What Would You Do?

[jdb in AZ]

Not sure if this should go on the Disabilities Board, the Community Board, or the Transportation Board, since it fits all three categories. Take your pick.

I just read on a 'Net news feed about an 88-yr-old woman at the Jet Blue Terminal at JFK whose colostomy bag made a suspicious bulge in her sweat pants when she was going through security screening. A TSA agent gave her an intimate pat down, then forced her to take off her pants.

As a relative of two "bag" ladies, I'm totally appalled, and hope something can be done to prevent more unreasonable searches in the future.

 

[Bete]

sure do seem to get the once over by security for one reason or another. I've heard a few, bad kid stories in this regard, but it does seem the elderly are getting picked on more to me.

All we can all hope for is better scanning equipment in the future that might allow less manual searches.

I fear this with my own mother. We had to cancel a recent air trip, but I was very concerned about this security aspect with her.

There have been a few horror stories shared on this board about these security practices.

I feel my next trip to Disney will be by car once again. For many different reasons I won't be using a plane; I'm avoiding it like the plague. I decided with some recent events that I can't chance taking a trip alone with my mom. This would be the only reason for me flying with her if it were just the two of us going somewhere.

Anyway, I'm still hoping for another Disney trip with my mom next December. I feel she should be much better by that time. I will say it will be car!

 

[pbrim]

This sort of nonsense is exactly why I don't fly anymore if I have any other option. You have a choice between being irradiated by machines of unproven safety or being groped in public. Whichever one you choose, it DOESN'T make us one whit safer, it just is supposed to keep people scared and willing to put up with anything "for your protection". (The back-scatter machines are not medical devices so the FDA can't regulate them, and there is no provision for any other agency to test and certify x-ray technology. So we are just supposed to accept their word for it that the machines are safe with no testing and no certification.)

Plus as a pooh-sized person, I worry about being singled out as too big. I fit well within the arm-rests, but I have know people smaller than me who have been publicly humiliated by being harrassed about their size, and some who after flying to their destination with a single seat have been ambushed at the airport and informed that unless they ponied up for another seat, full price, right now, they wouldn't be allowed on the plane on the way home. One man even made it making it half-way back before being informed when he changed planes that he had to come up with several hundred dollars NOW, or he would be stranded in the mid-point airport.

I drive a lot more, I'm checking into taking the train at times, I might even go back to taking the bus some, but I think I'm about through flying. It's not worth the stress.

 

[PatsMom]

I know several members of my bladder cancer support group just assume they will be searched. Some carry a little card with the information on their urostomy. You are not searched in public. If you need the patdown you can request a private room. One or two did report that they were asked to touch their urostomy bag and their hands were then swabbed for explosives. Other than that, things seem to be going OK at the airports.

At least one member had a real horror story at the beginning of the back scatter machines and the pat downs. His concerns were addressed and the last time he travelled he said things were handled much better.

I also read about the elderly lady and feel that while they might have been justified in doing the search, they could have handled things more tactfully. The taking the pants off thing was most likely what the people in my group report - you have to show your bag and then touch it yourself. They do not touch the urostomy equipment. I am sure a colostomy would be handled the same way.