screening of passengers at airports

screening of passengers at airports

Steve's Account

3/31/2004

>
Karen Schebesta, Office Manager < <Email Address Redacted> > writes:
> Subject: urgent request for quadralateral patient
[snip]
>
> We just received a call from a patients mother. The patient is 21 y/o,
> female, quadralateral amputee. Tomorrow she will be flying from PHL to NC.
> The last time she flew, with total humiliation, security made her remove
> all 4 limbs and xrayed them. This was dehumanizing and humiliating to her.

[snip]

Karen,

There are specific guidelines on the TSA web page.

Here is the text of the web page reguarding prosthetic devices:

<URL Redacted>

_______________________________________________________________________________

Persons with Prosthetic Devices, Casts, Body Braces

Screeners will need to see and touch your prosthetic device, cast, or body
brace as part of the screening process.

You have the option of requesting a private screening at any time during the
screening of your prosthetic device, cast, or body brace.

A screening supervisor or a lead screener will need to perform an explosive
trace detection (ETD) screening of your prosthetic device, cast, or body brace.

The screening supervisor or lead screener will describe the ETD sampling
procedure in advance to help you along with the process.

During the screening process, the screener supervisor or lead screener
will take a swab sample from the exterior of your prosthetic device,
cast, or body brace.

This ETD screening process may require you to lift or remove some of your
clothing in order to obtain the ETD sample.

The screening supervisor or lead screener should offer you a private screening
if clothing will need to be lifted or removed in order to obtain the ETD sample.
You have the right to refuse the offer of a private screening; however, you'll
need to allow the screening to be conducted publicly if you wish to proceed
beyond the security checkpoint.

You may have a companion or family member accompany you into the private
screening area (once he or she has been screened) and remain throughout the
screening process.

TSA will make every effort to have two screeners of the same gender as the
passenger being screened present during the private screening.

Please notify screeners if you need assistance during the screening process
such as a hand, arm, or shoulder to lean upon, or a chair in which to sit.

Once the screening supervisor or lead screener has determined that you do not
represent a security risk, he or she will allow you to proceed through the
checkpoint into the sterile area.
_______________________________________________________________________________

From another portion of the same site:

<URL Redacted>
[snip]
Orthopedic Shoes, Support Appliances, and Other Exterior Medical Devices
Screeners should not be asking you to remove your orthopedic shoes,
appliances, or medical device at any time during the screening process.
[snip]

Best of luck.

I hope this gets to her in time..

Steve