Getting through airport scanners and security with a metal body part involves a few extra steps... #Amputee #Prosthetic 📷 / footlessjo 🌍 www.footlessjo.com 💜 / jobeckwith
For anyone curious how I lost my leg, my whole story is here! ➡️ ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-x9EEbrs4oWc.html I appreciate you being here & being interested! 💜
Wow you sound way too happy and complicit with the whole situation. You're okay living like that having them frisky down like you're some kind of terrorist I'm not this is all gone too far. I'm really sad that you're having to do that at all whatsoever you should not have to.
Initially they had this entire x-ray thing they did which was very invasive. I'm not an insecure person by any means, but that was awkward at best. It kept going through my head how awful that would be for someone with social anxiety. Thankfully, just like you I generally get through without issue. They did have to retest me once because there was gunpowder residue on my leg somehow, haha. I had not been shooting in a few weeks, so I have no idea what it was.
I remember when I was six and had to go the airport I was recovering from a major surgery on my femur and the TSA kept telling me to get out of my wheelchair to walk through the machine while my mom ended up yelling with this agent that I cannot in fact walk at the moment. Took the agents supervisor coming by for her to understand the child who recently went under traumatic leg surgery cannot in fact walk.
My grandma has some metal in her knee and hip. And the airport is basically a high way to hell. She will get pet down, harshly, asked to take off her clothes in front of many people. And they do not care about the paperwork she has with her every time. I’m glad they’re nice to you, and you have good experiences! But it’s an issue for a lot of people with prosthetics.
That's really weird. Are they very old prosthetics? Titanium ones don't often trigger metal detectors because they're not ferromagnetic. Even stainless steel usually doesn't.
Yep, it's an issue for trans people too. Apparently my chest is a suspicious foreign object I need to remove. Every single time I have flown as an adult I've been picked for a "random" secondary inspection. That's across three countries and at least six airports. After spending several minutes trying to explain to an agent that I am trans and the only removable things on my body are clothing and literally telling him to just pat me down, I was told if I didn't remove whatever was on my chest I would not be flying that day. So I replied in a loud voice "Are you ordering me to take off my shirt?", and oh boy did a supervisor just materialize like magic. The agent tried to bluster and say obviously he didn't mean my shirt, he meant what was under my shirt. So the supervisor looked at me, asked me what was under my shirt and, without waiting for me to reply, told me I needed to remove it. I replied "Boobs" and was told that because I refused to tell him he would be patting me down. Yeah, two inches down my chest it was like his hand was magnetically repelled from my body. Boobs, told ya.
I usually take my leg off, put it on the conveyor belt, and walk on my knees through the metal detector. This avoids the pat down and chemical screening. TSA employees sometimes attempt to tell me I'm not allowed to do this, but they're wrong. To avoid arguments, I usually announce, "I have a prosthetic foot. I will be removing it and using the metal detector." If said with sufficient authority, they accommodate without argument. I think they're terrified that they could be accused of forcing me to do this and want to avoid the risk.
@Rico Gomez Saying they're 'not allowed' to do it when they are means- nine times out of ten in a situation like this- that they really mean, "You doing this makes me uncomfortable and I would much rather be the one making you uncomfortable by touching you everywhere." Otherwise they would just say, "That isn't neccessary, but if you would still prefer to do it that way, we can."
@Rico Gomez Useless? Try waiting around for an agent of the proper gender, a malfunctioning chemical sniffer, etc. when you're cutting it close for a flight.
I just went through TSA today and I'm in a wheelchair . they really do search the hell out of you.almost everytime my chair fails their chemical test and they get all excited taking it apart like they're going to find drugs or something
I travel with a mobility scooter and had just washed my hands in their restroom and my hands failed the chemical test. It was my second time through security that day and I was fine the first time so🤷🏼♀
I have a cousin with a metal knee but as it’s inside the skin, airport security is a nightmare. I know they need to be extra careful but it amazes me everything she has to go through despite the two foot scar down her leg and the doctor’s notes she brings with her to travel.
Try flying to dubai lmao. I tried telling them what is up and brought paperwork but boy were they thorough when patring me down. In a secluded tiny room with a person who didn't say one word and I could only.see the eyes. I was a bit scared as it was my first flight. But yeah, the metalknee always makes it interesting
I had the opposite experience. I have a (internal) metal elbow and brace from the wrist to almost my shoulder complete with enough screws to fill a hardware store. I was looking forward for the airport security the first time. Nothing. Since then i went trough metal detector and scanner alike both in the US and abroad, Nothing! I asked one agent why it would not register. He was kind enough to show me my scan and told me my skin might be enough to screen it. It all ended in a good laugh! Maybe next time i would not be so lucky and i'll have to show my foot long scar to clear things up.
