Disabled Me and the TSA

[fma_fanatic]

I can tell you that Lambert Airport has some of the worst TSA agents when it comes to going through security. I had to fly back home in 2005 when my dad passed away and since I got a last minute flight, I had to arrive at 4am to check in for a 6am flight. That wasn't the problem, the problem was because it was a last minute flight, it had an extra special security screening code on my ticket.

So I got pulled out of line and taken over to have everything searched - purse, laptop case, everything. The woman who was searching my stuff made comments about the books I had in my purse (harmless romance), the fact that my laptop case had some pet hairs - apparently I was supposed to have some sort of control over my shedding cats. Then she got snippy about my flight.

TSA Agent: What's so damned important you gotta leave so damned early.
Me: *already tired and irritated* My dad passed away two days ago.

The agent didn't say squat to me after that, but it was clear that she knew she'd not get any pleasant attitude out of me.

Same attitude when I flew out in 2010 to take care of my mother's death. Only this time I didn't have a last minute ticket. The only problem they seemed to have was with my CPAP machine.

Yet, I never had any problems at the San Jose International Airport, other than trying to get my belt back on. One of the agents was nice enough to help me because my back was hurting from dealing with all the stress I was under.

[WIphone_lady]

When I went through Iceland the Frankfurt plane arrived in a different terminal area than the Boston one departed from. I was also the designated extra random searchee on the way home [US TSA requirement is for some poor random schlub to get extra attention, in this case a rummage hands on in my carry on luggage and a swipe for explosives. I got a spiffy Iceland tourist DVD for the whole deal ] 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.

I love the fact that the Keflavik airport in Iceland is really only "open" when flights come in or leave. And even better, we flew from Iceland (we were in Reykjavik for our honeymoon), just days before that flight which prompted all of the bans on liquids in the cabin. We used up the last of our Kroner in the duty free shop near our gate on a bottle of Reyka, which has become our vodka of choice now.

[AccountingDrone]

I love the fact that the Keflavik airport in Iceland is really only "open" when flights come in or leave. And even better, we flew from Iceland (we were in Reykjavik for our honeymoon), just days before that flight which prompted all of the bans on liquids in the cabin. We used up the last of our Kroner in the duty free shop near our gate on a bottle of Reyka, which has become our vodka of choice now.

Isn't it just a beautiful airport? And the views of the flat plains and amazing storm grey and blue ocean are lovely.

We have plans of hitting Iceland for a week vacation in a couple years. Next summer is London for WorldCon, year after that is Bucharest [a friend is engaged and planning a wedding].

Next weekend is my mum's 90th birthday party, but we can drive and don't have to fly

[fireheart]

There is a running joke in my family that involves my mum and planes. We've never flown out of Australia, all of our planes have been between states.

Every single time we have travelled on a plane, Mum has ALWAYS been the one pulled over for the bomb check. They don't have her name on a list or anything and my sister and I have bigger backpacks than her handbag, but it's hilarious. She always gets her bag swiped for explosives.

[Jetfire]

I was sent to Greenland on business about a month after 9/11 (My company at the time developed Air Traffic Control Messaging systems and we were installing a new box in Kangerlussaq). Flew out from San Francisco to Seattle to Copenhagen to Kangerlussaq (Overnighted in Copenhagen).

Going out, I was one of the lucky ones singled out for extra inspection, so I was inspected loading in SFO, going through customs in Seattle, at the gate in Seattle, loading in Copenhagen, and strangely enough coming OFF the plane in Kangerlussaq. (Coming off the plane in Copenhagen, we just gathered our bags and walked right out, didn't go through any security I noticed).

Coming home by the same route, I wasn't the lucky dolt so didn't have any extra searches. It was also the flight that I had my swiss army knife in my pocket all the way to Seattle and didn't even think of it. I was literally in line to go throuhg security in SeaTac again (due to different terminals), when I put my hand in my pocket and realized I had it. I palmed it and slipped it into my backpack and no one batted an eye. This was after going through metal detecters in Greenland and Denmark too.

Other than that, I haven't had any issues with Airport Security thankfully. I just wish you guys would regain your sanity about it. Canadian and European airports don't make you take off your shoes and whatnot when you go through (unless you're going into the States)

[WIphone_lady]

I should count my blessings, because at least I'm not a constant target for racial profiling. One of my dearest friends is a dual American and Pakistani citizen. They're living in Islamabad right now, but with the way things are there, they're planning on moving back before the elections in Pakistan and all hell break loose. As a Muslim Pakistani woman, you can only imagine the extra screening she and her family will face.

[Sparky]

Why did you have to go through security four times? Unless you were changing airports? I've never been to an airport that makes you go outside the security cordon in order to change planes.

You're absolutely right. Total brain fart on my part. I went through security twice. It just felt like four times.

[50 mission cap]

I'm sorry you had such an awful experience.

I once flew with my arm in a sling. It was a round trip and I had to change planes, so I had to go through security four times. Every single person was kind and polite and accomodating. At one gate I kept beeping so they wanded me, and when I continued to beep (I have no idea why unless it was the rivets in my jeans) they finally patted me down, but the lady was still very polite, kept telling me where she was going to touch me, and when she was near a ... ahem ... personal area she stressed that she was using the back of her hand. I was almost ready to volunteer for a strip search just to get out of there.

