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.
Savannah Barry is mad and on a mission. She wants travelers to be warned before they walk through TSA security. "They need to get with the program and have some education across the board for TSA." After participating in a DECA conference in Salt Lake City with several classmates last week, Savannah, who is a type one diabetic and wears an insulin pump 24 hours a day, says she ran into TSA agents who were not prepared to deal with her medical situation. "I went up to the lady and I said, I am a type one diabetic. I wear an insulin pump. I showed her the pump. I said, what do you want me to do? I usually do a pat down - what would you recommend?"
Savannah then showed agents a doctor's note explaining that the sensitive insulin pump should not go through the body scanner. She says she was told to go through it anyway. "When someone in a position of authority tells you it is - you think that its right. So, I said, Are you sure I can go through with the pump? It's not going to hurt the pump? And she said no, no you're fine."
The 16-year-old walked into the scanner with some serious reservations "My life is pretty much in their hands when I go through a body scan with my insulin pump on." She was right to be worried. She says the pump stopped working correctly. "Coming off an insulin pump is rough. You never know what is going to happen when you are not on the insulin pump."
She says TSA agents then made the situation worse when they didn't know what to do about her juice and insulin. "She said, because we don't have the machines to scan the juice to make sure this is not an explosive we do have to do a full body pat down and search your through your bags." Of course, that's what she wanted in the first place, but it was too late.
Savannah believes TSA screeners need more training. And she says, until that happens - people with medical conditions need to be warned. "It's unacceptable. And I don't want other people to feel the way I felt."
We asked TSA about the incident. We received an email that says "TSA is reviewing the passenger's screening experience and will respond directly to the family. TSA works regularly with a broad coalition of disability and medical condition advocacy groups to help understand their needs and adapt screening procedures accordingly."
TSA also has a tollfree hotline for passengers with medical conditions. They can call it before hand to find out about policies and procedures. 1-855-787-2227.
Savannah (see picture) already has a new insulin pump. A company that heard her story quickly got it to her when she got back to Colorado.
source
seriously? even WITH documentation they still made her go through
Savannah Barry is mad and on a mission. She wants travelers to be warned before they walk through TSA security. "They need to get with the program and have some education across the board for TSA." After participating in a DECA conference in Salt Lake City with several classmates last week, Savannah, who is a type one diabetic and wears an insulin pump 24 hours a day, says she ran into TSA agents who were not prepared to deal with her medical situation. "I went up to the lady and I said, I am a type one diabetic. I wear an insulin pump. I showed her the pump. I said, what do you want me to do? I usually do a pat down - what would you recommend?"
Savannah then showed agents a doctor's note explaining that the sensitive insulin pump should not go through the body scanner. She says she was told to go through it anyway. "When someone in a position of authority tells you it is - you think that its right. So, I said, Are you sure I can go through with the pump? It's not going to hurt the pump? And she said no, no you're fine."
The 16-year-old walked into the scanner with some serious reservations "My life is pretty much in their hands when I go through a body scan with my insulin pump on." She was right to be worried. She says the pump stopped working correctly. "Coming off an insulin pump is rough. You never know what is going to happen when you are not on the insulin pump."
She says TSA agents then made the situation worse when they didn't know what to do about her juice and insulin. "She said, because we don't have the machines to scan the juice to make sure this is not an explosive we do have to do a full body pat down and search your through your bags." Of course, that's what she wanted in the first place, but it was too late.
Savannah believes TSA screeners need more training. And she says, until that happens - people with medical conditions need to be warned. "It's unacceptable. And I don't want other people to feel the way I felt."
We asked TSA about the incident. We received an email that says "TSA is reviewing the passenger's screening experience and will respond directly to the family. TSA works regularly with a broad coalition of disability and medical condition advocacy groups to help understand their needs and adapt screening procedures accordingly."
TSA also has a tollfree hotline for passengers with medical conditions. They can call it before hand to find out about policies and procedures. 1-855-787-2227.
Savannah (see picture) already has a new insulin pump. A company that heard her story quickly got it to her when she got back to Colorado.
source
seriously? even WITH documentation they still made her go through
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/airtra
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.
Edited at 2012-05-08 10:02 pm (UTC)
Edited at 2012-05-08 10:05 pm (UTC)
This is the bullshittiest. I'm so glad I didn't have any problems for my recent trip to New York (though it was tricky figuring out how best to transport a souvenir lighter back home), but then, I'm a white, able-bodied, cisgendered male, so I have relatively little to worry about.
I can't help feeling that we'd all have a safer and more pleasant traveling experience if, instead of spending millions on pornographic imaging scanners, they'd spent that money on a machine that could help TSA agents tell the difference between explosives and juice.
I'm glad that Savannah already has a new pump, at no cost to her, but the TSA should still have to pay for it.
Really want to get your explosive Flame On, but don't want to bother with learning to pilot a jet or join the military?
Get new NAPALM MINIS!
Looks just like orange juice, but BLOWS SHIT UP!
Fuck these people. Fuck every single one of them.
I've seen places with perfectly great service fall apart because of crap management, same staff - different management, things go to crap.
tsa should pay for the replacement pump.
tsa workers seem to go out of their way to be horrible to people with conditions that means people are normally careful with them. and they do it gleefully.
this is like, it's own post worthy of rage.
SMH.
trainingcommon sense and human fucking compassion.Fixed that for you, hon.
Hitler got into power legally, too.