I was at an airport security checkpoint at Keflavik International Airport in Iceland on my way to Barcelona in Spain — which is a flight between two Schengen countries — when I spotted a man in line after he approached the area where belongings are placed in bins to be scanned.
One Obvious Way to Spot an American in an Airport Security Checkpoint Outside of the United States
I immediately knew he was American when I saw him taking off his shoes before going through the security checkpoint, which was not required at Keflavik International Airport — and sure enough, his passport was issued by the United States when I caught a glimpse of it.
By the time I noticed him, it was too late to let him know that he was not required to go through the trouble of taking off his shoes to pass through the security checkpoint at that airport.
Summary
One thing which I like about traveling in many countries around the world is that I usually do not have to remove my shoes, as is required of many people who pass through security checkpoints at airports in the United States but are not members of federal government trusted traveler programs such as Global Entry or TSA Pre✓…
…and it is interesting — and somewhat sad — to me to see some people get conditioned over time as to have certain actions automatically become habits at times when they are not required to perform them.
Perhaps one day, the requirement for passengers to remove the shoes from their feet will be rescinded — and I believe that that time is long overdue…
Photograph ©2018 by Brian Cohen.