Unlike you, taking my shoes off was not difficult for me so I had little trouble. But
I found it amusing was that they wiped down my sling to test for explosives, and if I remember correctly, they did that each time. Now, if I were going to transport explosives in cloth, couldn't I put it in my underwear or in my shirt just as easily as in my sling? But they didn't seem to care about anything else. The sling was out of the ordinary and it drew attention.

security theatre.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Mom doesn't fly that often-- partly because she's always nervous about it (especially post-9/11) and partly because she tends to get airsick and has to take dramamine (or whatever it's called).

Given that she has a replacement hip and a replacement knee, she's had to get pulled over for a slightly more thorough screening, which Mom's not happy about, but accepts as part of the process now.

She was planning on attending Cousin's wedding in May down in Mexico, which would have made for a bit of an endeavor through security, but her knee and hip have been really bothering her to the point where she can barely walk, so she may have to decline the invitation.

[AccountingDrone]

Mom doesn't fly that often-- partly because she's always nervous about it (especially post-9/11) and partly because she tends to get airsick and has to take dramamine (or whatever it's called).

Given that she has a replacement hip and a replacement knee, she's had to get pulled over for a slightly more thorough screening, which Mom's not happy about, but accepts as part of the process now.

She was planning on attending Cousin's wedding in May down in Mexico, which would have made for a bit of an endeavor through security, but her knee and hip have been really bothering her to the point where she can barely walk, so she may have to decline the invitation.

She should check with her local hospital equipment supply drugstore, mine rents wheelchairs. She could rent one and travel [at least the walking parts] in comfort. She can also call the airline and request a wheelchair and escort [pusher] to get her through the airport - including wheeling through TSA inspections right onto the plane, then one to meet her at the destination, who would get her through to the kerb. [you still have to do customs and TSA but you can sit instead of stand and walk.]

[Jay 2K Winger]

She should check with her local hospital equipment supply drugstore, mine rents wheelchairs. She could rent one and travel [at least the walking parts] in comfort. She can also call the airline and request a wheelchair and escort [pusher] to get her through the airport - including wheeling through TSA inspections right onto the plane, then one to meet her at the destination, who would get her through to the kerb. [you still have to do customs and TSA but you can sit instead of stand and walk.]

Thanks for the suggestion, but my Mom is too proud to want a wheelchair. We could easily accommodate her, but she'll turn it down because she's not ready to admit she needs one yet.

The other day when she fell, I was on hand, and kept asking her if she wanted my help to get up. She kept declining, saying she didn't think I could do it by myself (I'm pretty sure I could have, for the record) and ended up calling Dad to come home to help. As we were about to go run some errands (i.e., she would drive, I would do the legwork), I went out to do one of the errands and get lunch for us. When I got home, she'd managed to get up and into the recliner by herself, and had called Dad to tell him she didn't need the help anymore.

Thanks again for the suggestion, though, I can bring it up with her and Dad, see what they think.

[Mystic]

I'm really trying hard to not fratch here... I hate the TSA to the point where I simply refuse to fly anymore. I've never been pulled aside, but it seems like every week, there is a new story that makes me hate them even more such as this week where they tormented a little girl in a wheelchair.

Wonder how many terrorists they have caught with these new anti-terrorism procedures they put us through? Last I heard: none. >=\

[kpzra]

Wonder how many terrorists they have caught with these new anti-terrorism procedures they put us through? Last I heard: none. >=\

Just because you haven't read about them doesn't mean it didn't happen. I know of a few personally, I used to work private side airport. One was coming after a client of ours at customs.

[Chromatix]

I'll say this - the TSA is a major reason why I don't visit the USA any more. If I absolutely had to go there, I'd do my best to fly direct to Canada and then come over the land border somehow.

We have the same basic type of inspections over here, but the security staff here are much more reasonable - they check for the obvious things, which is sufficient for security theatre *and* the easiest threats to organise, and aren't nasty about it. I haven't seen the perv-scanners in use, either. Meanwhile, police task forces keep track of the people who could and would organise a more subtle attack, making the perv-scanners and the casual molestation unnecessary.

[Seshat]

As we were about to go run some errands (i.e., she would drive, I would do the legwork), I went out to do one of the errands and get lunch for us. When I got home, she'd managed to get up and into the recliner by herself, and had called Dad to tell him she didn't need the help anymore.

Um ... yeah, I've done similar stuff.

But for everyone who does need to travel through airports and is disabled: the disabled-service wheelchair-assist route is DEFINITELY the way to go.

Obviously, the quality of the assistance depends partly on the airline, and partly on the customer service skills of the individual assistant you get; but back when my husband was working and I flew from time to time, using the wheelchair assist service made a HUGE difference.

It's not just the physical assistance, either. It's the fact that the assistant is going to make sure you make your flight - or at least get to the appropriate lounge in time. You also get to board without being in a crush of people, and the stewards take that little extra bit of care to make sure you're okay during the flight.

Not having to THINK about how the hell I get from point A to point B in an unfamiliar airport after 15 hours flying time ... is a major, major boon.