Originally Posted by
oneofthosepeopleyouloveto hate
It sounds like the TSO in question was slavishly following the SOP on this one -- which, as we all know, leaves a lot to be desired.
The SOP states that we are not supposed to order a passenger to remove a medical or assistive device, nor are we supposed to accept their offer to voluntarily remove said device. Obviously, this policy was devised by a liability-conscious person who did not want the bad press/lawsuits resulting from people falling, etc.
However, if played out strictly to the letter, it creates a weird sort of "don't ask, don't tell" scenario in which we're not required to STOP a passenger who is removing their brace (etc.), but if they ASK us if they can/should remove it, our proper response should be to decline, and send them for additional screening instead.
Which results in the sort of hassle you endured. Sorry about that!
Yes that's all fine and dandy except the bolded part. You send a person for additional screening which is a pat down and a ball rub and the magic wand around your body only to go off by the knee brace. Yet you don't remove the knee brace and put it through XRAY. Instead, you wave the magic wand over what the initial TSA guy said "Gee, I wonder what that could be" and it beeps and you finally let me go. How do you know there was no weapon in that? Bomb materials? You don't. Completely without logic.