The Perils of Air Travel
Cross-posted here at my new blog.
As I will hopefully getting around to writing about later, I had a wonderful time at Autreat. I greatly enjoyed meeting people there (including at least two members of this community), and it was undoubtedly the best group social experience of my life. Autreat itself was a remarkably stress-free environment for me, due to being accepting of stims and use of alternative communication if need be. Autreat generally did not cause stress. Getting there and returning, however, was a nightmare. In this post I will make a few suggestions about making air travel more autistic-friendly, drawing from my recent experiences.
Getting Through Security-
There are few things more stressful to me than going through security. I have had meltdowns in that situation before. Between the noise, fast pace, and necessity of trying to take care of several things at once, the procedure for going through security can easily cause overload. In the past, I have also been confused and stressed out about ambiguities in the growing list of regulations. This is exacerbated by the fact that some airports are less strident than others about enforcing the rules. Do I need to fuss with taking out a tube of toothpaste? Is it okay to have a few coins in my pocket? Do I need to take off any kind of overshirt, regardless of how thick it is? It isn’t always clear, especially when I’m overwhelmed and scrambling to remove articles of clothing and moving various objects. Frankly, a lot of this seems like it would be overwhelming and confusing to a “normal” person, let alone an autistic one. The Transportation Security Administration has an important job to do, certainly, but this need not come at the cost of inflicting undue stress. (And I really, really hope that the federal government doesn’t put me on some kind of list for critiquing the TSA! I am questioning methodology, not goals.)
As stressful as the regular security screening can be-and it is stressful-the extra screening can be even worse. Returning from Autreat, I was randomly selected to be searched. I found this quite startling; before I had the chance to fully process it, a stranger was telling me how to position myself and began touching my body with her hands and metal detector wand. When my boyfriend tried to hold my hand to comfort me, he was told he could not touch me unless he wanted to be searched himself. The guard continued the search, and her attempts to “help” just made things worse. I could barely contain myself from screaming at her-I have actually screamed at security guards in the past out of frustration. I am not as sensitive to touch as some other autistic people, but the search was nevertheless uncomfortable and most unwelcome. My partner tried to tell the security guard that I am autistic, but she didn’t particularly seem to care.
I wish that the security guards I see at the airport would understand that I am not deliberately trying to be difficult or disobedient. I am not “crazy” or a rageaholic. I just have some difficulties getting through the process, and could use some more actual help and comfort rather than stern mandates. This experience has definitely indicated the need for some kind of autism/Asperger’s wallet card to me, but everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and respect regardless. I think being able to go through the “disability access” security line rather than the “regular” line would also be helpful to autistic people. Perhaps this line would be less hectic and demanding, at the very least. While I realize the system could perhaps be abused by non-disabled individuals, disability accommodation should encompass all disabilities, visible or not. Autism-specific training for security guards would be wonderful, and hopefully such training would mention that seemingly “normal-looking” adults traveling alone can be autistic and may have certain difficulties. I may be capable of independent air travel, but that doesn’t mean I can handle things “just like everybody else.” This is the kind of concrete “autism awareness” which should be going on.
Boarding the Plane-
Boarding an aircraft can be stressful for many of the same reasons as going through security. It’s crowded, it’s noisy, waits are long, and it’s hard to avoid being touched by strange people in one way or another. This also was an issue for me coming home from Autreat. Individual airlines might recognize the need for people with invisible disabilities to board early, along with those who have visible impairments. Perhaps some airlines are already doing so, but there are clear problems in implementation. I’ve been diagnosed, but I don’t carry a piece of paper saying so with me-actually, I don’t think I have such a piece of paper at all, as my parents never gave me one. I shouldn’t have to present my private medical records just to receive a few very basic accommodations which basically coast nothing. I have noticed a certain tendency to disbelieve people who claim invisible disabilities. Do some unscrupulous people lie about it? Perhaps. But there are also many people, like myself and my partner this past trip, who try to explain our invisible disabilities and are met with a complete lack of understanding, let alone any kind of empathy. (I guess “normal” people have trouble with that empathy thing, too.)
Air travel will probably never be completely stress-free for anyone, autistic or not. But a few simple changes could make flying a lot easier for people on the spectrum, I think. Does anyone have any experiences to share, or any further suggestions?