My cane or walking stick always get the chemical swabs. My hands, too. And my ankle braces, if I wear them. I stopped traveling with my hearing aid. They're not recommended to go through the full body scan, so I'd take it out, hand it to TSA, then go through. But I would get attitude, and once they tried to give it to someone else. They also walked off woth my walking stick, and I almost missed my flight. I absolutely loathe most TSA.
I used to work with a guy who had a metal prosthetic arm. His solution, not easily doable with a leg, was to "rip" his arm out of a loose fitting jacket sleeve (having prepped it before reaching security) and "throw" it onto the scanner belt! His only problem was he did it once in front of a female security agent who had to rush round to catch a girl behind him who just saw an arm being "ripped" off and started fainting!! 😲🙄🤣🤣
@@erichanastacio9695 or alternatively the groantastic "don't worry about me ... I'm 'armless" and "never go to the pub with that bloke with the prosthetic leg ... He's always legless before he gets there!" 🤔🙄🙄😁🤣
They make my dad hand over his crutches, when he can't stand without them. We don't mind the extra screening, but not the lack of understanding that the crutches for him are like having a prosthetic leg.
I entirely forgot that my knee brace has a load of metal in it, in the first flight they didn't make me take it off but did scan and pat me down a lot, the second flight did make me do an awkward dance of trying to take it off while standing up, pretty much showing my entire naked thigh area to a bunch of strangers and then putting it back on my sweaty leg after the scanner... Like I can handle a few steps without it now, but if I had to do that right after getting it prescribed I would probably fall cause my knee was that unstable... Airports.
My husband has one arm and doesn't wear a prosthetic. they always have to pat him down extra, take off extra shirts and some will even rub his stump. To make sure he isn't faking it. Even though he just walked through a an xray. He calls it the "Amputation Violation."
@@airenesmiler6624 Yup, super stupid. I am somewhat understandable with the pat down on his side and back but when they are "extra thorough" and keep touching his arm" I get pissy because the bone tip is extremely sensitive. It's not like he doesn't get stared at enough. I think we had one guy simply do a pat down and touch the shoulder (MAYBE ask to see the inside of his sleeve) and called it good, basically, you can tell the difference between who has been there awhile and who is new and for sure who is respectful and who isn't. It's like some one in a wheel chair they are more curious than actually caring about their privacy or embarrassment. They need curtains for that. Kinda want to shout " HEY, I have MS you want to scan my brain to be sure all the scars are real?, oh wait. I have bone spurs in my back it makes it look like I have spikes in my spine, want to check its actual bone? But don't touch me because it hurts like hell...Oh wait, you don't give a crap." That's what the million dollar scanner is for!!!!!) (sorry for the tangent 🤐🥺)
It's not an Xray... it's a metal detector or a body scanner that finds solid objects on the surface of the body. People do not get xrayed at the airport.
Im autistic. I can apply for extra assistance when going through airports. This means i can get through much faster and it saves me from anxiety, getting lost and having trouble with sensory overload. You can apply for any diasability. This an option for those with prosthetics too and whomever you're travelling with can go through it too so you dont have to split up.
Lol, im in a wheelchair and I remember that they BARELY padded me down, and gave like slight looks at my chair. So the whole time I'm thinking "I could totally smuggle drugs" lmao.
You probably could tbh. The TSA has faced like... 95%+ of every security audit they've had. Drugs, guns, what ever it is. It's pure security theatre manned by mouth breathers that get off on treating people like shit because the modicum of power they have is the only thing going on in thier life.
My husband's best mate is an amputee. He was in Houston in the 90s and they made him take off his leg for extra screening....and left him standing on one leg in his boxers in the middle of security. So glad they now have more/better security and knowledge!
To be fair, what she actually says is “most airports *I* have been to.” So whether or not most airports are or are not terrible at their kindness is irrelevant to what she’s saying.
