Bare feet should be banned in airports everywhere

When I disembarked from my flight from London at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport, I was exhaustedly preparing for the long process of customs and security required of me to get back into the country. 

I eventually found myself at the front of the security line where I was expected to take my shoes off and place them in the large bin provided. As I knelt down to untie the first shoe, I looked around me to make sure I wasn’t in anybody’s way; however, my eyes were quickly drawn to the pair of bare feet gripping the floor right in front of me.

Over spring break, I had the opportunity to travel to Scotland with a couple of beloved English and journalism professors and 10 other brilliant young women. I was prepared for the TSA agents to shout instructions at us, I was prepared for the hustle between gates during a short layover, and I was even prepared to use the sticky in-flight bathrooms. I was not, however, prepared for the multiple sets of bare feet I saw on my journey.

To those of us who have had the unlucky experience of witnessing bare feet while on a leg of travel, I’m certain most everyone has found it displeasing. This grotesque indecency causes me a great deal of confusion. One may be headed for vacation, but they are not at the beach yet. There is no reason a person cannot put on a pair of socks to shield innocent passerby from their overgrown toenails.

I’m not the only one who finds this offensive. Delta explicitly states in its contract of carriage that they reserve the right to refuse transportation for a passenger if they pose a threat to the comfort or safety of others. This includes “when the passenger is barefoot.” While this is a step in the right direction, I believe more can be done. 

Because of their constant high traffic, airports are one of the germiest places one can venture through. The Chicago Department of Aviation predicted that more than 3.36 million passengers would be passing through Chicago airports during the spring break season of March 20 through March 31 just this year. The number of germs accumulated from that many people in such a short amount of time should make travelers think twice before exposing their soles to the floors millions have walked on before them. 

TSA goes to great lengths to ensure travelers’ safety, whether limiting liquids, gels, aerosols or weapons; this is for the safety of all passengers and crew involved in flight. Why not one more rule? 

To go through security at most airports, passengers are required to take off their shoes, remove their quart-sized bag of liquids from their carry-on, place any electronic devices in the bin and shed excess clothing that may interfere with security scanners. Why not add a regulation that would require passengers to arrive at the airport with socks at the ready? We don’t need passengers contracting viruses from the germs they collect on their bare feet, and we also don’t need to scare witnesses with the sight of unkempt toes. 

Airports need to understand the weight of this pressing issue threatening the peace and safety of innocent travelers. When I am on my 23rd hour of being awake from international travel, I intend to arrive at my final destination, and last time I checked I didn’t buy tickets to the Shire.