Why do we agree to take off our shoes at the airport?

By Emmanuel Carré, Professeur, directeur de Excelia Communication School, chercheur associé au laboratoire CIMEOS (U. de Bourgogne) et CERIIM (Excelia), Excelia

It is 7.30am at Terminal 2E at Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris, and in the line leading to the security gates, an executive is removing his belt with a mechanical gesture, a mother is taking baby bottles out of her bag, and a tourist is sighing as he unties his shoes. Everyone is moving forward in beep-punctuated silence, only disturbed by the sound of bins moving along the conveyor belts.

This scene repeats itself relentlessly: according to the International Air Transport Association,…

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