New TSA "rule" for Wheelchair Users?

[trikeman]

Just FYI all inspection stations are video taped. There is no excuse for the actions at Colorado Springs. These actions should be reported to the TSA supervisor. Tell them the time, date and gate information and they can pull that tape up and look at it. I know of agents fired for less.

[Taxguy77]

Note to self.... avoid Colorado Springs....

 

Note to self; Avoid flying.

See the USA in your Chevrolet.

Doris Day

[Mama24]

Note to self; Avoid flying.

See the USA in your Chevrolet.

Doris Day

 

This is pretty much how I feel. For me, air travel is one aggravation after another and at times, downright humiliating. No thank you.

 

From now on, when I cruise, we drive to the port.

[Lov2Cruisseee!!!!]

I would definatly file a serious complaint. That is COMPLETELY uncalled for!!! I have been to Columbus airport many times, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami and Orlando airports and have NEVER experienced anything like that. My husband always take my bags through the scanner. I think they did one time look inside of my bags, but i have never had to take off my shoes. They ask me if i can take them off and they are very hard for me to put them back on so they dont make me do that. And then they give me the usual hand pat down, then off i go heading towards my plane. Its never been a problem for me. The fact that they said you were acting like a terrorist is totally disrespectful!!!! And by the way, i will cross pack if i damn well pls thank you very much! If i want to put some of my things in my husbands bags, and some of his stuff in mine i have that right. As long as all the bags get through the scanner or atleast checked inside it shouldnt matter.

[DFW Airwolf]

This isn't exactly cruise related but I thought I would post here to see if anyone else has heard of this "rule" that my mom and I recently encountered when flying. I've already checked the TSA website and it doesn't seem to address this situation.

 

We left from Houston on June 17th and did our usual airport screening routine. I took Mom's carry-on bag and shoes to run through the scanner with my things and she went through the wheelchair gate for a hand inspection. I thought this was the "normal" process for wheelchair users.

 

We returned from Colorado Springs on the 25th. Since no one told me any differently, I removed my mom's shoes and took her carry-on bag with mine to the scanner. I went through the metal dectector and collected our things on the "secure" side of the check point.

 

Then a TSA inspector came over and started yelling at me that I had violated security protocal because all wheelchair users had to have their bags opened for visual inspection and I wasn't supposed to run my mom's bag through the scanner. I tried to remain calm and explain that I hadn't been told any differently nor were any signs posted so I followed the procedures that we use in Houston. She then told me that Houston is doing that wrong and I needed to give her all my mom's things. She became upset yet again when I told her that I had some of my mom's things in my bag and vice versa. She started screaming that I had committed a serious security breach because disabled passengers were not allowed to "cross-pack" because of the visual inspection. I explained that we have flown several times and never heard of that rule, but that agent claims it has been in effect for years. I have since checked an cannot find it on the TSA website.

 

I gave her both carry-on bags and was told to wait in the custody of another TSA agent. The first agent took the bags and literally dumped both bags on a table. I was irritated because my mom and I had laptops and cameras in our bags. She rifled through our things, taking no care to keep anything neat and knocked some items off the table to the floor. The bags had already been through the X-ray scanner and there was nothing suspicious in them. The agent tossed everything back in the bags, not necessarily in the bag it was originally in. My mom and I were free to leave after that but told that we were being noted as "suspicious" passengers. I'm not sure what that meant.

 

Is it really a "rule" that disabled passengers must have their bags visually inspected and are not supposed to cross-pack with other passengers? Is this common practice for airports other than Houston? I didn't mean to violate any rules but cannot seem to find any mention of it. My mom and I were both extremely embarrassed by the experience, especially when the TSA agent started screaming that we were behaving like terrorists. That really turns a bunch of heads at an airport. :o

 

 

Sounds like a severe case of "Barney Fife Syndrome" or "Rambo Wannabe"

[judyfssw]

In September, going through security with my husband and I in wheelchairs, my husband needed to be handscreened (as always). Afterwards, we thanked him and he did a double-take because he'd never been thanked for doing his job before. He was considerate and gentle with my husband and we both appreciated it.

