security question

[vacation dreamer]

Quick question for a friend who is flying this weekend. Do you need to take a child's AFO's off at security? TIA

 

[DannysMom]

Quick question for a friend who is flying this weekend. Do you need to take a child's AFO's off at security? TIA

No, they are a mobility aide and do not need to be taken off. They and the shoes may be swabbed for chemical residue. The TSA agent who had to swab my then 3 1/2 year old son's AFO's & shoes last year looked at me like he knew it was ridiculous, but he had to do it.

When approaching the TSA agent, I always state upfront that my son wears braces to help him walk & it's pretty obvious from his gait that wearing them isn't really optional.

 

[SueM in MN]

Here's a link to the official documentation from the TSA website
for what DannysMom wrote.

 

[DisneyWheeler]

When we went in January, the screeners at the Orlando Airport made me take my AFO off-shoes and all. My bone conduction hearing aid too (which is a headband-type device) and they ran that through as well. You can imagine how frustrated the screener was, when I kept saying "huh" over and over again when she was giving me directions. My mom had gone in line ahead of me. When she turned around she saw the situation I was in, and said to the screener, "She can't hear you without her hearing aid. The hearing in her left ear is completely gone." They did give my hearing aid back to me so that I could hear the screener's directions for the pat down. But, the screener did an extra pat-down because my artificial hip had set off the detector too. It never has done that before.

When she ran the wand over my artificial hip, she asked if I had anything in my pocket. I told her no. I almost thought she was going to take me to a private area and make me remove my pants. But, my mom stepped in and explained that I had a artificial hip in that hip. The screener was satisfied with that, so she let me go.

Samantha

 

[vacation dreamer]

thank you for the quick replies!!

 

[SueM in MN]

I would print out the information from the TSA website and take it with you. If someone asks you to remove anything, ask for a supervisor.

 

[KPeveler]

depending on your child's age and ability to walk, it may be easier to remove them (but, as pointed out, they cannot make you do it) depending on how your child handles strangers. i am VERY uncomfortable with people i do not know touching me, so i take off my braces and stumble through the metal detector... however, that is an option for me, which it may not be for your child. just a thought, but as people said, they cant make you take them off...

 

[mykidsintow]

You should have told them they are not removable and you need them on at all times.

We have been through numberous times and just told them our daughter can't have them removed. They swab them, but its much much easier than removing it all and putting it back on.

Take the regs!

 

[SueM in MN]

You should have told them they are not removable and you need them on at all times.

We have been through numberous times and just told them our daughter can't have them removed. They swab them, but its much much easier than removing it all and putting it back on.

Take the regs!

They usually ask if our DD can get out of her wheelchair to go thru the screener. We tell them that she can't and they hand inspect her wheelchair.
We have also been asked if she can remove her shoes. She could, but we tell them no because her feet are tender and would be very uncomfortable on her footrests without shoes. They just swab her shoes.

 

[jenn-n-okla]

I thought you had to carry a special card if you had metal knees or hips? My DM does.
I have friends who are Deaf who wear HA or CI. They too complain of the hassle at the security. Most of the teenagers carry their school id with them in addition to their state id. Our school id states on the back that they are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and require the assistance of an interperter. I have also heard of adults carrying a card that states "I am not ignoring you. I am Deaf!"

 

[Purple Princess]

My daughter has metal rods in her entire back for Scoliosis and also in her hip. We had a card from her Dr. stating she had metal in her body due to these surgeries but we didn't have any problem at all getting through and there wasn't any need to show the card. Some airports may need the documentation though. MCO just didn't care which is scary actually..