Diabetic teen upset with TSA screeners at Salt Lake City Airport

[mschaos]

SALT L AKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - A Colorado teen is upset with screeners at Salt Lake City International Airport. The type one diabetic says TSA agents were abrupt, rude and were responsible for breaking her $10,000 insulin pump. A pump she has to have to survive

Comments

[mirhanda]

Petty dictators that make nothing more secure. They pull aside menstruating women, strip search children and let guns and knives go through.

[stereosymbiosis]

menstruating women?! really? not that I'm surprised, but still D:

[kitanabychoice]

yeah, I don't even understand why that's a thing. o_O

[mirhanda]

BECAUSE SHE COULD HAVE A BOMB HIDDEN IN HER PAD! THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME!

[screamingintune]

ughhh, how horrible. Thank goodness she was able to get a new pump quickly but she definitely deserves compensation for this BS.

[kitanabychoice]

wow. I am continually amazed by the dumbness that flows from the TSA.

[latin_lunatic]

And this is why I panicked when I had to go through TSA and I don't even use a pump.

It seems the best thing to do is simply be aware of their policies and keep a print out if they refuse to do it. (I have read accounts where they have tried)

If you are concerned or uncomfortable about going through the walk-through metal detector with your insulin pump, notify the Security Officer that you are wearing an insulin pump and would like a full-body pat-down and a visual inspection of your pump instead.

Advise the Security Officer that the insulin pump cannot be removed because it is inserted with a catheter (needle) under the skin.

Advise the Security Officer if you are experiencing low blood sugar and are in need of medical assistance.

You have the option of requesting a visual inspection of your insulin and diabetes associated supplies.

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/specialneeds/editorial_1374.shtm

[crysania4]

Print-outs don't always work. I had a print-out about their policy on things like saline solution (had to be outside the quart-sized bag, could be larger than 3 ounces) and they still confiscated it. It's not on the same level as an insulin pump obviously, but they don't even give a shit about their own policies. They just do what they want to.

[spyral_path]

They read the note that said the insulin pump should not go through the scanner and sent her through anyway, even though she volunteered for a pat down.

I am trying to make sense of this but I just can't. This poor girl's life was put in danger and a $10,000 piece of equipment was destroyed because someone either couldn't read or didn't care. I'm glad I believe that the "terrorist threat" is mostly fear mongering or I'd feel really afraid with idiots like these tasked with keeping the airlines safe.