We always try to arrive at the airport at LEAST 2 hours prior to our departure time. You never know how long it will take to go through security.
I understand the need for the security and, on the whole, I think TSA is doing a great job. But there are times when common sense and discretion should take precedence. When we were standing in line waiting to go through the body scan machine, I notice three people who were in wheel chairs. One was an older Asian woman sitting bent over in the chair. Someone came over to help her remove her jacket. I saw two things protruding out of her sweater in the back and at first thought maybe they were her shoulder bones (wings). I didn't think anymore of it. I glanced back again and just saw three empty wheel chairs which the TSA agent had to "pat" down before sending through the metal detector. I'm not sure about how the three people got to the other side (either through the regular metal detector or the body scan). I just saw the Asian woman standing there and the TSA agent said to her, "Are you wearing a brace?" The woman quietly said, "Yes." The next thing I knew, the agent lifted the woman's shirt and took off her brace. The TSA agent threw it about 8 feet across the room to another agent and said, "Scan this."
Okay. There are ways to doing this. First off, couldn't she have brought the woman to a closed off room to remove the brace? Did she have to throw the brace across the room?
The woman didn't say a word.
The TSA agent told her to go to the body scan. The old woman slowly walked to the machine, held up her arms, then walked back to the agent. The agent said, "Go back in there!" So the woman did it again.
All the while the woman didn't complain; in fact she didn't say a word. She did it with dignity, if one could possibly go through an airport scanner like that.
I was so tempted to say something, either to her, like to put my arm around her and say, "I'm sorry you had to endure that," or to the TSA agent, "Was that really necessary?"
But then decided to just keep my mouth shut. First off I didn't want to scare the old woman, and secondly, who knows if I would have been punished in some way by that TSA agent?
Good thing I didn't say anything. I could have gotten arrested. Read this link!
More about our trip later.
12 comments:
they need to have alternative means to scan...and to be honest they probably do but it was probably so busy they did not want to take the time...that sucks....
so where did you go in florida? i miss it
Wow, that brings tears to my eyes!
Just for these reasons we don't fly unless we absolutely HAVE to. We can't drive from the USA to Norway so that is one of those times we have to fly. We do drive back and forth between Ohio and Florida to my husband's work every ten weeks. There is no way we would fly as long as there is time to drive.
I... I... god that woman could have been in extreme pain without the use of her brace. I mean, she was wearing a brace for a reason! And throwing it across the room could have damaged it, it could have gotten out of shape and wouldn't have worked for her for whatever reason anymore. You know they do have special entrances for things like that. I have to use it once in a while because I have a stupid magnet in the side of my head. I used to have to ask for special entrance and have someone literally pat me down on the side then let me come in without going through the detector. Then I learned that if I turned my head... and walked through the detector looking over my shoulder, it wouldn't beep. But that special request would work for anybody. That poor woman.
Yikes! I refuse to fly anymore, and I did not attend my son's second wedding in Jamaica. He and his bride were sweet enough to have a reception at home when they returned from their honeymoon.
Oh that poor woman, she was probably afraid to make a fuss. This is one of the reasons we rarely fly any more. It's just not worth all the hassles.
I haven't seen such rude behavior. I hate flying and only go when necessary.
I'm surprised you didn't say something to the TSA person. Jeez. Poor woman.
That's just horrible! I hope she or someone reported it to their supervisors. It's the only way to straighten out such behavior.
I'm kinda glad I've never flown
the TSA is rude and I don't think they have the proper training at all. It's good that I moved back here so that I don't have endure the misery that is flying in the 21st century.
Ugh. Air travel has become such a nightmare. I'm loath to use it much anymore.
It is for reasons like this that we will never fly anywhere again.
Yikes. I... I don't know what to say. You'd think they could think. Oh, wait...
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