I used to travel a lot since I was working for an airline and I never had any problems while going through security. I usually show the pump prior to walking the metal detector and many times they tell me to take it off, however, when I say it is an insulin pump they tell me it is ok (I take my belt off and walk through holding the pump in my hand)! The alarm doesn’t even goes on, mos of the times. They seem to be used to it, because sometimes they ask me “is that an insulin pump?”. In Brazil (where I live) they’re not very familiar with that, in USA, Japan, Germany, Switzerland and France it all went smoothly.
I just keep my pump attached to me and hold it out telling them that I have an insulin pump as I walk through. Only once did I ever get it swabbed for bomb residue. I tried not to laugh while they were doing it. They never said anything about declaring it.
Good luck & have a good trip…
Score 2 for TSA - waiting for my return flight home, and went through security with ease, again declaring my pump to the TSA offivcer ans she waved me through, no alarm, and mentioned to me that they don’t usually set off any alarms. After hearing stories of other oumoer’s experiences, I was a little nervous - but everything went off without a hitch. Thanks for all of your tips.
I have flown many times since I have had my pump, and I have never mentioned my diabetes to the TSA agents. I do NOT bring any liquids, and they have never stopped me. I only bring snacks for lows when traveling…no drinks.
I wear my pump in my front pocket, I just walk through, and it has never alarmed for me. One time a TSA agent did ask ‘what is in your pocket?’(she obviously saw its outline) I pulled it out, and said it was an insulin pump. She nodded, and waved me through.
Honestly, my poor sister had a harder time traveling with her baby and what she brings…then I have had. They gave her the whole run down.
No alarms go off. No questions in CT or in Miami Airports. Just the scan. I left a diet coke in my backpack and it went through the scanner so the agent put it through again so there was no problem. I saw two of the agents looking at the Xray at the supplies so I guess they figured it out.
My wife and I just got back from a cruise in the Mediterreanean. We flew from JFK in New York to Rome, Italy. I put my Omnipod PDM and my Dexcom receiver in the bin that goes thru the screening and never was asked about the pod or cgm I was wearing. We travel alot and love it.
Every time I go through SFO I get searched. I have been traveling with a pump since '97 and only SFO security causes problems. And yes this is after I declare my pump.
I can;t wait to see what they will try and do to the OmniPod…
I just took my first flight with a pump and it alarmed going and coming back. Maybe it was because I flew to Dulles and they might be more strict there but I don’t really know. I left from Houston and it alarmed there and was in my pocket. When I flew out of Dulles coming home, it was in my bra and alarmed and while both times it got swabbed and I got the wand and pat down, I thought leaving Dulles I was going to have to get a body cavity search. It took them a long time and they also searched my carry on bag. Took my toothpaste and hair product, made a mess of my bag that had to be repacked and at last they let me go. I’m an old lady and showed the pump just before walking through so I thought it was a bit much but tried to be understanding as I prefer they are careful.
When I had the cozmo pump, I had some issues. Now that I have the omnipod, the issues are still occuring. They want me to take it off, they wave me through to detain me for about 15-30 minutes while they test everything. This is at Detroit Metro. Flying home from Columbia, SC, the TSA agent did the same thing but this time they did not know about the omnipod, so I got to briefly educate them all as well.
Sarah,
I have been using the Omnipod for about 2 years. My daughter used to live in Columbia, SC. I never had a problem there. Actualy My wife and I travel alot as well as I do for business. The only time I was searched was the first time. I kept the PDM and DExcom receiver in my pocket. What a bean head!!! Now they got thru the screening. Never had to go to Detroit. Maybe I will travel around it. hahaha.
My health and welfare is their responsibility. I take that seriously. However, I declare being T 1 by asking the people in the prescreening if my insulin is okay the way I have it in my carry on, what with plastic bags for all liquids it’s good to know the current rules. When it comes to my dignity I am not going to declare anything that keeps me alive without it being a reason before all of these security measures. They didn’t give a rats ■■■ then, why all of a sudden now?
I have flown twice with my pump and it has set off the metal detector every time. I recently traveled to and from Newark Liberty Airport. When departing Newark, the metal detector alarmed, and I said to the screener, “I wear an insulin pump for diabetes.” He said, “Okay, we’ll have to get someone to search you. Sit in there.” and motioned to a glass box with a chair in it. Awesome. So I sat in the glass box while the other passengers gawked at me. After a minute or two, a female TSA agent came along and the male agent said my pump set off the alarm and I needed to be searched.
