Many of you read my recent post about the downright unnecessary experience I endured at Washington Dulles International last week. The folks that monitor Twitter.com for TSA were kind enough to provide a link to TSA’s website to submit feedback, and I took them up on the opportunity. Today, I received what appeared to be a reply crafted by an actual person. I will post it here in its entirety minus the name of the individual who sent the email.
Dear Mr. Jackson
I am the Customer Service Manager at Washington Dulles International
Airport for TSA. Your message regarding your recent travel through
Dulles was forwarded to me for review.
First of all, let me apologize for any inconvenience you encountered.
Our goal is to provide efficient, effective and courteous screening of
passengers as they pass through our checkpoint. Many of our procedures
can be a hassle for you, and can be looked upon as a nuisance. That is
clearly not our intention. Our main objective is to provide maximum
security for all our passengers, and to do so with understanding and
consideration for the traveling public.
Our screening procedures are specific and do include screening of
insulin pumps. The fact that the process may differ can be attributed
to several factors, including size and location of the device.
Effective December 22, 2005 Transportation Security Officers began
conducting additional screening procedures on randomly selected
passengers. The additional screening procedures created a more complex
and less predictable system for those who wish to circumvent our system.
Passengers are randomly selected for an additional search, even if they
do not trigger an alarm as they pass through the metal detector. This
search could be a hand-wanding, a pat-down, explosives screening or a
search of the person’s carry-on bag. By design, a traveler is not likely
to experience that same search every time he or she files.
We understand and regret any discomfort and inconvenience you
experienced as a result of the additional screening procedures.
Nevertheless, we believe that these security measures are necessary and
appropriate for ensuring the safety and confidence of all air travelers.
Furthermore, TSA continues to develop and deploy new technologies,
including document scanners, trace portals, and backscatter devices to
address the explosives threat.
Again, thank you for sharing your concerns. We take your comments
seriously, and appreciate your feedback . It provides us with an
opportunity to focus our efforts on areas that need improvement and are
of importance to the traveling public.
And there you have it. I’m still not pleased, but at least I received what I feel to be a response that was not computer generated. I did reply to the email, because I wanted to make sure the sender knew that it was very clear to me that I was sent to secondary screening specifically because I was wearing an insulin pump. Perhaps the security officer who performed the additional screening was attempting to fill his quota for explosive trace detection tests for the day, I dunno. The fact that every square millimeter of my belongings, including the palms of my hands, were tested for traces of explosives just because I wear an insulin pump was overkill, plain and simple.
Pump user for over one year. Have only gone through security six times. More annyoing than anything. All I do is let TSA know I have a pump and they pull be aside and do a pat down.
I wear my pump on my bra, where it is not visible to anyone. I’ve thought about just detaching it and sending it on the trays to avoid the whole mess, but I have no idea if that’s safe for the pump, or what the screener would say seeing it under xray.
Just flew for the first time since 1998. Wearing an insulin pump and both days I flew I showed my pump at security. Got my hands and pump swabbed for explosives in Knoxville airport. Minor inconvenience. Returning from Seattle, I was pulled aside, all my belongings swabbed, I was wanded and patted down and, yes, screamed at as I was cooperating. I have flown many many times and my gut reaction is that unless a family member is dying, airlines and airports will never receive another cent of my money. There is no pleasure trip worth going through the treatment… Read more »
Wow. I’m sorry to hear about your experience. Seattle is one airport where I am ALWAYS absconded for full secondary search due to the pump. However, I’ve certainly never been rudely treated because of it. If I’m casually dressed, I’m just going to disconnect my pump from now on when flying through Seattle and the other airports that routinely go overboard on pump screening. Ridiculous, I know, but I am not going to put up with the senseless secondary search.
I have gone through additional screenings for setting off the alarms but on Friday October 8th I was pulled to the side and told specifically that I was going to be subjected through additional screening “because you are wearing an insulin pump.” by St. Louis, MO TSA- I don’t believe I set the alarm off. Everything I had was gone through, everything was swabbed down including my hands, shoes etc. My luggage was gone through while my boss stood behind me and watched. (Nothing like your undies & bras being pulled out while your boss stands there.) Is this not… Read more »
‘fraid not Angie. You can do like I recently did at Dulles and take the pump off and place it in a bin for x-ray. I certainly understand why many might not want to do that, myself included, but it saved me the hassle of secondary cavity search.
