Originally Posted by
Bart
All I can tell you is that TSA trains officers to be aware of the unique needs of passengers with disabilities. I don't know how my airport compares to others; however, I believe it probably rates pretty high in treating passengers with disabilities with dignity and respect because we process a lot of wounded warriors on a regular basis. The TSOs at my airport are accustomed to the various types of situations and sensitivities required to address them.
Bart, not everyone considers themselves 'disabled' and I fear that the TSA does not recognize or train their staff that not every issue is visible.
This is similar to SATTSO claiming that we can now use a 1 gallon bag at the checkpoint. It doesn't matter if SATTSO truly believes that or if he posted that in good faith or if he was mistaken.
What matters is what people experience at the checkpoint.
As we read over and over and over again, many TSOs do not know how to deal with medical issues. They try and force people to remove permitted medical devices, they deal with wounds in an unhygenic fashion, they mock or demean people for being different....
Just ask the OP of this thread for some of his experiences with TSOs for example.
I suspect that we actually hear a very small number of complaints about the actual situation at TSA checkpoints when it comes to anyone who is 'different' or outside the norm. I really don't see how anyone can defend the TSA track record when it comes to dealing with these sorts of issues.
If the TSA is doing the training, then the outcome has been a failure.