I remember how I particularly said to TSA worker that I had a metal support in my spine. It was installed when I was 16. I hate being touched in there, it hurts. He was still trying to touch me there. I said it calmly around five times, still. TSA can be great, but mostly I see them as a bunch of rude idiots. Glad you was treated kindly tho
The sad thing is, they can't take you at your word. And trying to deter them from a specific area means they *have* to check it. How easy would it be to get weapons on the plane if they just said "ok, sure" and ignored anywhere you asked them to? You'd be better off telling them about the support and, rather than phrasing it in a way that suggests you want it ignored, ask them to be more gentle there. You'd probably get better results.
@@xyex, how they HAVE to check it even tho I had all medical documents with me? I always show this things. Somehow in other places workers mostly accept it kindly and respectfully, yet TSA has to be non trusting? This is sensitive equipment . One wrong touch, and I'm basically mostly paralyzed with severe pain in my back. They have no needed skills to even look at it, let alone touch. Gentle or not gentle, they are not doctors and do not understand anything about this types of things
May I ask if you got the support for scoliosis? I have scoliosis and if bracing doesn't work I may need surgery so I'm just wondering if I'll have to go through this
@MeXiPlays There's been tests run where groups either internal (testing their own security) or external (journalists) have deliberately sent banned materials through airport security and not a single person caught it, many, many times. It's security theater. Hell, you know what they do with liquids that go over their limit? In some places they literally _dump all of it into one single trash can._ TSA is useless.
@MeXiPlays terrorists don’t even need to hijack a plane anymore. Between 9/11, Richard Reid, and the Underwear Bomber, they’ve facilitated the rise of an agency that fosters distrust and anger between its agents/officers and the public, all while costing the country billions upon billions of dollars.
I had to fly within a week of my most major surgery. They had done a bone graft a week before with a plate and 11 screws. I had a nerve block pain pump for three days. And a couple days after I removed it, I was flying. They had to check the TSA rules book to figure out how to do the examination, but it wasn't too bad.
my uncle also had a prosthetic leg and we would always joke with him that he would have to take it off and jump through the scanner haha he passed away about a year ago and seeing your videos just remind me of him 💛
I have cerebral palsy and I remember just recently I was going through airport security and I just got so tired of always taking on and off my shoes. This takes me a lot of time more then the average person and unfortunately they don’t usually have chairs right there for me to do this fast. I always was embarrassed that I was taking up time for other people to get through the line. So the last time I walked up to the TSA and explained too him my condition and how hard it was for me. I was shocked at how much of not a problem it was and how he let me come through with my shoes on and double checked me through security . It made me feel really great not to be ashamed, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Growing up unfortunately even my parents had a hard time asking for help for me and my sister because back then people just didn’t understand. so I always had the instinct to fend for myself, I’m happy this is becoming more and more “normal” too see and it not be a big deal. Because it’s not.
The US, despite its many flaws, is very good at TRYING to cater to people's needs. We complain about the US all the time, but the amount of effort that goes into making spaces handi-capable is amazing in contrast to other places.
And trans people. Apparently my chest is a suspicious foreign object and I need to remove it. Like yes, I do want to remove it, but I don't think that's happening in an airport. Apparently boobs are a security threat.
One time we went through the metal detector and my mom forgot to tell them that she has like... I don't know exactly what they are, bolt things in her ankle? And one of the security people pointed them out and asked about them, and my mom jokingly went "Oh shit, I forgot I got stabbed there." They took us to some back office room thing 💀😂😭
When my extended family went to Hawaii from here in midwest we dealt with many airports. My cousin is paralyzed from the waist down so obviously in wheelchair. Without fail it was always a big production. They would stop everything and bring extra TSA people over, searching him and his equipment and chair like prison guards during a lockdown. It was absolutely ridiculous
@@scottoshea9440 What exactly do you mean by "treating like a criminal"? My guess is that you mean that they treated him like a suspect (like everybody else) and methodical searched him. But instead of saying that you used "like a criminal" because that fits your narrative better. Am I correct? Did they treat him like a criminal meaning with disrespect, aggressive towards him, forcefully, etc or not?
@@Jehty_ no, I mean like a criminal. As if they knew he was guilty and finding whatever they thought he had was simply a formality.The TSA showed zero respect courtesy or dignity.
My dads in a weelchair, so i know that you just need to wait. Depending ln how busy it is, it really can change when you leave. Longest my family had waited is i think 15 minutes
My friend goes though the same process. He has less leg than you. He never complains even though he lost it at the age of 18 by cancer, had to go through chemo and has huge scars in his back when they had to remove cancer from his lungs. Never complains or feels sorry himself. I, on the other hand, am a mess and cry over everything. He's still there for me. ❤️
That happened to my friends mom. I'm not sure what happened because I didn't witness it going on. The mom is missing her foot so she has a prosthetic foot and the airport security said that it they had to confiscate it until further notice because it "looked to suspicious". They police were involved and everything.
