My last two flights, I was pulled aside, and "wanded" and fondled.  I didnt mind being bare foot nearly as much as I minded that woman coughing all over me.  She wore gloves, but she covered her mouth with her gloved hands, then patted me down.

[chris]

Lovely.

And having just travelled on about 15 flights around Australia for a science tour I can honesly say that a microphone is not one of the things that the security people get trained on very often! My Beyerdynamic got pulled every single time, usually to much amusement from the scanner operator...then again, it does look like a stick of dynamite on the screen when I took a look.

Chris