TSA at MHT was lazy and kept telling me to go through the scanner also. I said no and requested a pat-down. If these people were smart enough they would realize that requesting a pat down saves time. If you go through the scanner and set it off, it delays people behind you. Then they pat you down anyway!
My 12 year old T1 daughter and I recently came back from a trip to Europe and 6 screenings at various international airports (all in Europe/Canada). We refused to send her pump and spare pump through the carry-on X-ray machine nor through the 1 full-body scanner we encountered. In every case she was asked to walk through the metal detector while wearing her pump. I passed the spare to the security agent who disappeared for a few moments with it to ask his/her superiors what to do perhaps. Her pump (Animas 2020) always set off the metal detector (even though I had removed the metal clip) so she was often subjected to a pat-down from a female agent and occasionally swabbed for explosives on her hands and on the pump. The spare was always handed back to me within a few moments. Her massive supply of insulin, glucagon, test strips, syringes etc. went through the carry-on X-ray without anyone batting an eye. The agents were all pleasant but a few times I had to be firm about not sending either pump through the X-ray - mostly a language issue in these cases. The pat-downs were not humiliating or particulary time consuming. No other travellers paid us any attention while my daughter was busy with the agent(s). I had prepped her that she might experience a pat-down and smiled encouragingly through it so it didn't seem like a big deal. All in all I thought it went pretty well.
is it possible to put the pump and any other devices that might be harmed by the xray or scanner in a bag like what is used for camera film to protect from the xray???
I travel a lot both in the USA and outside. The old fashioned metal detector is completely fine and 99% of the time it wont even go off on a pump. The new machines however are less fine. None of the pump or CGM manufacturers have tested/ gotten FDA approval to tolerate exposure to radiation of any amount so you will be voiding a warranty by going through and wearing a pump/ CGM..
Personally I paid for Global Entry ($100) which gets me in the TSA pre-check lane and I recommend that for any pump user flying a lot or traveling internationally even a little.
Amongst other benefits, the TSA pre-check lane is metal detector only so I just wear the pump through it and don't tell anyone about it and no one has ever noticed or cared.
Short of getting in the TSA pre-check lane just tell the TSA agent, before you go through anything, that you want the pat down. You don't have to explain why or beg just politely tell them. They must comply with your request. It's really not a big deal. Tell the person patting you down that you have an insulin pump. They know the drill, again no big deal. It'll take a little longer but not a lot longer.
I have gotten pre check, without paying any fee, on all flights (5) over the last year. That system is kind of messed up. I also know people who paid the fee and do not get chosen for pre check and many who never paid (like me) who get it all the time. Global Entry is different (?) from pre check.
Over the years, I have had several VERY hostile encounters with TSA over the pat down request. They do not like to do it and having the pat down can be a very big deal for some people. Many react strongly to unknown folks touching their bodies and feel humiliated. And, you do need to tell them why, because when the search is done, they will find the pump on you and the CGM embedded in your body.
Begging is never part of the equation. It is the reaction to the request that is problematic.....
I find it somewhat bizarre that we are all so concerned that these machines emit radiation and other bad things powerful enough that there is an ongoing debate about whether they will damage mechanical devices, yet we place our bodies in them without thinking twice.
Maybe I watch too much TV, but I will never take my pump off and hand it to security. What if there is an emergency and people have to be moved out? What if someone runs past the line and security takes off after them? Getting your pump back to you will be somewhere near the bottom of their priority list. Farfetched, I know, but then, I'm only about 5 to 6 hours from DKA without my Minimed. I get the patdown, unless I can go through the metal detectors.
I disconnect my son's pump, and I just don't put a new sensor on till we reach our destination... I have the meters, pump and transmitter (anything I don't want scanned) in a plastic zip lock which I hand to the TSA agent and tell them I want it hand checked. They seem pretty happy that I have taken the time to narrow it down to just what needs to be hand checked. By the time we are all through with our shoes back on and such they are handing it back to me.
There's a new TSA program called TSA cares where you can download a card to present to the screeners: http://www.tsa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/disability_notification_cards.pdf
I didn't realize until recently that we shouldn't go through the "full body scan" things, I had only heard not to let the pump go through the magnetic x-ray belt scanners. For the last few years, they've just asked me to step aside, then they have me hold my pump and swab my hands, and put the swab into some scanner thing that detects explosive material. I'm usually on my way in about 2 minutes, no pat down or anything.
I'm a moderately frequent traveler and I have never had *any* problems with the US authorities. (I once had a problem with an officious US airline rep in Spain over the medical supplies I was carrying and have always had a doctor's letter to hand since then.)
I use the Omnipod, so my controller is *not* attached to me and goes through the conveyor belt (X-ray) scanner. I've never had any issues with this; either with the controller (PDM) or with any other electronic equipment (I carry a lot.)