@@dalannifan That sounds like the most frustrating and hilarious time. (The situation, not her losing her foot. Probably obvious but still thought i should say)
@@jamjamartsy2317 As soon as she called the police the security officer panicked and gave it back. Not sure what happened to the guy though, I'm only speaking from what I heard
I used to work as a security guard at an airport. This is straight up theatre BS and offers so semblance of increased safety. I mean, I’ve seen guards go home with things they take away from people due to “safety.” Anything from sunglasses, bottles of alcohol/water, nail paint, brand new clippers, books, you name it. They can manipulate the story any way they want and if you defend yourself you are “causing a scene.” Why else did you think your grandma had their clippers taken away? Next time these people want to take something away, ask why and call the manager over.
We don't take nail clippers lmao and we're certainly not allowed to take things home. I work for TSA and I definitely agree its mostly security theater mostly due to the incompetence of other officers but we do find a lot of loaded guns connected to people with warrants which is kinda neat.
When I was younger (around 9 or 10) I had a plastic kitana on me in the airport (it was a birthday Gift) and was taking it back home on the plane. Suddenly security came along and tried to take it from me. And me being a kid was really confused. They tried to say it was dangerous or something but my parents showed it was plastic. But they were still insisting it was dangerous and needed to be taken. Eventually we managed to get them to agree to put it in the lower compartment and have it wrapped up. But I was really surprised at the fuss they made.
I was only required to remove my shoes in America 😂 coming back from Ireland I took them off before going through and was told to PUT MY SHOES BACK ON, TSA really isn't consistent from county to county
I once very regretfully worked for tsa. Quit within 6 months. Being told to view the elderly, disabled, and little kids with injuries requiring casts, crutches or wheelchairs like they're conspiring to take down a plane was too stupid for my taste. Glad this woman gets thru easy, as she should. I once got my ass chewed for not going over this kid's wheelchair with a fukking electron microscope. Poor kid's leg was in a cast. Parents waiting patiently. But nope, my efforts weren't good enough cause I didn't act at all concerned. Tsa has some people who'll most certainly leave ya scratching your head at their level of thinking
Airports don't want another 9/11 to be committed by Islamic Terrorists. You don't know if the kid in a wheelchair or the elderly woman with a prosthetic leg is carrying a bomb.
Yep, they are supposed to treat anyone "different" as super suspicious. Apparently my chest is a suspicious foreign object I need to remove. Every single time I have flown as an adult I've been picked for a "random" secondary inspection. That's across three countries and at least six airports. After spending several minutes trying to explain to an agent that I am trans and the only removable things on my body are clothing and literally telling him to just pat me down, I was told if I didn't remove whatever was on my chest I would not be flying that day. So I replied in a loud voice "Are you ordering me to take off my shirt?", and oh boy did a supervisor just materialize like magic. The agent tried to bluster and say obviously he didn't mean my shirt, he meant what was under my shirt. So the supervisor looked at me, asked me what was under my shirt and, without waiting for me to reply, told me I needed to remove it. I replied "Boobs" and was told that because I refused to tell him he would be patting me down. Yeah, two inches down my chest it was like his hand was magnetically repelled from my body. Boobs, told ya.
True story I'm missing both legs and knees down born that way the first time I walked into the Will County Courthouse in my teens I told them I had two prosthetic legs! I walked through the metal detector went off and I had a gun drawn on me with an officer screaming where is the weapon! I picked my pants legs up and said I have two prosthetic legs I just told you that! He told me to get on the ground after about 5 minutes and fifteen different police bailiffs and so on and so forth . Yes the dip shit called for backup they finally decided I had to prosthetic legs and I could go on with my day
I go through the same thing as a diabetic with an insulin pump. The pat downs can get a little annoying, but as long as you’re nice, everyone is usually nice to you.