[emmtee]

I'm afraid to say (because I guess a lot of readers are from the USA) that in all my travels around the world the USA customs officials are the rudest and most miserable I've ever met. They never smile and always treat everyone as a terror threat-including my wife who has been wheelchair bound for some years. We recently left Canada where the customs people were always very smiley and cheerfull and embarked on to an American cruise ship, where the customs people were just plain rude and ignorant.

 

No offense taken. In fact, I agree with you. It's not just the TSA, but the border crossings. On our Alaskan cruise, we took a tour that went into the Yukon. When we crossed into Canada, the border agent checked our passports but in a kind, friendly manner. Coming back to our own country the border agent was serious, rude, and even woke up my sleeping 3-yr old niece to check her passport. :mad:

[trikinimaster]

We just flew the atlantic Miami to Berlin and Berlin to Barcelona, Miami I took the 2 carry ons, and personal stuff through and the scooter went seperate. Did have to remove money etc, which I objected to and an agent provided a seperate container for it.

 

In Berlin German TSA had to screen us and they seemed more casual then the US

 

On return went through Houston and again I took both carry ons, and removable items with me, had two bins, carry ons, two computers and a cane.

 

An Agent saw me fmbling with this load and helped me carry her stuff back to her and gave us a spot on a table with a chair to put on shoes and repack. Very cordial and helping.

 

Will stay away from Colorado Springs.

 

File a complaint and write you senator.

[wizard-of-roz]

Daughter lives in Eugene, Oregon....we live in Los Angeles. Daughter says, "fly up for Thanksgiving, it's only a 2 hour flight!" DH says, "I'd rather have my fingernails pulled-out with plyers than go through an airport!" So, guess who's driving?

[AmoMondo]

I am so shocked reading this thread.I'm not normally a wheel chair user but as I'm visually impaired and travelma lot on my own and get passenger assistance, I often get put in a wheelchair because many airports treat all disabled passengers as though they have the same disability. I have never encountered treatment like that by any security personnel anywhere. The odd grumpy one here and there but not downright unreasonable. My hand luggage always gets scanned. 9 times out of 10 it is the assistance person who puts it through for me. 8've never been told that because i'm having to be hand checked, my hand luggage has to be also. It doesn't even make sense. One time when I had the misfortune to be run over on holiday in Bali, came back through umpteen airports in a wheelchair. I got the preferential treatment, whilst my poor friend was left with all of our hand luggage to lug!

 

Please, please complain and also write to your senator. It is not acceptable for anyone to be treated this way. Yes we all want to be safe from terrorism, but that doesn't mean that people have to be victimised for having a disability to carry out these checks.the answer is not for peoplemwith disabilities to avoid doing things, nothing will change and complete morons like that agent will carry on, using their "power trip" to intimidate and upset people needlessly. Who's working for Al Queda.....maybe people like that agent who adversely impact people's daily lives and undermine their confidence! Isn't that one of their aims to spread fear and disrupt normal activity.........TSA should be diligently keeping you and other passengersbsafe, not stopping people from flying because the experience is so awful!

 

Ok rant over!

[wizard-of-roz]

 

TSA should be diligently keeping you and other passengersbsafe, not stopping people from flying because the experience is so awful!

 

Ok rant over!

 

Precisely the reason why were taking a 2 day car ride instead of a 2 hour plane ride.

 

I'm not so sure complaining either by phone or mail will make any difference. Our system is not a good one [obviously] and until we learn from El Al how to "profile" and simply rid our planes of dangerous people by their methods....nothing will change and no amount of complaining will do anything!

[mdvlprof]

Sometimes I wonder if one of the requirements to be a TSA agent is to be a few fries short of a happy meal.

Or a few marbles short of a game?

[momof3cruisers]

Precisely the reason why were taking a 2 day car ride instead of a 2 hour plane ride.

 

I'm not so sure complaining either by phone or mail will make any difference. Our system is not a good one [obviously] and until we learn from El Al how to "profile" and simply rid our planes of dangerous people by their methods....nothing will change and no amount of complaining will do anything!

 

Totally agree with you. No way would I even attempt to tke my special needs child through the TSA gauntlet. We drive everywhere. It's less stressful than flying.