I am on my way to Philly to visit my sick dad, and just had the most demoralizing airport search. Pump set off alarm, so they did a full patdown search. My pump was in my bra and they wouldn’t let me relocate it to my pants for the search. I feel VIOLATED! Anyone else have this experience? I am not looking forward to return flight!
so sorry you had to go through that Michele! I’ve been throught the same thing several times. Here is another discussion about it
https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/583967:Topic:121535
now I tuck my pump in the middle of my back, in my waistband. I haven’t been stopped since.
im sorry this happened to you. it was behind closed doors, or screened off area, yes?
its an unfortunate side effect of the pump. most tsa are really good about it, but it only take one overzealous newbie trying to impress the boss and adhere the “rules” to the T and it ruins the usually calm/easy experience. I’ve been allowed to remove it and ive also been told i could not and had to show them where it was behind a screened off area. The later has only happened once, in Miami (which i understand to a degree; they have a lot of people traveling internationally) and i travel almost monthly and live in DC where you would think security would be the tightest.
Most of the time it is just being “wanded”, a quick pat down(and u should have the option of having that behind closed doors, i just don’t care and want to get through security faster so i opt out of that) and then a swab of my hands for explosives. they will feel the area that the wand sets off and like you i usually keep my pump in my bra.
You could try keeping the pump on the waist band of your jeans until you get through security. some pumps will always set the alarm off (in the case of my animas ping). the only draw back to keeping it visible is the tsa on the other side of the metal detector yelling at you to take off you “cellphone/ipod” and you have to yell back, “it’s an insulin pump” followed by a weird look and then the dawn of recognition to what you just said and being waved through. only to set off the alarm and end up in the clear box anyway. lol that’s what always happens to me.
if you truely feel violated then you need to write a letter to the head of the tsa at that airport and file a complaint.
Am surprised to hear that and feel sorry for you Michele. Did you tell them that you have diabetes and carry an insulin pump?
I will be traveling internationally at the end of the month and had been doing research about what to do. TSA site, have a clear instruction about this:
“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.”
They consider Diabetes as a hidden disability. Also I read that some people will not bother and go through the metal detector with their pump and it will not set off the alarm!!!
What pump do you carry!
Yup you can complain, I believe it is titled as “Disability Discrimination”!!!
You should get a travel letter from your doctor stating you are a pump carrier. By law, they have to be discreet, IF you ask them to. They can ask to see it, but once you have this letter, all is ok and it makes life so easy!
My son and I have traveled with a load of diabetic stuff, from his pump, to vials of insulin to a huge load of syringes, etc…all we had to do is show the travel letter and he bypassed the “checkpoint”…they checked his pump out real quick, but that was it. Noone has even looked in his HUGE metal diabetic case we have.
Heres a link that explains how they by law to be discreet.
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/specialneeds/editorial_1374.shtm
Am shopping for a bag to hold my supplies, can you please share what you have? Type? Size? Where bought?
Thx in advance
I always have mine clipped to the outside of my jeans /pants, or if in my bra, I discreetly take it out. I announce BEFORE I go through the metal detector : “I am wearing an INSULIN PUMP.” Most times I DO NOT get the “Patdown”. The few times I did get it, it was non-intrusive and quick. The only times I got the full pat-down is when metal stuff I had on and forgot ( a hairpin when I have pinned up a ponytail, metal part of a belt, etc) sets off the metal detector. My MM Paradigm 522 has never set off the alarm. I agree wih Jessica: file a complaint if you feel violated…
God Bless,
Brunetta
I traveled by air last Christmas just two days after the underpants bomber incident. I was searched by hand, with a wand, and had my CGM and pump checked by wipe down for bomb traces.
I made it clear to the security dudes I had atypical gear immediately. I had it in plain view. I started by flashing my medical ID. I talked him through it, explaining briefly what each thing was. It took twenty minutes and I was on my plane.
A little forethought and familiarity with airport security makes it quick and painless for you and your fellow travelers.
Join the club. I have yet NOT TO BE PATTED DOWN, wanded, totally searched -
Dont put ANYTHING where you don’t want to be searched. I keep everything out in the open.
I travelled to NC September of last year from Philly and had no problems either way but things do change. Besides I always wear my pump clipped to my waistband. My pump didn’t set off any alarms in fact I told them I had pump and they never looked.
I ALWAYS travel with a doctor’s note explaining my equipment. It didn’t matter this time. I wonder if they treat kids different than adults?
On the way home, I pulled the pump out in advance and walked through holding it. They still did the same search. They also wanted me to raise my shirt and show where it was stuck in my skin. Good thing it wasn’t on my butt:) NOT FUN!
Unfortunately, we were out in the open. She touched my breasts and followed the tubing down to my inset on my tummy right in front of everyone. I was totally not expecting that! I have a Ping as well. It alarmed on the way home too.
Yes, Ahmad, I did tell them in advance. I also had a letter from my doctor. I wear a Ping.
I travel a lot - I just take the darned thing off! I take it off and tuck it into my carry on just before it goes through the x-ray, then put it back on on the other side. I leave the tubing tucked in my pants or pocket - they’ve never noticed it and it isn’t a problem.
I do, however, always get pulled out for a pat down due to other stuff in my carry on (syringes and insulin… must set them off), but as long as the pump goes through in the luggage I don’t get strip searched. Years ago I’d get strip searched (as in brought to a private room and strip searched!) every time - and that was pre 9-11.
The manufacturer says NOT to put the Ping through the XRAY. I pulled out the book to check before flying. Says it could demagnetize and malfunction. Anybody put a Ping through?
What kind of pump do you have?
Medronic - been through lots of x-rays with no problems.
but we are talking airport x-ray. When I get an X-ray for medical reasons I put it under the cloak that they drape over me.
Yikes. Sorry to hear about this Michele! Knock on wood my Pod hasn’t set off the detectors (but I’ve only been pumping on any pump for a year.) I have had the full pat down however in front of a ton of men, including the breasts. This was shortly after 9/11. Not sure what set off the detector, but then I got the wand search, and the tiny metal hook on my bra kept beeping. I then got the body search, and a whole bunch of harrassment on the plane by the men that witnessed this, afterward. Nice, huh?