My central nervous system is kind of boned, so i occasionally need my walking stick to get around. Airports can be... challenging. Usually, i just let them x-ray it then they'll hand it back and i hobble through the metal detector no problems. Monterrey California Airport is great, they have their own canes so they can run my stick and I use their cane to go through and we just swap on the other side. Then there is LAX. Fuck them. I've never had that much trouble anywhere, and JFK nearly put me back into the hospital I'd just been released from. At one point, the guy at LAX started threatening me by saying, "If you don't walk through the detector right now, I'm going to pull you for extra screening." The issue? They wouldn't give me my stick back, and I couldn't walk through without it. He wasn't listening and seems wasn't smart enough to work out that the stick was NOT an affectation but was necessary to my ability to be ambulatory. I don't generally complain to anyone's supervisor, but I did with his. Fuck him.
God, I hate LAX. I’m Jewish and wear a kippah, and they told me they had authority to touch it. I said they didn’t and I would show them whatever they wanted but they couldn’t touch it. Sacramento and SF international both were fine with it
@This is Cutie Ringo Joy yeah, i never really did figure out what his malfunction was. Part of me thinks that since most people would use a cane he may have had the impression mine wasn't to help me walk but was just a fashion accessory. My walking stick is a 4' long 1.25" diameter hardwood dowel that i stained black, put a rubber footie on, and wrapped the top in paracord sheathing. I feel more stable with that than i do a cane or crutch. But i started the encounter very politely because i know that his job is inherently stressful. Dealing with people all day can be challenging, so i try to not add to his stress. But when my polite and respectful demeanor is met with hostility and disrespect on a day when my health is already being tested to its limits, my patience runs out quickly. Tl;dr fuck that one tsa guy at lax
@@CutieRingoJoy I understand why they do it 😂 but they don’t have the legal right to touch my religious headwear. I can do whatever they need me to do but they don’t have to touch it. There’s TSA rules about allowing me to show them whatever they need and/or they can then swab my hands for chemicals. My point was: LAX was the only one who’s thrown a fit about it
Having an ostomy bag is weird. They freaked about it once because I had a lot of output. Guy was telling me that I can't have fluid. He had no idea what colostomy bag was. Ah the life of disabilities
@MeXiPlays yea diddnt the all the terrorists win? Swear they ran u out of afganistan. For someone who cares for all this searching, it seems sus to then go and leave the taliban with billions of dollars worth of weapons. N ur so fussed with ur little pat downs? U legit gave these terrorists their own planes.
@@arowace498 exactly. I know people who have accidentally gone through security with items that aren't allowed. They weren't even trying to sneak stuff through. Full water bottles, yogurts, sharp objects... It's security theatre, it doesn't work.
I hear you sister about the tight security situation! If it's not a belt it's a ring or something really small there so easy too go off you look good regardless so stay sweet my dear.
This is somewhat similar to what one of my friends had to go through at Miami airport. She sprained her ankle so she had a wrapping around her foot and when we went through baggage check, security had to apply pressure to the injury to see if she was hiding any drugs in it and then they unwrapped her foot and checked to see how injured she was. She absolutely hated it because they were applying pressure to her injury when it was just starting to heal.
This happens to my dad. When we were on holiday once and I was a child he had to be taken to a separate room and I was left on my own whilst they fully checked his false leg x
@@YiPeaches oh it is. I touched the metal detector when I was like 5, and was put in a room all by myself (no, that's not legal) and when I started crying I was yelled at to stop crying or I wouldn't see my parents again. Apparently I was just supposed to know not to touch it.
I have metal rods in my leg*, so I set off detectors. Sometimes I just look them in the eye and drop my pants, showing them my scars, which go the entire length to my hip. *I used to have a tibia rod and a bunch of screws in my heel and ankle, but those have been removed over time and I've only got the Femur rod now - which _ain't coming out._
I had to travel to a different state a couple months after I got radiation treatment (for cancer) and going through the detection thingies said I was harboring a butt ton of radioactive contraband. Had to show them my medical card which had a yellow sticker on it saying I had gotten radiation therapy for them to let me through
Lol my knee braces that just came back from a new mold were not fully cured and had a hit for "explosive" residue and they made me sit in a private room for about an hour while they inspected them.... tsa can be a pain in the arse at certain airports.
@@ayyydn I've worked for tsa for 5 years, we don't "detain" people and I've never seen anyone take more than 10-15 minutes at most for additional screening. So unless you have a video or something of this its complete bs
My dad actually has a prosthetic leg, up to around his mid thigh. Every time we travel he always gets stopped and completely searched. Sometimes they make him take his leg off, which I don’t think is a good idea. No wonder he always wears shorts to the airport!
