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A little background info before I get into the heart of the story. I was born with a rare spinal cord disorder that effects the muscle strength in my legs. At 36, I can still walk, but at some point I will be wheelchair bound. In 2005, I severely broke my ankle two days before Christmas, and since then have worn an ankle brace off and on and walk with the assistance of a cane. I also now have an ankle full of titanium (which at airports can sometimes cause problems).
A few years ago, my husband and I won a trip (airfare and hotel) to Laughlin, Nevada through our favorite NHL team. Some of our friends also won the same trip. We flew out of Minneapolis. Normally, when I fly out of there, I fly out of the larger Lindbergh and have never had a problem. This flight, since we were taking essentially a chartered, casino hopper flight, we had to fly out of the smaller Humphrey terminal. Got our bags checked, no problem. Got in line for security, and here's where things go downhill.
Because of my disability, the cane, and the ankle braces (and we're not talking about an ace bandage here....it's plastic, metal and Velcro with an attached foot orthotic), I always quietly approach the security agents and tell them that I need to walk through the x-ray machine with my shoes and a cane, and will gladly sit down and remove my shoes so they can test them. Unfortunately on this day, I got the total b!+ch hag from hell. She said "well you only have one brace, so you HAVE to take the other shoe off. Remember that spinal cord disorder I mentioned? Well it also effects my balance....I couldn't pass the "walk a straight line, stand on one leg" part of a roadside sobriety test stone cold sober. So now, I'm having to try and take a shoe off with no where to sit, a line of cranky people behind me, and since my husband already went through (thinking there would be no problems) wasn't allowed to come back through to help me. Now, I'm having to go through the metal detector uneven with only one shoe on, putting stress on the ankle that is full of metal, and I have flat feet, so having no shoe on the one foot wasn't that comfortable.
Of course, I set the detector off. So I get shuffled over to the further inspection areas and told to sit. I offered to give the b!+ch hag from hell my other shoe so she could run it through the metal detector, and was given total attitude "you said you couldn't remove your shoe." I responded with "I said I can't WALK without my shoe."
Now here's where the humiliation kicks in. I'm sitting down, and I'm told to lift my leg up so she can use the metal detector wand. Well with the aforementioned disability, my leg muscles are weak, and I can lift my legs 2-3 inches off the ground at most. Cue more attitude. "LIFT YOUR LEG HIGHER." And of course, because I'm under inspection my husband is not allowed to come help. I have to work really hand and lift my leg with my arms, which is embarrassing because everyone can see what is going on. You would think the humiliation would be over, but oh no. Now I get a full body frisk in front of everyone. As if to remind me that she's in charge of my flying future, she's pressing hard on the underwire of my bra into my chest and ribs.
I felt like crying. If ever there was a time I wish I could have asked for a supervisor, it was then. However, I didn't want to risk missing my flight or get blacklisted by the TSA for future flights. I know this was not standard practice, as I've flown since this incident, including international flights. In fact, on our return flight, the TSA agents were fantastic. I told them they could teach their fellow agents in Minneapolis a thing or two on how to work with those of us with disabilities. We're not trying to cause grief, but we also deserve to be treated with dignity.
I wonder to this day if b!+ch hag from hell still has her job....
A few years ago, my husband and I won a trip (airfare and hotel) to Laughlin, Nevada through our favorite NHL team. Some of our friends also won the same trip. We flew out of Minneapolis. Normally, when I fly out of there, I fly out of the larger Lindbergh and have never had a problem. This flight, since we were taking essentially a chartered, casino hopper flight, we had to fly out of the smaller Humphrey terminal. Got our bags checked, no problem. Got in line for security, and here's where things go downhill.
Because of my disability, the cane, and the ankle braces (and we're not talking about an ace bandage here....it's plastic, metal and Velcro with an attached foot orthotic), I always quietly approach the security agents and tell them that I need to walk through the x-ray machine with my shoes and a cane, and will gladly sit down and remove my shoes so they can test them. Unfortunately on this day, I got the total b!+ch hag from hell. She said "well you only have one brace, so you HAVE to take the other shoe off. Remember that spinal cord disorder I mentioned? Well it also effects my balance....I couldn't pass the "walk a straight line, stand on one leg" part of a roadside sobriety test stone cold sober. So now, I'm having to try and take a shoe off with no where to sit, a line of cranky people behind me, and since my husband already went through (thinking there would be no problems) wasn't allowed to come back through to help me. Now, I'm having to go through the metal detector uneven with only one shoe on, putting stress on the ankle that is full of metal, and I have flat feet, so having no shoe on the one foot wasn't that comfortable.
Of course, I set the detector off. So I get shuffled over to the further inspection areas and told to sit. I offered to give the b!+ch hag from hell my other shoe so she could run it through the metal detector, and was given total attitude "you said you couldn't remove your shoe." I responded with "I said I can't WALK without my shoe."
Now here's where the humiliation kicks in. I'm sitting down, and I'm told to lift my leg up so she can use the metal detector wand. Well with the aforementioned disability, my leg muscles are weak, and I can lift my legs 2-3 inches off the ground at most. Cue more attitude. "LIFT YOUR LEG HIGHER." And of course, because I'm under inspection my husband is not allowed to come help. I have to work really hand and lift my leg with my arms, which is embarrassing because everyone can see what is going on. You would think the humiliation would be over, but oh no. Now I get a full body frisk in front of everyone. As if to remind me that she's in charge of my flying future, she's pressing hard on the underwire of my bra into my chest and ribs.
I felt like crying. If ever there was a time I wish I could have asked for a supervisor, it was then. However, I didn't want to risk missing my flight or get blacklisted by the TSA for future flights. I know this was not standard practice, as I've flown since this incident, including international flights. In fact, on our return flight, the TSA agents were fantastic. I told them they could teach their fellow agents in Minneapolis a thing or two on how to work with those of us with disabilities. We're not trying to cause grief, but we also deserve to be treated with dignity.
I wonder to this day if b!+ch hag from hell still has her job....
I also got a cookie from the barista who saw me do this, but the look on the jerk's face was payment enough for that.) 
] The poor Iceland security people doing it seemed pretty apologetic about having to do an extra screening on me. I was seriously glad to both be in a wheelchair and being escorted [pushed] by an employee who could take me on a couple shortcuts otherwise the hour between planes would not have been enough to get from one side of the airport to the other.
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