The Omnipod does show up on the back-scatter machines and that necessitates a post-scan check. I've only had one TSA official complain about me not telling them about the pod, generally now I look at some appropriate individual, pat the pod and say "insulin pump" before going through.
Most recently (the last few months) TSA-pre has been implemented on the west coast and, since I have it, I can now go through the metal detector instead of the X-ray machine. I've stopped even mentioning the Omnipod because it never sets of the metal detector (be careful not to touch the surround though - that *will* set it off).
I also invariably have way past the limit of liquids because of the insulin and carrying glucose gel. The only issues arise when we forget to take one or other baggy out; that's no longer an issue with TSA-pre (the liquids don't have to be taken out) but did get my wife's bag double checked in Taipei a couple of days ago because she had not realized she had the gel.
They're removing the X-ray machines:
I live on the west coast and I don't think I've ever been through one of the X-ray devices; I believe they can be distinguished because the lower frequency (non-X-ray) devices have antennas that sweep round you.
I suspect that the millimeter wave devices are safer than metal detectors with regard to adverse effects on electronic equipment, however I don't know if a pump controller will set a metal detector off.
I love my Cozmo. I've had it for almost 4 years and just got the upgrade to the new pump. It is waterproof--I swim laps 3x a week with no leaks. And it has reminders if I miss a meal bolus and when I need to change my set (I forget a lot). My BG control is better now than when I was on MInimed. It also has a cool menu feature to help figure out meal boluses. I'd never switch from Cozmo.
No! I don't want to risk it. I just show up earlier for my flight.
The issue is that the Medtronic devices are particularly sensitive to both X-rays and the technology used in body scanners (which is, for the most part, high frequency radio). So far as I can tell this is a unique problem with Medtronic devices:
http://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/tipsonflyingandairportsecurityguidelines
and (for a pages which don't have so many broken links):
https://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/customer-support/traveling-with-an-insulin-pump-or-device
https://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/customer-support/equipment-interference
Other manufacturers aren't so travel-unfriendly and design their devices to be safe (or, maybe, they don't design them so that they are unsafe - I don't know how Medtronic managed to get such sensitive devices). For example, Insulet:
http://www.myomnipod.com/pdf/14986-AWAirTravelTipsFlyerR2-11-11.pdf
Note the helpful printout for the uniformed security staff and the warm, fuzzy, totally unambiguous phrase, "Pods and PDMs (Personal Diabetes Manager) can safely pass through airport X-ray machines."
John Bowler
Oh, and following on from my previous reply about Medtronic equipment being unsafe (according to Medtronic) in body scanners, don't go to the UK if you use a Medtronic pump:
Will I have to be security-scanned if I am wearing medical equipment?
The Department for Transport considers that there are no known health effects from the scanners in use at Heathrow. The only alternative that can be offered to a scanner is a private search which allows for a more extensive hand-search than usual. Passengers will be escorted to a different location in the airport from the main search area (eg. a private search room). The private search may involve the loosening and/or removal of clothing. A person undergoing a private search may ask to be accompanied by a witness.
This alternative screening method will take significantly more time than passing through a security scanner.
Context: this Medtronic web page:
https://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/customer-support/equipment-interference
and this:
https://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/customer-support/traveling-with-an-insulin-pump-or-device
Which contains this:
Insulin Pumps, Personal CGM and Security
•You can continue to wear your insulin pump or continuous glucose monitor (CGM) while going through common security systems such as an airport metal detector as it will not harm the device or trigger an alarm. Do not send the devices through the x-ray machine.
•You need to remove your insulin pump and CGM (sensor and transmitter) while going through an airport body scanner. If you do not wish to remove your devices, you may request an alternative pat-down screening process
I believe if you actually did what Medtronic say you might never leave the UK; any *removed* device has to go through the (conveyor belt) X-ray (contrary to the first restriction).
I think this is a classic example of US corporate "I'm not responsible for anything" bureaucracy; I simply can't believe the Medtronic devices are any more sensitive than the other devices I send down that belt (cellphone, Kindle, iPad, laptop, dive watch, noise cancelling digital headphones, Omnipod PDM, spare Omnipods, cuddly toy.) None of these have failed me yet, except the cuddly toy, it's started leaking fluff, not sure what I'm going to do about that.
John Bowler
Hilarious! Love this post.
I totally refuse to walk through ANY of the security scanners (old school Xray or new) while wearing my t:slim pump and Dexcom. I request a pat-down every time. I'm definitely not going to endanger any of my medical devices by putting them through machines. I've had older pumps fail on me in sub-Saharan African countries and I always blamed scanners for the possible malfunctions. Not taking any chances. Nope. Nope. Nope.