As I live near Orlando I use Clear on all my outbound flights. Unfortunately, I have not been able to use it on inbounds. It's very fast and since members are precleared the inspection moves swiftly and smoothly. It's well worth the money!

I wonder if they make you remove your shoes when you use Clear. That's one of the things I hate most about airport security. With everyone removing their shoes and walking barefoot in the same place, that's got to be a health hazard of some kind. And yet, the TSA forces you to do it.

Anyone else notice that when you go through regular security in Paris they give you little foot baggies to protect your feet? I love that. Why can't they do that everywhere?

I live in Cincinnati which is a Clear city. You do still have to take off your shoes but supposedly they are working to get new equipement approved by the TSA that would not require removal of shoes, coats, or computers... Not there yet ;^( However, when lines are long, this service is SOOOO worth it!!! After getting ID assessed and biometricly approved, they carry your luggage for you right to the front of the line. It makes traveling so much more convenient. At about $100/year, its worth it to me.

For those who haven't heard, Clear is going out of business. Now everybody has to wait in long lines!

There may be hope for Clear members yet:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/technology/30clear.html?th&emc=th

Cibo, you don't have to go to Paris to get little foot baggies to protect your feet. They sell them all over. You could bring them with you. I had my carpets cleaned recently and the service technician even brought some for over his boots. I asked if these booties were tough to find and he said no. Also, you are allowed to keep your socks on so if you can't get a hold of foot baggies, just wear socks. Of course, I'd pick about any reason to go to Paris. Even to get some footies.

You're right, but I would never remember to pack them. It never occurs to me until I get to the airport. btw, socks are a poor replacement for the foot baggies. Your socks just act as little mops, picking up all the nasty fungus and bacteria and then they would deposit it all right into your shoes when you put your shoes back on...unless you threw away your socks each time.

I have seen the little booties in a few other airports around the US. Most airports could care less though.

Cibo, what you may want to do is put a couple pairs of booties in your suitcase right now. That way, you really don't have to remember to bring them. I have many things "prepacked" in my suitcases such as combs, paperbacks, earplugs, sundries. Well, I do disagree with you and feel you are being a bit overdramatic with your socks analogy. They aren't really little mops unless you are spraying the bottom of your socks with a cleaning product. Going 5 feet with a pair of dry socks isn't going to bring all kinds of things into your shoes. But if you are convinced this is the case, wouldn't socks be better than your bare feet? You could at least take off the socks and wash them.

Sorry, but you're completely and totally wrong. Clearly you've never collected Petri dish samples before.

When collecting bacteria samples, all you do is take a dry Q-tip and touch it very gently over an area, and then gently touch the Q-Tip into a petri dish. Within a few hours, a bacteria colony will grow in the warm agar.

Your sock is no different from a Q-Tip — probably worse if anything — and your shoe is basically a warm Petri dish. Your sock doesn't need to be moist to pick up bacteria or fungus. (Although, if you think about it, most people's socks are slightly moist after removing them from a shoe). A simple contact to the surface is all it takes. The reason is because the bacteria or fungus is found in a microscopic, moist substance on the floor — which makes it very easy to transfer to anything that touches it.

So, if you walk on something moist (or waxy) with a dry sock, it transfers directly to your sock — just like the Q-Tip.

Most people don't think about it, but those who know how to collect a sample know how easy it is to pick up bacteria and fungus. For everyone else, ignorance is bliss, I suppose.

The point isn't about remembering to take booties or not. The point is that airports should provide them because the surfaces are unsanitary and they spread infection. Imagine how ridiculous it would be if you had to bring your own soap to a public bathroom. Obviously the screensers at Charles de Gaulle recognize the problem. Otherwise, they wouldn't waste their money on providing thousands and thousands of booties to everyone who walks through their security checkpoint.

Cibo, clearly you haven't travelled out of the western world. Actually, in many places around the world, bringing your own soap and TP to public washrooms is very normal and far from ridiculous. And don't forget, the french are quite the socialists so they always "do" for their people what people could and should, do for themselves. Last time I was in Paris, I was telling french friends how lucky they were to have 6 weeks of vacation and they replied that it didn't matter since they couldn't afford to go anywhere. And frankly, if you really think walking a few feet in your socks is equal to getting samples to do scientific testings for petri dishes, then you really should get off your computer and run, don't walk, to your nearest walmart for those big packages of booties or socks. And then I would write a letter to CDG and congratulate them on their bootie efforts and to avoid even more diseases, unncessary airport aquired infections, or deaths, ask them to give everyone plastic gloves when they come in the airport. And masks. And those little hand sanitizers. Because, you never can be too careful.

Your ignorance is astounding, on so many levels.

You've basically laid down an argument that ridicules providing soap in public restrooms because some third-world countries don't use those "socialist" soap dispensers everywhere. Nice.

There's a big difference between providing services as a convenience and providing them to prevent the spread of disease. And yes, Nanoose. You actually do have to wash your hands after you use the toilet, even if they didn't get wet.

A lot of domestic airports, like Phoenix and Dallas, have been giving away booties to passengers for a few years now. It appears the concern is really justified.........

http://10news.com/news/9463455/detail.html

Yuk!

Cibo, that is pretty disgusting to say that about bathroom activity. Clearly, very clearly, there is something wrong with you. My message is don't come on boards whining about what you do or don't get at airports. If you feel so strongly about booties, justified or not, take responsbility for yourself and bring them with you. And stop whining about how you may forget. If you are some old geezer with a failing memory, along with your bad disposition, put a "post it" on your suitcase!

Thanks, Nanoose. You'd make a fantastic airport manager.

Seriously.

Cibo, you certainly would have given Mussolini a run for his money.

Gee, I didn't know Mussolini was into good hygiene. Go figure.

Wash up, Nanoose!