I just recently started on the pump and today was my first experience going through the airport with it. I flew out of Phoenix Sky Harbor. My three trays of belongings successfully went through the X-ray machine. I thought I would follow advice I saw online and told the TSA person that I was wearing a pump. As soon as I told her about the pump she had me walk through the metal detector and go to the glass bubble area. I did not set off the alarm as I walked through. However, I was then patted down, my pump… Read more »
Jenny, thanks for commenting. I have received similar treatment at Phoenix. They were very polite about the whole thing, though. PHX is one of several airports where you are more likely than not to be subjected to full secondary each time you fly just because you wear an insulin pump. Be patient and polite with the screeners as they are only following a policy created by their superiors. But do complain to the TSA each time you are subjected to this wasteful exercise. A close inspection and swab of the pump and perhaps your hands are enough. Searching every square… Read more »
Hi Everyone So glad I found this website. I too had a very bad experience at Phoenix. Security announced over the tannoy “insulin pump user female security” Three yes three large ladies rushed towards me. I was completely taken aback by this. All my belongings that had already gone thru the xray were taken. A fourth male security guard then went thru my handbag. I was wanded several times it pinged constantly. I had shown my pump but it still pinged. Its probably my underwire bra I said. No response from the guard. More ping at my lower leg, “inplant”… Read more »
I travel often out of Phoenix. Phoenix requires that I go thru full screening every time I go thru a checkpoint. This not only includes wand and patdown but swabing of everything. I complain when they dump out my insulin and emergency needles onto unsterile carts and touch with their dirty gloves. But no other airport does this same treatment. I have tried, unsuccessfully, to find out why the special treatment. The published regulations say that insulin pumps and supplies are allowed. I believe they are discriminating in the Phoenix airport against diabetics. No other disability gets such thorough screening.… Read more »
I had the same long process, but can take it a step further. I was flying out of Eastern Iowa Airport on February 19, 2010. I set off the alarm the first time, and I and my carry-ons were completing searched and swabbed. The flight took off and turned around due to landing gear issues. We were directed back to the airline’s desk to re-set up. We then went back through security, and my pump did not alarm. Unfortunately, the TSA security person saw the pump and pulled my out of line. I had a second full body and carry-on… Read more »
Jan,
I think they’ve decided to pull pumpers at random. At least that’s the way it’s been working so far for me. Recently, TSA announced that it would start swabbing the palms of all travelers at random for traces of explosives, so everyone is going to get a taste of the fun.
Since my IAD experience, I’ve been pulled for limited secondary from time to time with a swab of the pump and my hands. Nothing nearly as intrusive, unnecessary, and wasteful of security resources as I got at Dulles that day.
I fly regularly (with my insulin pump), in fact I only spent 4 months at home last year. I have NEVER been asked to step aside for a special screening because of my insulin pump until yesterday (28Jan2010). I offered them information about the device thinking that maybe they did not understand what it was and the person brought over a supervisor who would not discuss it with me nor would she take the information from me. Again, I have not had this experience at any airport prior to yesterday at MLI. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the reasons… Read more »
Hi Cindy,
Thanks for reading. I haven’t had a screening experience like the one I got at IAD since. I have been sent to secondary, had my pump and hands swabbed for explosive trace detecting, and then been promptly sent on my way.
I believe TSA is randomly selecting insulin pump wearers for enhanced screening, and I guess I’m fine with that….to a point. But that IAD screening experience was over the top, unnecessary, and a waste of my time and TSA’s.
I have just returned today from San Francisco to LAX. My experience with the TSA search for both the outbound and return trip at both airports resulted in both a wand scan and “pat down”. I had the explosive “swab” on a previous flight. At LAX, before entering the walk thru, I informed the TSA personnel that I was wearing an insulin pump and even held it in my hand to show them before placing it back under my sweater.I was immediately sent to another area between two glass plates and then to the “fishbowl” for the search. Before leaving… Read more »
Sometimes you have to wonder about airport security… a couple of years ago I worked close to Darwin airport’s terminal and would often wander up to the terminal to get a coffee in the morning when the terminal was quiet. This involved going thru security as the coffee shop was on the secure side. The security officers all knew me as I would come and go frequently, and would often give me the explosives swab so they could get their quota of “random” swabs done when the terminal was quiet so that they didn’t need to do it at peak… Read more »
Read the customer service response carefully and it does not say what the standard procedure is. Thus, it still may be that they can pull us out and do what they did to Marshall to all of us.
Great post.. check out this travel resource through LinkedIn, it has treated me very well. http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=2072193&trk=anet_ug_grppro
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That’s really interesting. When I was screened, I had the impression that they were going to do these extra procedures every time because I had an insulin pump. It sounds like TSA may need to pass on the message to their screeners then that this is to be a “random” process, because otherwise their policy sounds like it *will* be a hassle every time I fly. Thanks for sharing this information!