You got very lucky. My daughter had to take hers off and send it through the metal detector and hop through the scanner. In Kansas City and Little Rock - that was 16 years ago. She’s flown since - she even wore shorts and security took 45 minutes to scan her until we came up with our idea of hopping through …. It was a mess
I live in Kansas City. Fuck Kansas City! That’s why I refuse to fly. Thanks for the heads up. I’m definitely NEVER FLYING NOW! I’m an above knee amputee. F them!
My husband also has a prosthetic leg (AK) and when he would travel for work, typically from cincinnati or Indianapolis to Chicago, he would just drive. It was faster for him since having to get through security took longer than normal and getting there 2hrs earlier. It's always a pain at airports
I work for American and trust me I know how that feels, I have a metal prosthetic leg too. Even if I go through security for work, I still get double searched… it’s a pain but understandable. You are not alone.
Things have changed for us amputees I guess. The last time I flew, which was 2005 when I became an amputee, the TSA agents sat me down and asked that I remove my leg so they could take it to a room and swab it. Of course they were very polite and kind to me so I complied without a problem. When I asked them, "what are you swabbing my leg for", one agent replied, explosive residues. Now this was right after the 4th of July and I had gone and seen not one but 2 fireworks shows, one was a huge public one and the other was in a friend's backyard. Thank God it came back negative because if it didn't, I would've missed my flight and the authorities would've been called in to question me. So don't forget to wash your prosthetic before flying after viewing a fireworks show. Thanks for the video beautiful. Merry Christmas to you and yours and have a Happy, Healthy and Blessed New Year. 🙏🏻✌🏻❤🇺🇸
The test they use for residue is really sensitive (think walked through grass with fertilizer on it sensitive), so it's not super uncommon for it to go off. The only thing that happens when it does is a supervisor gets called over to look at the thing in question and confirm, that yep, your leg ain't a bomb. The worst part of the whole ordeal is waiting the maybe 15 minutes it takes for a supervisor to make it over to that lane. Hope this quells any fears about being questioned by police.
When i was in middle school i had a full torso back brace, which was always super awkeard at airports- it had brass brackets,and I always notified them beforehand to find out what they wanted me to do, since I was required to wear it all the time. There was once or twice I had to go off into a side room while they swabbed it and interviewed me, i think they were weirded out but security was always good about it.
@@sweetcheeks5775 Well, post 9/11, the government decided to beef up security measures in airports nationwide, which was not limited to BIG airports like Orlando International Airport or Louisville International Airport, but also smaller airports like Owensboro Airport. This was done in an attempt to prevent another atrocity like 9/11 from ever happening again. Because in most other airports, security pre 9/11 was laughable from what I hear. So yeah, the TSA DOES have a purpose to serve. …Basically I’m saying, “I disagree!” LOL! 😂
@@sweetcheeks5775 would you want to get on a plane for a vacation somewhere nice and the person who said they had a metal plate in their chest turns out to have a bomb?
TSA is a waste of taxpayers money. So many thieves and ego-maniac working. I hope they get rid off it, since 911 the agency only created corrupt government officials and employees.
Back in the days when my grandfathers health was way better, he had to carry around a document stating he has a very old artificial hip that could trigger the scanners
Last time I went through airport security I had a central line connected to a medical pump for a continuous infusion. It was as simple as "hey, I have this thing. Here is where it starts down to the pump." They did a chemical test the same as what they did on your leg. The only real issue was my meds were liquid and I had about 60, 50ml bottles in my carry on. (London really made that difficult) Also have a small machine that freaks out when it experiences high pressure really makes the flight exciting 🤣🤣🤣
Nice! I have a lot of titanium implants in my leg, and thankfully TSA has been pretty understanding about that too. :) As a side note, I love your positive attitude. I almost had my leg amputated after an accident, and while I still have it, not being able to use it for so long and seeing the massive scars really changed my perspective on what it must like to have your leg amputated and how society views you. Providing positive representation, and for lack of a better word, body acceptance, is a great influence on the world, I think! Edit to clarify: I never thought those things were bad, it just gave me a new appreciation for them :)
I used to have to go thru this with my dad all the time. I ended up with a whole new respect for people who struggle with that. I'm that annoying person who runs over to help when it's not needed.
I was flying between islands in Hawaii and my breast prosthetics set off the machine. It’s great that they picked up something was different but I was so embarrassed. You don’t carry a card for having a double mastectomy.