She opened the door of the glass box and said, “Okay, honey. Do you have any metal on you?” I told her no. She looked at my belt, and asked me to remove it. She said she thought my belt was the problem, and she put it through the x-ray machine. Then she told me to leave the box and asked if I had been wanded in the past. I said yes. She said okay, and said she’d test me for explosive residue. I pulled out the pump and she said, “I’m not allowed to touch that. Put it away.” She swabbed my hands for explosive material, then told me I was good to go, and said, “I don’t want you to think you’re getting wanded because you have a pump.” (I was never wanded).
All the TSA agents seemed very concerned that they would get in trouble by treating me differently. I honestly didn’t care about the extra screening, though sitting in the glass box was a little embarrassing. I’m not sure why they didn’t just ask me to walk through the metal detector a second time after I took off my belt, or do a pat-down or wand me. They didn’t seem like they had a strict protocol for handling this situation, which is strange because it can’t be that unusual. Everyone was friendly, though, so that’s a plus.
I always declare that I am diabetic and that I have supplies with me. I have never had a problem with the pump supplies. The gel pack I keep my insulin in is an entirely different story though…they often don’t like it. I just tell them it is medically necessary to keep the insulin cool. Typically though, once I state that I’m a diabetic I have no issues.
The first time that I flew with my Cozmo I called the Cozmo care people and asked what I should do about my pump when I go through security. They said to take it off and put it on the conveyor belt and to not go through the metal detector with it on or it could be damaged.
When I got to the head of the line I declared that I had a pump and that I am going to put it on the conveyor belt so that they could inspect it. The TSA screamed at me right away to not take off the pump and to walk through the metal detector. I said that my pump could get damaged and was told to put it on the conveyor belt. He would not listen to me and angrily said to walk through with it on. Everyone was watching me and it was getting embarrassing so I said that I will walk through with my pump on and if it gets damaged then he could be responsible for paying $6000 for a new one. He finally gave in and I was searched up and down. The final straw was when they took my passport to “enter it in to the system”. After putting all of my info in he turned around and said that you are now flagged in the system. I was too shocked to ask what for but I felt like a terrorist.
I understand the need for security and I appreciate it but I did not like being treated like a piece of crap…
I do declare the pump and usually get hand searched. I’ve done it so many times I guess I expect it to happen now. I too found it interesting that before going on the pump four years not once was I asked why I had many-many syringes in my carry on bag.
i just take mine of and put it in the plastic container
also, i just got back from my family vacation, and in my dad’s laptop bag was a pair a scissors, we didn’t realize it until we were sitting waiting for our connection flight back home, meaning it went through security twice without anybody noticing, and this was a pair of scissors 6 inches long too, not just the crayola kids scissors that have no edge
needless to say, our pumps and needles should cause any problem if scissors are getting through
Looks like everyone here has had problems with the pump once. I guess that maybe they are tightening the security at US airports, but find really odd that Ive been to JFK on January and had absolutely no problem. I wear a MM 508 pump, and always walk in holding it in my hand so they can clearly see it. I also tell them prior walking the metal detector. I always have a letter from MiniMed and my doctor in case Im asked about all those supplies (but never had to use it).
I guess unfortunately there is a little of lucky there, once some agents seems prepared to deal with it and others make it a huge problem (making us embarrassed). I was fortunate of working two years for an airline with absolutely no concerns about it. The funny thing is that I was always worried about how the agents in Brazil (the country I live in) would deal with that (trust me, things can always get worse here) but pumps doesn`t seem to be something unusual in Europe and US (I must say I have only been in US once, though).
I’ve flown on two trips since June and not only got pulled aside and wanded but also got swabbed for explosives, plus every item in my carry-on inspected - twice in Seattle and once in Bozeman. The TSA person told me in June that their procedures were just changed due to an intelligence report on terrorists using pumps for something bad.
i go through some sort of security multiple times everyday – at the white house, capitol, federal buildings and courts, airports. never, never, never do i declare my pump. i walk through and keep going. here’s the strange thing: the lower value the venue, the more likely my pump will trigger the alarm. it’s never flagged when i go into the white house but the alarm sounds in some rinky-dink county office. go figure. still, i never tell anyone ahead of time. why would you?
