Python 2.6 and 3 specifically say to avoid using PIPE for stdout and stderr.
The correct way is
import subprocess
# must create a file object to store the output. Here we are getting
# the ssid we are connected to
outfile = open('/tmp/ssid', 'w');
status = subprocess.Popen(["iwgetid"], bufsize=0, stdout=outfile)
outfile.close()
# now operate on the file