Generally add 30 minutes to an hour for security with my prosthetic. Most times breeze right through but sometimes have a lengthy pat down, Chem test and xray leg. Most of those times were after the Chem traces picked something up. Tsa folks very polite with me and seem embarrassed to do extra screening. Stay cheerful and friendly and it makes whole process easier.
As one of those tsa folks, no passenger on earth can piss me off more than getting an alarm on one of those things. You want to opt out and make me do a full pat down on you? I got you fam that's your right. Procedure that forces me to test a prosthetic and get an alarm? My day is ruined
That seemed to go quite smoothly which puts my mind at ease. I’m so scared about going through airport security as a person with multiple medical devices and in a wheelchair. This makes me hope they’ll be kind and not make my anxiety worse. Main reason I’m scared is because I have tubes coming out of my body and don’t want to “strip down” to show them I’m not hiding a bomb or drugs 😂 as I can’t go through a metal detector like you as I’m in a wheelchair xx
There really is a huge variation in how we're treated between airports. Some are great and really helpful, some suck and make it hell. I'd recommend googling the airports before you go and seeing what other disabled people have said and booking around that. If you're American I've heard LAX is terrible and one to avoid if you're disabled.
I'm disabled due to a visual impairment and before I take any flight and I always contact the TSA. There is a person usually waiting for me at the ticket counter to help escort me through security.
I'm so glad you posted your comment. I was working for TSA when this program was trialled and first introduced. I left while there was resistance within my own management chain to support the program. Being a Passenger Support Specialist (not sure if that name is still in use) gave my role a humane aspect. "My" passengers were still fully screened but in a manner that accommodated their abilities and with as much privacy as they preferred.
TSA swaps my leg for explosive residue 🤣🤣🤣 I told the guy, “if it went boom, wouldnt I be claking it off right now?” And the. We both laughed awkwardly
I don't take either of my legs off when I go to the airport. It just feels kinda violating and in warranted. I didn't do anything wrong so why should I have to prove I don't have anything illicit on me? I also don't have any prosthetic limbs so it would be unreasonable for them to assume my legs came off easily.
I don’t have a prosthetic limb, but I do have an Ankle/Foot Orthotic that means I can’t easily take my shoes off either. Every time I go through an airport, they are so nice and just wave their wand over my leg and I’m good to go.
I love that it’s easy for you to get through airport security maybe take one of your friends with a prosthetic limb that might be brown and see how differently it goes
I haven't been to all the airports, but I have found that TSA at Indianapolis are probably the nicest. Perhaps because the airport code for Indianapolis Int. Airport is KIND.
PLEASE BE CAREFUL, PLEASE BE SAFE JO JI❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I always ask my brother (who an amputee. Left leg below the knee) if he still pays full price for shoes or if socks last him longer lol. Before you freak out that's how me and my brother are I have permanent nerve damage in my right foot so it has no feeling and he steps on my foot and asks if I felt it. Just good humor between siblings lol
My parents friend has a prosthetic leg (his is the whole leg, with just a few inches below the hip remaining) and he had to fly a lot for his work. He got tired of all the extra steps an amputee had to go through, so now he just wears shorts and removes his leg and places scans it with his shoes, while he hops through the metal detector
Yes it’s always fun going through security at airports I did a 6 week tour of the US and was only asked once at LAX to do a X-ray on my prosthetic and when I said this is the first one they asked how many airports I had been in and told them this was my 4th and only had a swab lol and it was my second last flight.
@senni bgon joe has a video about this on her channel! She said that amputees actually have to eat more because of how much more energy the body is using to compensate for the fact that its missing a limb.
@@nipsuyamo a lot of disabled people (including myself) use crip or cripple to refer to themselves. There's even a whole subculture called cripplepunk. it's not a word we allow physically ableds to use for us, it's just a thing within the community. it would be prudent to ask if the commenter and their brother-in-law are disabled before assuming they're using the word as a slur.
I hope you never have a bad experience with TSA. I worked at a major airport for over 4 years and some TSA Agents believe they are untouchable - ask for a supervisor, don’t take no for an answer. Most will comply with TSA but elderly, injured and disabled are protected by federal law (ADA).
I also have a prosthesis and they do the same for me. It's awkward when everyone walks through and some tired sweaty security member has to pat me all down and use that weird handheld metal detector thing.
I use a cane with a crippled back. They helped me through the metal detector so I wouldn’t fall. People give a lot of crap to the airport people, but they can be very kind of you are respectful to them.